Admission Requirements
Enrollment in each program is limited and competitive. The admissions committee of each program, composed of program faculty and administration, evaluates the qualifications of each applicant and makes the final selections for admission.
Occupational Therapy Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree (in any field)
- A specific degree is not required, though many applicants have degrees in biology, exercise science, chemistry, psychology, kinesiology, teaching, social work, nursing or a related field.
- Cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) at time of application submission.
- All college coursework ever taken, including repeated.
- For further information on how various grade point averages are calculated, see the Application Instructions published by Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) for the current admissions cycle.
- Required courses must be taken for letter grades.
- Advanced Placement (AP) semester hours will be accepted for transfer of prerequisite courses with a score of a 3 or higher on the AP exam. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits will be accepted for transfer, except for the math and science prerequisites.
- Complete the prerequisite courses outlined below at an accredited institution of higher learning with a recommended GPA of 3.0 prior to beginning the OT program.
- No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required.
- No credit is offered for work experience.
- No observation hours are required.
- We recommend applicants have experience in health and human service. These experiences provide opportunities to build empathy, cultural intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
- OT Discovery Module
- Applicants complete 15+ hours of independent inquiry through the OT Discovery Module. Learning about the breadth and depth of occupational therapy practice will enable applicants to make informed career decisions.
- This form is a tool to help applicants gain experience and prepare for application and interview questions.
- NEW: International Students can now be accepted! Please look over these pages:
Prerequisite coursework
- Human Anatomy with lab – 4 semester hours
- Human Physiology with lab– 4 semester hours
- Anatomy and physiology requirements may be fulfilled by a series of two courses of combined anatomy and physiology.
- Exercise physiology does not fulfill the human physiology requirement.
- No online labs will be accepted. [Online prerequisite labs taken during the Spring & Summer 2020 academic terms and the 2020-2021 academic year will be accepted. [Exceptions to this policy due to COVID-19]
- 4 semester hours natural science courses (Biology, Chemistry, Kinesiology, Physics or related)
- General Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Developmental Psychology (lifespan preferred)
- One sequence or course completed. Certificate programs accepted.
- UNMC offers a medical terminology course, CAHP 310, which meets this requirement. Taking medical terminology at UNMC is not a preference factor for admission.
Additional Requirements
Accepted students are required to complete a background check and substance abuse testing prior to matriculation into the program. Depending on fieldwork or capstone site, additional requirements may need to be met or updated.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the National Board For Certification In Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.