Fieldwork

In UIC’s MS in Occupational Therapy program, fieldwork experiences are separated into five placements.

• Level IA fieldwork involves students working together to develop, implement, and evaluate group activities designed to address the psychological and social needs of the clients in a community agency.
• Level IB and IC fieldwork is specifically designed with an emphasis on helping you develop professional behaviors, beginning practice skills, and an understanding and appreciation of psychosocial issues influencing engagement in occupation. Together, these comprise a four-week clinical placement in the summer after the 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 clinical placements, in differing areas of practice, at the conclusion of the classroom portion of the program.

You’ll engage in a variety of clinical and community-based fieldwork experiences. We believe that it’s important to receive clinical experience in a variety of settings such as physical disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, pediatrics and community sites.

We have relationships with fieldwork sites in the Chicago area and a limited number throughout the country. There is currently a shortage of fieldwork sites nationally leading to limited fieldwork opportunities for UIC students outside of Illinois.

While we affiliate with fieldwork sites in a variety of settings around the City of Chicago and suburbs, they are not all accessible by public transportation. Therefore, all incoming students must be prepared to do any of the following in order to assure their fieldwork experiences prepare them for practice as entry level clinicians:

• relocate outside of Chicago for one experience.
• travel more than an hour to fieldwork sites, or
• have access to a car and drive to their fieldwork site

Students who are primary caregivers for their children or other relatives or who have chronic health conditions that require them to remain in the Chicago area are exempt from relocation.