Occupational Therapy: Admission Requirements

The applicant to the professional program in occupational therapy must have completed or must show evidence of the following in order to be considered for admission:

• A completed application accompanied by the $40 non-refundable application fee.
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Recommended minimum grade point average of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Official scores from Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past five years.
• Prerequisite courses including statistics, sociology or anthropology, human growth and development (must cover the entire lifespan), two psychology courses in addition to human growth and development, and human anatomy (with lab, preferably cadaver) and human physiology (lab preferred). Human anatomy and human physiology must be taken within five years prior to admission to program. Two sequential courses with labs will also satisfy this prerequisite.
• Three letters of recommendation. One recommendation must be from an occupational therapy practitioner.
• Official transcripts from every college or university attended by the applicant.
• Experience/familiarity with occupational therapy either through observation, volunteering, or work experience with an OT practitioner.
• An essay on familiarity with occupational therapy through experience and how this experience has confirmed the choice of occupational therapy as a career.

The Admissions Committee will make decisions regarding the acceptability of the applicant to the program. All application materials will be evaluated. Academic and non-academic factors, including extra-curricular activities, job and life experiences will be taken into consideration. Selected applicants will be required to participate in an on-site visit which will include a faculty interview and writing sample. Recognizing the need of occupational therapists to serve a population representative of diverse social, ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds, a goal of the Admissions Committee will be to select a class likely to meet these diverse needs.

Application Deadlines

Admission is granted for the summer quarter of each year, which begins mid-June. Applications become available online August 1. Priority for admission consideration for interview will be given to applicants who submit a completed application by October 15. Interviews will be scheduled, beginning in December. The online application closes on December 15. Enrollment is limited to 30 students. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.