Occupational therapy contributes to the ability of individuals with disabilities to perform their life roles, such as parent, student, or worker, in the occupations of work, personal care, and leisure. Occupational therapists advance the person's well being by promoting adaptation and independence through meaningful activities of everyday living to enhance and restore health. By preventing, reducing, or overcoming physical, social, and emotional impairments in people, occupational therapists help to restore and sustain the highest quality of productive life to persons of all ages whether recovering from illnesses or injuries, challenged with developmental disabilities, or coping with changes resulting from the aging process. The unique feature that separates occupational therapy from all other professions is the study and management of the purposeful occupations and the meaningful activities in which humans engage and participate. In short, occupational therapy provides skills for the job of living. This program offers a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree.

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Physical therapists are dedicated to the promotion of optimal health, prevention of disability, and the restoration and maintenance of physical activities that contribute to a successful life. Physical therapy services are provided in a variety of setting, including homes, schools, one's workplace, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. Physical therapists provide direct patient service, consultation, and education and physical therapists are often engaged in research. They also serve in administrative capacities, including supervising and delegating responsibilities to members of the physical therapy service. Physical therapists enter practice as generalists and may later become board-certified specialists. Physical therapists work closely with members of a patient's team. Physical therapists are also engaged in the development of new approaches of intervention that will more effectively meet existing and emerging health needs in society, including health promotion and disability prevention programs. Physical therapists are dedicated to improving the ability of individuals to function successfully regardless of the reason for disability: disease or trauma, developmental or acquired, acute in nature or chronic. They are effective working with people of any age with a wide variety of functional limitations. Physical therapists also contribute to the development of relevant health policy. This program offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.

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The Doctor of Science degree in rehabilitation sciences is a postprofessional degree that builds on students’ entry-level education and subsequent education and clinical experiences. The goal of the program is to prepare occupational therapists and physical therapists to be scholarly practitioners with advanced clinical reasoning and skills in a specialty area. Graduates will understand and contribute to the scholarship of their professions, particularly through scholarly practice and clinical outcomes research. Most graduates will remain in clinical practice and become leaders in practice, such as clinical instructors, clinic managers, and/or directors of clinical programs.

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A fully Web-based option is now available for the pediatric specialization of the program, which emphasizes early intervention, school-based practice, and assistive technology. Anywhere students have Internet access, they can read and complete assignments online and participate in asynchronous on-line discussions with nationally recognized faculty and other students. A grant from the U.S. Department of Education provides financial support for qualified students.

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