Application Guide
The minimum entrance requirement for occupational therapy programs vary depending on the school. Programs that only award a master or doctoral degree require a bachelor degree and specific science and non-science courses for admission. Programs that award a combined bachelor and master degree require specific science and non-science courses for admission. Some of the occupational therapy schools also require that prerequisites completed at institutions other than their own be submitted for approval PRIOR to applying. Applicants may also have to complete the General Record Examination (GRE) as a prerequisite for admission as well.
Most occupational therapy programs also require documented occupational therapy shadowing hours and/or volunteer experience with specific populations for admission. Competitive applicants will also have substantial health related and non-health related experiences.
Applicants seeking admission to an occupational therapy program should contact the programs that interest them for detailed information on specific prerequisites and admission requirements.
Application Information
Centralized Application Service: OTCAS - Occupational Therapist Centralized Application
Service
Cost: $169 to apply to one OT program. Each additional school is $71.
When to apply: Each program has a different application timeline depending on if they start in
fall semester or winter semester. It is important to check with each individual program.
Most
commonly, students will apply in the summer of the year preceding their planned matriculation.
OTCAS opens in July.
Resources: OTCAS Application Instructions
Courses and Transcripts: The courses you have taken will need to be self-reported and you will
also need to have official transcripts sent to the application service.
Most centralized applications will have a form to print off that will need to be attached
to your
transcript. You will be asked to enter information, grades and credits for every course
that you
have enrolled in at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution.
Transcripts
should be sent from the registrar’s office of all US and/or Canadian Schools attended.
You may order a transcript from the MSU registrar’s office from the registrar’s web
site,
https://reg.msu.edu/. There is no charge for sending transcripts. If you are taking courses
during the spring semester, it is advised you wait until your spring semester grades
are posted to
your record as professional schools will want to see those grades.
Entrance Exam
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is sometimes required for admission to Occupational Therapy programs. As of
2024, no
programs in Michigan require it. Please see our GRE page for more information on this exam.
Recommendation Letters
OTCAS allows up to 5 recommendation letters. A minimum of 3 letters are required.
While you must pay careful attention to the guidelines of each school that requests your letters, we suggest you identify the following people to request letters of evaluation from:
- Two science faculty who taught you in a class
- One non-science faculty
- One individual working in the profession you wish to pursue (example: an osteopathic
physician, dentist, physical therapist, pharmacist, etc) - One or two additional individuals who know you well from a work, volunteer or research
experience
Personal Statement
The personal statement is a very limited in length essay that is used as a device
to get a better
understanding of the applicant.It is a very important element that should be prepared
well in
advance to the application and should be edited thoroughly by many different people,
such as
but not limited to, the writing center, friends and family.
Length: 7,500 character limit for OTCAS participating schools.
Prompt: We invite you to share how your lived experiences (e.g., personal, professional,
cultural,
etc.) have influenced your interest in pursuing OT. This essay is an important part
of your
application and allows you to clearly and effectively express yourself. Do not personalize
this
essay for a particular program, as it is shared with all your programs.
What to include:
- Why you selected this field of health care
- What motivates you to learn more about health care
- Pertinent information about you not included elsewhere in the application
- Special hardships or experiences that have influenced your educational pursuits
- Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained in the
application.
Resources:
Work/Activities
This section gives applicants an opportunity to expand on their experiences. All of
your work in
leadership, clinical experiences, community service, research, publications, awards
and honors
are detailed in a single section.
OTCAS requests that applicants enter their experiences among the following categories:
- Employment: Paid work done outside of the OT field
- Extracurricular Activities: Sports, clubs, and other activities offered through a
college or
university - Healthcare Experience - Paid and unpaid work in the health or a health-related field
where
you are not directly responsible for a patient’s care - Internships and Clinical Experience
- Research: Research projects completed outside of the classroom
- Teaching Experience
- Volunteer: Volunteer work completed outside of healthcare.
- Leadership Experience
Observation Hours
A separate category in the OTCAS application is listed for Observation Hours. OT schools
often
request shadowing experience, including a minimum for observation hours. Students
are
encouraged to check with individual OT schools for shadowing requirements.
Interviews
After submitting the primary application, and secondary applications if required,
students may
receive an offer to interview. Not all OT programs require an interview as part of
the application
process, but for the ones that do, they have indicated an interest in selecting you.
Remember,
you are not only preparing to answer their questions, you are preparing to ask your
own. While
they determine whether you are the right fit for the program, you need to determine
if the
program is the right fit for you.
Schools use personal interviews with applicants to assess qualities such as maturity,
interpersonal
skills, and ability to articulate strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to discuss
why you wish to
pursue a career in physician assistant and the experiences that have motivated you.
Resources:
- Interview Tips
- InterviewStream - Free mock interview software