Fieldwork allows students to apply the theory and skills they learned in the classroom in a clinical setting. In the UIC’s MS/C occupational therapy program, fieldwork experiences are separated into three placements categorized by the following:

• Level I fieldwork provides you with the opportunity to validate what you have learned and develop as a professional, and to begin developing practitioner skills. This is a four-week affiliation that falls in the summer after you have completed your first year of classes.
• Level II fieldwork focuses on the application of occupational therapy theory, and the development of clinical reasoning and skills to become a competent entry-level generalist occupational therapist. This experience consists of two, 12-week affiliations, in differing areas of practice, at the conclusion of your classroom education.

The UIC Department of Occupational Therapy feels that it is important for students to receive experience in a variety of settings such as physical disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, pediatrics, and community sites. The department has affiliations with multiple community and medical sites in and around the Chicago area that students may consider when choosing their fieldwork placements.

At the conclusion of all fieldwork assignments, you will be functioning at an entry-level degree of competency and eligible to sit for the Certification Examination for Occupational Therapy Registered.