Colorado State University’s Occupational Therapy Program Ranked 7th in the Nation by U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News and World Report’s "Best Graduate Schools 2005" edition has ranked Colorado State University’s graduate program in occupational therapy seventh in the nation.

Colorado State’s occupational therapy master’s degree program ranking is up three places from the 2001 survey, the most recent U.S. News and World Report ranking of this category. Colorado State is ranked with universities such as University of Southern California, Boston University, Washington University in St. Louis, New York University and Columbia University. (See www.usnews.com for complete rankings and methodology.)

"Being recognized at a national level reaffirms our program’s extraordinary achievements," said Jodie Hanzlik, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State. "Our individual faculty members, centers, staff and student efforts have had an amazing cumulative effect, bringing us to the national forefront as a Program of Excellence. We’re proud of our outstanding program and our exceptional graduates and faculty who do so much to benefit people regionally, nationally and internationally."   

The Department of Occupational Therapy is recognized by Colorado State University as one of 12 Programs of Research and Scholarly Excellence. The department also has been designated a Program of Excellence by the state of Colorado and awarded a five-year, $1.6 million program grant. It also is consistently ranked among the top 10 programs by the Gourman Report and Peterson’s Guide.

Colorado State’s Department of Occupational Therapy reflects the university’s land-grant mission in innovative ways from using wireless computer lap-tops accessible to students during in- or out-of-class activities to a myriad of federal research grants to local, national and international service projects that provide services to people around the world.

Examples of the most recent enhancements of the department include:

–     an adapted garden that provides a variety of accommodations so people of all ages and disabilities can enjoy and work in the garden;  

–     rennovation of two laboratories that include adapted and typical bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas providing students an opportunity to learn how to work with clients in best-practice design space and how to adapt standard environments;

–     partnerships with community programs that allow students to work directly with their clients;

–     an assistive technology lab used to educate students about state-of-the-art technology used to enhance the lives of people with disabilities;

–     and a grant partnership with the city of Fort Collins to provide students research opportunities while supporting recreational needs of people with disabilities.

"We are happy that the quality of the graduate programs in the Department of Occupational Therapy and the achievements of their faculty have been nationally recognized in this manner," said Nancy Hartley, dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences. "We are very proud of the accomplishments of the Department of Occupational Therapy and their pursuit of excellence."

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