Overview

Occupational therapy is a health profession that employs everyday activities in the service of helping people to live healthy and satisfying lives. Services are provided to individuals who are at risk or who have disabling conditions or life circumstances that prevent full participation in the roles and activities that they value. Students in Saint Louis University’s department of occupational science and occupational therapy master’s program apply their occupational science knowledge to supporting the health and quality of life of individuals throughout the lifespan, including those with disabilities and chronic illness. The design of the occupational therapy curriculum at Saint Louis University is formed by the integration of the following four thematic areas: •Jesuit-based educational philosophy and goals, including the ultimate outcome of men and women in the service of others •Reasoning as the ultimate learning objective, resulting in practitioners who are independent and competent problem-solvers and seekers of knowledge •Occupation as a means and outcome of intervention •Development of a professional identity Curriculum themes progress through increasingly complex learning, from understanding to evaluation. Themes in each area combine with the curricular content and evolve into student learning outcomes to produce an educational curriculum that emphasizes compassionate and reflective approaches to achieving occupational performance/participation in the lives of the individuals our graduates serve. Occupational therapy graduates will engage in practice grounded in the understanding and application of the power of occupation to enhance the health and well-being of individuals, communities and societies