Fieldwork education, or apprenticeship, is an integral part of the MSOT program at Salus University.
Participation in the authentic environment of practice allows our students to perform components of the work required an OT practitioner, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and the research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services. Each MSOT student must successfully complete three Level I fieldwork placements and three Level II fieldwork placements.
Level 1 Fieldwork
The goal of Level I fieldwork is to introduce the student to the fieldwork experience, to apply knowledge to practice, and to develop an understanding of the needs of clients. At Salus, each fieldwork Level I course has a specific focus based on a curricular theme that links it to the overarching curricular design of our Salus program and helps to integrate the didactic portion of our curriculum with each Level I experience.
Level I fieldwork experiences at Salus are scheduled within the first Spring, first Summer, and second Fall didactic course semesters of the program as part of three Applied Tenets courses:
- Fieldwork 1A (Applied Tenets 1)
- Fieldwork 1B (Applied Tenets 2)
- Fieldwork IC (Applied Tenets 3)
Level 2 fieldwork
The goal of Level II Fieldwork is to enable students to solidify their skills and competencies as they prepare to enter the profession. The purpose of Level II Fieldwork in the Salus MSOT program is to develop competent, entry level generalists. In Level II Fieldwork, students have an in-depth experience in the delivery of occupational therapy services to clients, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services. The placements for Level II Fieldwork students take place across a wide range of practice areas and expose students to a variety of clients across the lifespan and in a variety of settings.
Level II 2A and 2B fieldwork experiences occur in the second spring semester. Students work in conjunction with the academic fieldwork coordinator to make Level II selections. Students complete one twelve-week and one six-week fieldwork experience alongside the completion of their Capstone project in this semester.
The final six week Level II fieldwork experience (2C) occurs in the same clinical setting as Level II 2B, and takes place in the second summer session of the program, along with the Capstone Synthesis course. These culminating experiences offer students a way to solidify their skills, gain confidence as entry level practitioners, and demonstrate that they have integrated curricular themes.