Occupational Therapy, OTD

Return to: 5150 Department of Occupational Therapy  

Admission Requirements

The professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program accepts 45 students once a year for the summer semester of each academic year. Admission to the OTD program is competitive; not all who apply will be admitted. Completion of the stated selection criteria does not assure admission to the program. Students who are not accepted into the program may apply for the next application deadline. Complete applications will be reviewed by the OTD Program Admissions Committee.

Applicants must understand the following is a list of minimum requirements for application to the program and that acceptance to the program is competitive and is not guaranteed. Applicants must apply in two places namely, a) OTCAS and, b) GSU graduate admission portal

Applicants must understand the following is a list of minimum requirements for application to the program and that acceptance to the program is competitive and is not guaranteed.

Applicants must apply to OTCAS. Please visit the website for details at https://lewis.gsu.edu/ot/ot-academics-and-admissions/

 

Applicants should:

1. Complete a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA based on a

    4.0 scale for the undergraduate degree. Applicants may apply while completing their degree, but the degree should be completed before the anticipated start of the   OTD program.

2. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale for prerequisite courses. Additionally, the minimum GPA for each prerequisite course must be at least C. All             prerequisites must be completed within the  last 7 years- no exceptions.

3. Submit official transcripts to OTCAS. 

4. Have completed the GRE within 10 years of the desired semester of entry, including the quantitative, verbal and analytical writing components. The institution code to submit GRE scores for GSU OTD is 0194.

5. Submit three letters of recommendation through OTCAS. At least one letter should come from an OT, one from a professor, andone from a work supervisor, an academic advisor, or other health care professional (non-relative).

6. Submit documentation of a minimum of 50 hours of work orvolunteer experience in at least two different delivery systems demonstrating exposure to and understanding of the occupational therapist’s role. Complete a Personal Essay, no more than two pages double-spaced, succinctly discussing how your academic background and life experiences will contribute to your success in the OT program while enhancing our program and the profession of occupational therapy.

7. Submit a current resume of professional and volunteer experiences.

8. Official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) taken in the last two years, for applicants whose native language is not English. Minimum scores: TOEFL a score of 90 with no less than 20 on each subset, IELTS a score of 6.5 with no less than 6 on each band score. See section on “International Admissions” in this chapter for more information

 

 

Required Prerequisites

 

**Please note that the OTD Program does not accept AP (Advanced Placement) or CLEP (College Level Exam Progress) credits as prerequisite courses.

1. Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab (3 credits)
2. Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab (3 credits)
3. Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
4. Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
5. Statistics (3 credits)
6. Sociology or Anthropology (3 credits)
7. Medical Terminology (1 to 3 credits)

All prerequisite courses should be taken from a regionally accredited college or university. The GSU OTD Program requires that a minimum of 3 out of the 7 prerequisite courses have been completed and 2 other courses are ongoing at the time of application submission. All  of the courses should be completed by the time of the anticipated start to the program in the following summer semester. Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab (3 credits)  needs to be completed at the time of the application submission.

The following steps should be taken to submit an admission application:

 

1. Take the GRE and have your official scores sent to GSU using code 0194.
2. Create an account with OTCAS.
3. Complete the OTCAS application in its’ entirety and submit fees to OTCAS.
4. Have all official transcripts sent to OTCAS.
5. Please make use of the Check Status option at the top of the dashboard. Confirm here that all official transcripts and three references have been received by OTCAS. If this is not done, your application will not move forward. It is your responsibility to monitor the progress of your application components.
6. Your OTCAS application must be complete by the deadline. For this to happen, OTCAS must have a complete OTCAS application, all official transcripts, and application fee(s). From here, OTCAS begins to verify your coursework you self-reported against what your official transcripts list). So, please make sure everything matches. ***More information can be foundhere:  https://help.liaisonedu.com/OTCAS_Applicant_Help_Center/Submitting_and_Monitoring_Your_OTCAS_Application
7. If your first language is not English, you must also take the TOEFL.

 

 Application information is available on the College’s website at https://lewis.gsu.edu/ot/ot-academics-and-admissions/.

 

Nondiscriminatory Policy

 

It is the policy of Georgia State University to implement affirmative action and equal opportunity for all employees, students, contractors, consultants and applicants for employment or admission without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, veteran status or disability.

 

Degree Requirements

Completing all the requirements of OTD program of study, including didactic, clinical, and capstone work

 

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate from the Department of Occupational Therapy OTD program, the student must:

1. Have a 3.0 Cumulative GPA.
2.  Successfully complete all didactic, fieldwork, and capstone requirements within 4.5 years of initial enrollment in the OTD program. All Level II fieldwork and capstone requirements must be completed within a 24-month period following completion of academic requirements.
3. Have no grades lower than C (2.0).
4. Successfully complete the graduate competency exam.
5. Apply for graduation prior to anticipated graduation date, according to the timeline set forth from the College and University. Students who fail to apply for graduation on time will not be allowed to graduate regardless of having completed their coursework.