Occupational Therapy is an exciting and rewarding field working with children and adults who have physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities that interfere with their ability to engage in life's tasks. There are a variety of career options and the job outlook for OT’s is outstanding because of the shortage of practitioners.
All prospective students are encouraged to attend an OT First Step Information Session in order to gain a better understanding about the field, our program and the admissions requirements/process. Click here for upcoming session dates.
Fall 2013 Admission Requirements
* Information regarding the Fall 2014 MOT Admissions Cycle will be available shortly. Please monitor our website closely for any changes to our admissions requirements, application instructions and important deadlines. *
OT Minimum Technical Standards
The OT Minimum Technical Standards policy outlines the minimum cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical, and social abilities are required to satisfactorily perform these functions throughout the curriculum including all clinical rotations.
International Applicants
The Program in Occupational Therapy is currently NOT able to accept students on an F1 or F2 visa due to federal regulations regarding online degree programs. Applicants with other visa types should contact cahpinfo@umn.edu for further information on admission eligibility.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is NOT required.
Language Requirements
Applicants whose native language is not English or whose academic study was done exclusively at a non-English speaking institution(s) must prove English proficiency by providing either official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) orTest of Spoken English (TSE) scores.
Preferred language scores are:
> 550 TOEFL paper-based version > 100 TOEFL Internet-based version (iBT) > 50 TSE test
Bachelor's Degree
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree prior to the first day of classes in the Master of Occupational Therapy curriculum. The degree must meet one of the following criteria:
- U.S. bachelor's degree (BA or BS in any field) Comparable degree from a recognized international institution
- Applicants with a degree from an international institution must submit a course-by-course evaluation conducted byECE International.
U.S. Applicants who have studied abroad as part of their coursework at a U.S. university/college do not need to provide an evaluation as long as the international coursework and grades are noted on their U.S. university/college transcript.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The Admissions Committee considers an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above as a positive factor for admission. Prerequisite coursework must be completed with a GPA of at least 3.0 and no single grade lower than a C. Courses must be taken A-F with the exception of Medical Terminology which requires only evidence of completion.
Prerequisite Courses
There are seven core prerequisite courses required for admission to the Program in Occupational Therapy. All prerequisite courses must be completed no later than the end of Summer session of the year of admission. There is one non-core prerequisite, Medical Terminology which may be taken for college credit or online. Complete details regarding prerequisite courses are outlined on our Prerequisite Requirements (Academic) page.
Technology Requirements
The Program in Occupational Therapy curriculum is delivered both in person and online. Applicants who receive and accept an offer of admission are expected to be proficient at using a personal computer, including but not limited to sending and receiving email, using data and word processing software (primarily Microsoft Office software), using the Internet, and navigating the University of Minnesota and other websites. The University of Minnesota Technology and Training Services offers training for a wide range of computing tools in the event that a student in the Program in Occupational Therapy needs skills improvement. Students must be enrolled in order to access these services. Find out if online learning is the right educational experience for you.
Due to the hybrid and online delivery format of all Program in OT courses all students in the Program in OT must have consistent and reliable access to a computer and the Internet. Students in the Program in OT will need to maintain a minimum level of capacity and flexibility with computer equipment and other technological issues.
- Equipment –
- A Pentium-based computer running Windows XP/Vista/7 OR
- MAC with an Intel processor (1.66GHz or greater) running OS X 10.5 or later and Parallels Desktop for Mac, 2 GB of memory, and 20 GB of free space on the hard drive for software installation and virtual machine space. You will also need a valid, licensed version of Windows XP SP3/Vista/Seven to install your virtual machine.
- A printer
- A webcam (optional, but recommended)
- Audio (required)
- Software – to support file exchange between students and the instructor
- Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox browser with Flash, Shockwave and Java plugins
- If you need any additional software, it will be stated in the course syllabus.
- High-Speed Internet access. Dial-up Modem or DSL connections are insufficient to meet the course content requirements.
- The ability to use the University web-based email program to send and receive messages and attachments
Enrolled students MUST have access to computer equipment and software that meets the University of Minnesota Certified Computer configurations. Complete details of these configurations are available online at http://www.oit.umn.edu/umart/certified-laptops/specifications/index.htm.
Less than minimum computer standards and/or lack of proficiency using a computer is not an acceptable extenuating circumstance for not making progress towards the Program in Occupational Therapy degree.
Practical Experience
Practical Experience is suggested, but not required for application. Although this type of experience is not required, the Admissions Committee does consider an applicant's optional observation, volunteer and/or work experience in occupational therapy and other health-related areas and believes these experiences strengthen the application.
Prerequisite Planning
Applicants who have remaining prerequisite courses to fulfill should carefully plan the timeline of completion. The Prerequisite Planning Sheets offer detailed information on the courses available at the U of M and area colleges and universities.
Requirements After Admission
Criminal Background Study
The State of Minnesota Department of Health requires criminal background studies on all students admitted to the Program in Occupational Therapy. Failure to pass the background study may preclude successful completion of the program. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination or attain state licensure. Information on national certification is available from:
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
800 S. Frederick Avenue, Suite 200
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
(301) 990-7979
www.nbcot.org
Admitted students are provided detailed instructions for how to request a criminal background study soon after beginning the program.
Immunizations
Admitted students will be asked to provide documentation of immunizations. For complete details visit the U of M's Boynton Health Service web page on immunization requirements.