Prerequisites for Fall 2008 Application

Prerequisites (Pre-Program Requirements)

Applicants must have a U.S. bachelor's degree (BA or BS in any field) or comparable foreign degree from a recognized college or university. Degrees may be in progress at the time of application, but must be completed no later than the end of Summer Session of the year of admission. 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 2.8 and no single grade lower than a C-. Courses must be taken A-F with the exception of the applied arts and orientation to occupational therapy courses. Four of the five courses marked with an asterisk ( * ) must be completed at the time of application if your GPA is below 3.25.  If your GPA is 3.25 or higher, you may apply when you have completed three of the five courses marked with an asterisk ( * ). Remaining prerequisites must be completed by the end of Summer Session of the year of admission.

A prerequisite planning sheet for students attending the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is available by clicking here. Planning sheets are available for several Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and other schools upon request from the Program office (otprog@umn.edu, 612.626.5887).

• For prerequisites from various schools click here.

Minimum semester credits

(Note: to convert your quarter credits to semester credits, divide by 1.5. 
A 4 quarter credit course (4 ÷ 1.5 = 2.67 semester credits) will be accepted as 3 semester credits.)

• Human Anatomy (3 cr.) *
  
• Human Physiology (3 cr.) *
  
• Statistics (3 cr.) *   --This course must include descriptive and inferential statistics.
  
• Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.) *   -- This course should include content related to human societies and behaviors, social theory and theories of social change, methods of study in sociology, characteristics of social units (for example, race/ethnicity, economics/social organizations, gender, politics, religious systems) and the impact of cultural diversity.
  
• General Psychology (3 cr.) *
  
• Abnormal Psychology (3 cr.)
  
• Human Development across the Life Span (3 cr.)   -- You will be required to verify that the course(s) you took covered content from conception to death. You may need to take a series of courses to complete this prerequisite.
  
• Medical Terminology (1 cr.)
  
• Orientation to Occupational Therapy (1 cr.)   -- If this course is not available at your school, it is offered year round through the College of Continuing Education at University of Minnesota.
  
• Studio/Applied Arts (2 cr.) --This course must include "hands on" manipulation of materials (such as painting, sculpture, weaving, ceramics, woodworking). Applicants may petition to use non-university or non-credit art courses (equivalent of 2 semester credits) by sending the course title, description, location, number of hours spent in class and any hours spent outside of class to the Chair of Admissions.  Note: 2 semester credits equals approximately 30 in-class hours and 30 hours of out of class time.

Computer Competency

Students are expected to be competent in using the computer to type, edit, format, and print documents.

Practical experience is optional but not required

The Admissions Committee considers an applicant's optional observation, volunteer and/or work experience in occupational therapy and other health-related areas.  Experiences will strengthen a student's application and will be awarded points in the application process.

GRE

The Graduate Record Examination is NOT required.

TOEFL and TSE

Students for whom English is a second language must complete the TOEFL and TSE.  (TOEFL scores > 550 paper-based version, > 213 computer version)
(TSE scores > 50)

Advising

If you are a U of MN student, please contact your undergraduate academic adviser. Other students may contact the Program office at 612/626-5887 or otprog@tc.umn.edu for advice or referral to Program faculty.

Background Study

The 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.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
800 S. Frederick Avenue, Suite 200
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
(301) 990-7979
www.nbcot.org

Immunizations

For a listing of immunization requirements for Academic Health Center students, please click here.