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.
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.
While some majors may be “common” or “popular” among pre-OT students, that does not mean that these majors are preferred by admissions committees or are more competitive majors for admission. Rather than choosing a major based on what you think will “look good” on an application, choose a major that interests you and will provide the foundation for multiple career pathways.
Prerequisite coursework #
Each occupational therapy program establishes its own course requirements for admission, and these vary from school to school. The most commonly required courses include anatomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, and statistics. Course requirements for Indiana University's occupational therapy programs at IU Indianapolis and IU South Bend are listed below.
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.
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. The ACOTE School Directory provides a searchable database of Doctorate and Masters occupational therapy programs.
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 | SPH-F 150, EDUC-P 314, or PSY-P 315 |
| Abnormal Psychology | PSY-P 324 |
| Medical Terminology4 | CLAS-C 209 |
*ANAT-A 215 and PHSL-P 215 prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to fulfill these requirements.
At the application deadline, applicants may have one (1) prerequisite course outstanding and the course must be completed prior to the start of the program in May.
Prerequisite coursework must be at a level for science majors and be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, and all courses (except Medical Terminology) must be at least 3 credit hours.
Online courses are currently accepted for science courses with labs. Dual credit courses are acceptable if recorded on a college transcript with a grade. Courses taken for AP credit will be accepted if a score of 3 or higher is earned (the course must appear on official university transcript). CLEP tests are not accepted.
Students may retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite courses, and the higher grade will be used to calculate the prerequisite GPA; all grades will be used to calculate the cumulative GPA.
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 | SPH-F 150, EDUC-P 314, or PSY-P 315 |
| Abnormal Psychology | PSY-P 324 |
| Medical Terminology3 | CLAS-C 209 |
*ANAT-A 215 and PHSL-P 215 prior to Fall 2024 will be accepted to fulfill these requirements.
Applicants may have no more than two (2) prerequisite courses outstanding by the application cycle deadline and they must be completed prior to the start of the program in August.
All prerequisite courses must be completed not more than seven years prior to application deadline. All prerequisite courses must be a minimum of 3 credit hours (with the exception of Medical Terminology) and completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.
Dual credit courses are acceptable if recorded on a college transcript with a grade. AP credit appearing on official college transcripts is accepted if score is 3 or higher.
Students may retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite courses, and the higher grade will be used to calculate the prerequisite GPA; all grades will be used to calculate the cumulative GPA.
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 or SPH-K 391 |
| 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 and the average prerequisite GPA was 3.68. 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.