Before applying, occupational therapy schools expect that applicants develop certain competencies. Students develop some of these competencies through undergraduate coursework, while they develop others through experiences outside the classroom. Occupational therapy schools review your application looking for indicators that you have developed these competencies. They will expect you to have completed specific coursework to be eligible to apply and maintain a certain GPA to demonstrate academic readiness for graduate study.
Choosing a major #
Occupational therapy programs do not require a particular major for admission. Pre-OT students may select any major and degree to combine with the courses required for admission to occupational therapy school. You should select a major in which you are genuinely interested, in which you can excel, and one that provides latitude to pursue an alternate career path if you choose not to attend occupational therapy school.
At IUB, the most common major that pre-OT students select is psychology. The next most frequently selected majors are exercise science, recreational therapy, human biology, and community health.
In addition to completing a set of prerequisite coursework, pre-OT students need to develop strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills. Coursework in the humanities and social and behavioral sciences can help you build skills in these latter areas.
Prerequisite coursework #
Each occupational therapy program establishes its own course requirements for admission, and these vary from school to school.
The ACOTE School Directory provides a searchable database of Doctorate and Masters occupational therapy programs.
Both degree levels are routes of entry to the profession, prepare graduates to be entry-level practitioners, and are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The doctoral degree offers additional coursework that provides in-depth knowledge of clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. The doctoral degree provides in-depth education for individuals looking to further their careers by fulfilling roles in leadership, advocacy, policymaking, or higher education.
As a pre-OT student, you should plan to apply to multiple schools. Begin researching their requirements early to determine what additional courses are required for admission. You should contact programs to confirm that the suggested IU Bloomington coursework fulfills their requirements.
Some OT programs may not accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit, credit-by-exam, or exemption from degree requirements to fulfill admission requirements, or may only accept such credit under specific circumstances. Research program requirements and contact programs if you have AP credit or credit-by-exam.
Course requirements for Indiana University's occupational therapy programs at IU Indianapolis and IU South Bend are listed below.
Course requirements for the Indiana University occupational therapy programs #
Indiana University offers two occupational therapy programs, an entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) at IU Indianapolis and an entry-level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) at IU South Bend. Students planning to apply to IU’s programs on either campus should complete the coursework below and review the admission requirements on their program websites.
| Course Requirements for IU Indianapolis School of Health and Human Sciences OTD |
IU Bloomington course(s) that can fulfill the requirement |
|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with lab1 | ANAT-A 225* |
| Human Physiology with lab1 | PHSL-P 225* or BIOL-P 451 |
| Statistics1, 2 |
PSY-K 300, SPH-Q 381, STAT-S 303, or equivalent |
| Introductory Sociology or Anthropology | SOC-S 100, ANTH-A 107, or ANTH-E 200 |
| Introductory Psychology | PSY-P 101 or 155 |
| Lifespan Development3 | PSY-P 315 (P: PSY-P 155; or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102), EDUC-P 314, or SPH-F 150 |
| Abnormal Psychology | PSY-P 324 |
| Medical Terminology4 | CLAS-C 209 |
The requirements, deadlines, and process for applying for the IU-Indianapolis Doctor of Occupational Therapy program are outlined on the IU-Indianapolis School of Health & Human Sciences website. As a potential applicant, you should review IU-Indianapolis admissions information before you apply.
Eligibility requirements
- Completed all prerequisites with a maximum of two outstanding courses at the time of application. All prerequisites must be completed before starting the program.
- Completed—or will complete—your undergraduate bachelor’s degree before your intended summer start date in the program.
- Earned a cumulative grade point average and prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, which includes all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
Online courses and labs are being accepted for prerequisite requirements.
Prerequisite coursework must be at a level for science majors and be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, and all courses (except for Medical Terminology) must be at least three credit hours.
Students may retake up to fifteen (15) credit hours of prerequisites—the higher grade will be used to compute prerequisite GPA, but all grades will be used to calculate cumulative GPA.
Dual credit courses are acceptable if recorded on a college transcript with a grade. The OTD admissions committee accepts coursework from any regionally accredited institution.
Courses taken for AP credit will be accepted for prerequisite courses if a score of three or higher is earned (the course must appear on official university transcripts). CLEP tests are not accepted.
*ANAT-A 215 and PHSL-P 215 prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to fulfill these requirements.
Course notes:
- Anatomy, physiology, and statistics must be completed not more than seven years prior to the application deadline.
- Statistics must include descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Lifespan Development must include the study of development from birth to death.
- 1 credit hour minimum.
| Course Requirements for IU South Bend College of Health Sciences MSOT |
IU Bloomington course(s) that can fulfill the requirement |
|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with lab | ANAT-A 225* |
| Human Physiology with lab | PHSL-P 225* or BIOL-P 451 |
| Statistics1 |
PSY-K 300, SPH-Q 381, STAT-S 303, or equivalent |
| Introductory Sociology or Anthropology | SOC-S 100, ANTH-A 107, or ANTH-E 200 |
| Introductory Psychology | PSY-P 101 or 155 |
| Lifespan Development2 | PSY-P 315 (P: PSY-P 155; or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102), EDUC-P 314, or SPH-F 150 |
| Abnormal Psychology | PSY-P 324 (P: PSY-P 155; or PSY-P 101 and PSY-P 102) |
| Medical Terminology3 | CLAS-C 209 |
The requirements, deadlines, and process for applying for the IU-South Bend Dwyer School of Health Sciences Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program are outlined on their admission website. As a potential applicant, you should review this admissions information before you apply.
Minimum Application GPA: 3.0
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 3.0
Applicants may have no more than two (2) prerequisite courses outstanding. The outstanding prerequisite course(s) must be completed by the August start date of the program with a grade of ‘C’ or higher while maintaining at least the required 3.0 admissions cumulative GPA.
OTCAS will use these courses to calculate a separate specific grade point average used in the admission decision. All courses, except for Medical Terminology, must be at least three (3) credit hours.
All GPAs will be calculated by OTCAS.
Applicants must have a completed bachelor degree in any major from a regionally accredited college/university. Or will have the completed degree prior to matriculation into the MSOT program.
AP classes count if you score 3 or higher and they show up on your college transcript, but they won’t be included in the calculated GPA for required prerequisite classes. Dual credit classes also count, but they must be on your college transcript with a letter grade.
Retaking Credits: Students can retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite courses. Only the higher grade will count toward the prerequisite GPA, but each course can only be retaken twice. The overall GPA will still follow the repeat policy of the school where the course was taken.
All prerequisite courses must be completed not more than seven years prior to application deadline.
*ANAT-A 215 and PHSL-P 215 prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to fulfill these requirements.
Course notes:
- Statistics must include both descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Lifespan Development must include entire lifespan of human development from conception to death (infant to old age).
- 1 credit hour minimum.
For other OT programs you may also need to take a combination of some of the coursework below. Research programs early to find out what courses you will need to apply for admission.
| Requirement | IU Bloomington guidelines |
|---|---|
| Psychology | PSY-P 315 Developmental Psychology. Some OT programs prefer a psychology course for the lifespan development prerequisite. |
| Biology | BIOL-L 112 and, if a lab is required, BIOL-L 113 |
| Chemistry | CHEM-C 101/121 or C103 or C117/127, depending on program requirements |
| Kinesiology | SPH-K 205 Structural Kinesiology or SPH-K 391 Biomechanics |
| Pharmacology | Ivy Tech has offered a pharmacology course, HLHS 115 |
| Physics | PHYS-P 201 or 221 |
Academic record and GPA #
Your undergraduate GPA is one of the primary ways occupational therapy schools will evaluate your application for admission. Occupational therapy schools review your undergraduate transcript and the grades you have earned in your courses as a way to evaluate academic competencies that you have gained. Grades are considered to be a reliable predictor of how you will perform in occupational therapy school. Admissions committees look at your undergraduate transcript for indications of whether you will have the intellectual abilities and self-discipline to succeed in the demanding OT school curriculum.
What is a competitive GPA? The average cumulative GPA for students entering the IU Indianapolis Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program in 2023 was 3.76 (range 3.39-4.00) and the average prerequisite GPA was 3.68 (range 3.24-4.00). As a pre-occupational therapy student, aim for a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher to be academically competitive. GPA is not the only factor in admission, but a low GPA cannot be overcome by other factors in admission. We strongly urge freshmen and transfer students to focus on academics and making the transition to challenging IUB coursework. Strong academic performance is the crucial foundation upon which a successful application is built.
GPA calculations #
Most programs have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0 or higher and require all prerequisites be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. Keep in mind that the minimum grades are rarely competitive for admission, as admitted students usually have considerably higher grades and GPAs.
When you apply to occupational therapy school your GPA will be calculated by OTCAS, the centralized application service. You will type information into your centralized application from the transcripts of all colleges and universities you have attended, including the title of each course, number of credit hours, and the grade earned for each course. Each course will be classified according to the subject matter of the course. This information will be used to calculate an overall cumulative GPA for you and other types of GPAs.
Occupational therapy programs will also evaluate your prerequisite GPA. Some occupational therapy programs will allow a certain number of retakes or repeated credit hours to be counted towards your prerequisite GPA.
Course retakes #
If you are considering retaking a course to enhance your application to occupational therapy school, you will want to carefully consider the impact of IU Extended-X policies, policies of the centralized application service (OTCAS), and the likelihood and impact of obtaining a higher grade in the course. Make sure to consult information in this Guidebook on Repeated Coursework and Impact of ‘Extended-X’ Policies on Application to Professional Schools.
Before re-enrolling in a course, you will want to create a plan for success, including such elements as devoting additional time to the course, developing new study skills, attending instructor office hours, and using tutoring services.
Parallel planning #
What is parallel planning? It's a smart strategy to ensure your success. There are many possible paths to your goal of a healthcare career! Some students convince themselves that there is only one career for them – but the truth is that you could potentially be successful in a wide number of fields. A parallel plan is a plan you create that you can pursue right alongside your first choice of a career. Parallel planning allows you to efficiently change paths at some point if you discover you do not like or no longer want to pursue your primary career path.
How could you create a parallel plan? Explore your interests, goals, and values. Meet with a career advisor. Think about other goals you would like to achieve alongside being an occupational therapist – for instance, would you like to encourage healthy lifestyles, focus on a particular population (for example, individuals with disabilities, children, or the elderly), or work in a creative career? Your answers to these questions may help indicate additional career paths through which you could find meaning and success.