School of Occupational Therapy

1500 N. Warner St. #1070
Tacoma, WA 98416-1070

Weyerhaeuser 204

253.879.3514
253.879.3518
ot@pugetsound.edu

OT Clinic and Department Assistant

Christine Hills
253.879.3514

Program Coordinator

Sue Hinrichs
253.879.3517

Academic Fieldwork Assistant

Claire Brecher
253.879.2913

Associate Fieldwork Coordinator

Andee Spehar, MOTR/L
253.879.3571
What's New in OT
Fall 2025 Applications Now Open

Program Description

Established in 1944, the Puget Sound Occupational Therapy Program was the first of its kind in the region and is continually one of the top ranked programs in the Pacific Northwest. At Puget Sound the study of occupational therapy is enhanced by the liberal arts emphasis of the university. A collaborative yet academically rigorous environment nurtures students as they learn to think critically and analytically, develop professional values and goals, and become intellectually autonomous. Students benefit from high impact educational practices, innovative project opportunities, frequent experiential learning opportunities, and a curriculum that develops the professional reasoning skills essential for success in practice.

With more than 230 collective years of experience in occupational therapy practice and a dedication to teaching excellence, faculty members infuse class sessions with their clinical expertise, passion and commitment to student growth. Students engage with therapists from the local community through robust collaborative partnerships that underlie student research projects and the community-based and onsite clinical experiences.

Three programs are available:

Why Puget Sound?

Two OT students practice techniques on a third student
Community Engagement

Robust community-based experiences include student-driven experiential learning projects, evidence-in-practice projects conducted in collaboration with community practitioners, culminating presentations open to campus and community members, and optional study-abroad opportunities.

Occupational Therapy students in a learning lab 2023
Culturally Sensitive Practice

With a 30-year history of teaching cultural humility and culturally responsive practice, our program is highly experienced in engaging students in meaningful examination of the social determinants of health and preparing them to provide culturally sensitive and unbiased quality care to clients from all backgrounds and widely varied lived experiences.

Occupational therapy student getting hands-on instruction
Hands-on Learning

Our teaching clinics offer students three unique opportunities to work under the supervision of practicing occupational therapists who are hired to guide students in performing every part of the occupational therapy process with volunteer clients from the local community. The teaching clinics emphasize adult services, pediatric services, and group services for clients with mental health needs.

Experiential Learning
Who You’ll Learn From

All Puget Sound faculty members have actively practiced occupational therapy and all courses are taught by licensed occupational therapists. Other faculty characteristics: earned specialty certifications, elected to national and state leadership positions, volunteering in professional and the local community organizations, maintaining active research agendas, authoring textbooks and official documents, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, presentation at national and international conferences, earned awards and recognitions, and more.

Learn about the clinical experiences students participate in
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Sample MSOT & OTD Courses
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This course critically examines the role of sociocultural, socioeconomic, and diversity factors as they impact participation in occupation for persons, groups, and populations in a changing healthcare environment. Using analytical and evaluative skills, students collaborate in problem-solving activities with classmates in and outside of class and increase understanding of the ways in which race and class impact occupational performance and participation.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.

Essential gross anatomy of the musculoskeletal system of the limbs and trunk, including peripheral nerves and vascular structures, is studied as a basis for understanding and analyzing human functional movement. Biomechanical principles of human motion are studied, as well as kinesiologic analysis of movement. Introduction to goniometry, manual muscle testing, palpation of superficial structures, and clinical presentations are also covered.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.

This class is a foundation course designed to introduce occupational therapy students to the basic and applied functions of the human nervous system and begin to understand how those functions affect sensorimotor activity, cognitive/affective behavior, and, ultimately, occupational performance. Instruction on somatosensory and visual testing is included.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.

This course introduces the context of OT research, the major types of research, issues of research design, concepts of evidence-based practice, and the principles of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students analyze and interpret data, complete and present pilot descriptive research projects, and begin preparations for implementation of the evidence project in OT 630 or OT 730.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.

This course develops theoretical knowledge of and practice skills for the occupational therapy process with clients with diverse psychosocial needs, ranging from the importance and meaning of occupation for mental health promotion to the impact of psychiatric conditions on occupational performance. Students administer assessment methods, identify and analyze occupational needs related to mental health, and compare a variety of evidence-informed psychosocial intervention approaches. Therapeutic use of self and reflection and reasoning is further developed while designing and implementing therapeutic group interventions. Doctoral students further evaluate evidence that supports the role of occupation in the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental illness.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.

In this course students learn foundational concepts of professionalism, universal principles of professional therapist-client interaction, and assimilation of a professional self-identity. Key concepts include personal responsibility for learning, therapeutic use of self, professional communication, clinical reasoning and reflection, professional behaviors, and understanding self as a professional.

Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Occupational Therapy.
Meet Our Faculty
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Jackie Brown
Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor

A clinical pediatric occupational therapist since 2000, Prof. Brown is dedicated to education through discussions and sensory based learning experiences to develop compassionate future healthcare professionals.

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yswinth.jpg
Yvonne Swinth
Professor, Occupational Therapy

With 25+ years working in pediatrics and school-based settings, Prof. Swinth is a specialist in occupational therapy services in schools, assistive technology, and OT service delivery for children with disabilities.

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Maggie Hayes
Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Prof. Hayes has 13 years of experience as an occupational therapy practitioner. Her primary practice area is with the pediatric population, and she has practiced in outpatient clinics, home health settings, and in school districts.

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Aimee Sidhu
Clinical Associate Professor and Fieldwork Capstone Coordinator, Occupational Therapy

Prof. Sidhu incorporates a variety of hands-on activities in her labs and classes, as well as research around reflection and reflective practices, and serves as the OT fieldwork and capstone coordinator.

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Amy Kashiwa
Clinical Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Since 2015, Prof. Kashiwa has been a strong advocate for a larger professional role in occupational therapy for suicide prevention.

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Shelly Norvell
Clinical Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Prof. Norvell has over 26 years of clinical experience primarily working in adult outpatient orthopedics specializing in hand therapy, but she has also worked in skilled nursing facilities, home health, and in-patient acute care.

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Cecille Corsilles-Sy
Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Prof.

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Renee Watling
Professor and Director of the School of Occupational Therapy

A pediatric occupational therapist, Prof. Watling specializes on sensory processing and behavior, sensory-based OT intervention, and issues related to services for children with autism spectrum disorders.

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Graduation Data

MSOT Fall Cohorts Persistence and Graduation

Graduation Year Entering Students Graduated with MSOT Graduated with OTD Total Graduated Graduation Rate
2021 48 47 0 47 97%
2022 12 8 4 1 100%
2023 22 17* ** 17 77%

* One student completing an extra fieldwork
** Four students still enrolled and pursuing OTD degree

 

OTD Fall Cohorts Persistence and Graduation (program opened in 2020)

Graduation Year Entering Students Graduated with MSOT Graduated with OTD Total Graduated Graduation Rate
2023 28* 8 18** 26 93% 

* 1 student withdrew
** 1 student delayed their doctoral capstone

Rev. 2/8/24

Jean Baumgartel '76
Honoring Our Best

For Jean Baumgartel ’76, a sense of adventure, coupled with her passion for humanitarianism, has taken her all over the globe. In her career as an occupational therapist, she’s traveled to Chile, Vietnam, Peru, Honduras, Nepal, Bhutan, and Georgia, among countless other places. 

Read the Story
Student working at home
Get Comfortable: Tips for At-Home Workspaces

A Google search for "home workspace tips" yields more than 50 million results. Some articles recommend standing desks; others swear you'll be most productive on the couch.

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Accreditation

The MSOT Occupational Therapy Program is accredited through the
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The MSOT program was initially awarded a Certificate of Accreditation in 2012. In compliance with the 2018 Accreditation Standards for Master’s-Degree-Level Educational Program for Occupational Therapy, the program’s next on-site evaluation is to be scheduled within the academic year 2031/2032.

 

Puget Sound's entry-level OTD was awarded a Certificate of Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) in December 2022. The OTD program's next onsite evaluation is to be scheduled for the academic year 2029/2030. Puget Sound OTD graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist.

 

The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE's telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

NBCOT Pass Rate

Puget Sound occupational therapy graduates have consistently demonstrated strong educational outcomes. 

 

To view our pass rate data by year, please use the direct link to the
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) program data results.