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Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

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NOTE: MAJOR CHANGE in application process. See new process below.

Admissions & Application Requirements

To be eligible for the MOT program, applicants must:

In addition to the general University admissions requirements, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • You must have at least one Anatomy & Physiology course completed before you can be accepted into the program.
  • All prerequisites must be completed by the spring semester before you can start the MOT program in the fall. You will not be able to take courses during the summer semester.
  • Have a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university at the time of matriculation into the Master of Occupational Therapy Program. A degree in any area of study will be accepted.
  • As part of or in addition to obtaining the bachelor's degree, the applicant must complete the prerequisite courses listed below with a grade of "C" or better.
    • Abnormal Psychology - 3 hours
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology (including lab) - 8 hours
    • Human Movement or Physics - 3 hours
      (i.e. analysis of movement, biomechanics, anatomical kinesiology)
    • Lifespan Human Development - 3 hours
    • Neurological Basis for Human Behavior - 3 hours
      (i.e. physiology psychology, behavioral neurosciences, biopsychology, brain and behavior, neuroanatomy, neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuroscience)
    • Statistics or Research Design/Methods - 3 hours
    • Behavioral Sciences - 3 hours (take one)
      (i.e. Intro to Sociology, Intro to Anthropology, or Intro to Psychology)
  • Complete an online application with the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).
    • Applications Open in OTCAS: July 18th
    • Application Deadline: October 15th.
    • Application Fee: $30
    • You must submit a supplemental application with UTMB, UTMB which will be emailed to you once your OTCAS application is in the verified status.
  • The applicant must provide documentation of at least 20 clock hours of observation, volunteer or paid experience in one or more occupational therapy settings prior to the time of application. The applicant must be independently locate volunteer settings.
  • The applicant must provide three professional recommendations. At least one of these recommendations must be from a supervisor (either an OTR or COTA) during your observation, volunteer or work setting.
  • Must send in all official transcripts from each college/university that you have attended.
  • The applicant, if invited, will come to the UTMB campus to engage in an individual interview and compose a written essay on a given topic.
  • Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Have a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • GRE is required please send scores to 1994.

If you have any further questions, please contact the Admissions Coordinator

 

Admission Requirements:

Application Deadline: October 15th

UTMB Health uses the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

Please visit https://portal.otcas.org/ to create your OTCAS account.

All official transcripts should be sent directly to OTCAS:

 

Where to Send Your Application:

OTCAS must receive the application, references, and transcripts by October 15th. Once your application is complete, OTCAS will verify your documents before releasing them to UTMB Health. Please note that UTMB Health cannot access unverified applications. Applicants should confirm their status as verified with OTCAS.

  • For any questions about the receipt, processing, and verification of your application, please contact OTCAS Customer Service at 617-612-2860, otcasinfo@otcas.org.
  • For other questions, please contact the UTMB Health OT Office at smceache@utmb.edu or (409) 772-3062

Please note:

  • OTCAS does not accept paper references. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the OTCAS system.

U.S. Transcripts

Applicants must arrange for OTCAS to receive a sealed official transcript directly from EVERY regionally accredited U.S. institution they have attended. OTCAS does not accept student-issued transcripts or faxed copies. OTCAS considers all application files "incomplete" and does not begin transcript verification until the correct fee and all expected U.S. transcripts are received.

Verification of Transcript Authenticity

OTCAS verifies the authenticity of transcripts by asking the following questions:

  • Does the postmark location on the envelope match the location of the institution?
  • Does the envelope have a pre-printed return address versus no return address or one that is handwritten?
  • Does it appear the envelope was previously opened and resealed?
  • Does the transcript include a raised seal or a seal consistent with transcripts from this institution?
  • Is the transcript printed on security paper?
  • Does the transcript look like other transcripts from the same institution?
  • If not, did the transcript include a letter from the registrar explaining any deviations (out of standard paper, transitioning to new record keeping software, etc)?
  • Are there any misspellings, suspicious formatting, or marks on the transcript?

OTCAS will contact the applicant and the institution register regarding any suspicious transcripts.

Transcript Request Form

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the OTCAS transcript request form for every regionally accredited U.S. institution attended. The applicant's name, OTCAS ID number, and the name of the college/university attended automatically appear on the bar-coded form.

Applicants should verify they are submitting the correct transcript request form to the appropriate college or university. This bar-coded form helps OTCAS to properly match the applicant's official transcripts to the appropriate OTCAS application. Applicants should advise the Registrar's Office to enclose the OTCAS Transcript Request Form with the official sealed transcript and mail it directly to OTCAS. OTCAS accepts transcripts that arrive without the form. If the applicant's current name differs from the name listed on the transcript, the applicant is instructed to include both names on the transcript request form.

Transcript Deadlines

OTCAS instructs applicants to arrange for OTCAS to RECEIVE all official transcripts by the earliest application deadline date set by their designated programs. OTCAS does NOT enforce transcript deadlines. The service accepts transcripts received after the institutional deadline has passed.

References

Evaluators must submit ONLY electronic references directly to OTCAS. Paper references are not accepted.

Program Reference Requirements

Applicants may enter up to five (5) evaluator names on the OTCAS application.

Electronic References (eLORs)

Applicants should alert evaluators to watch for an automated email from OTCAS with the subject "OTCAS Reference Request". Some email filters may interpret OTCAS emails as "spam" and automatically delete or route them to a "junk" or "spam" folder. If the evaluator is unresponsive, then the applicant can delete the particular evaluator from the Reference section and request a new reference by entering a new evaluator on the application.

Editing List of References

If one or more of the applicant's evaluators is unresponsive or declines an invitation to submit a letter of reference, the applicant may edit the list of evaluators on the OTCAS application before or after it is e-submitted to OTCAS. Applicants cannot make edits to an evaluator's information once the reference is received.

Fees

The guiding principle for establishing the OTCAS application fees is to cover the operational and administrative expenses associated with the CAS and to minimize the financial burden on applicants.

OTCAS Fee (subject to change)

  • Base fee for one OTCAS application: $125
  • For each additional OTCAS designation: $45

OTCAS Processing of Fee Payments

Applicants are encouraged to pay the application fee on-line by credit card as part of the OTCAS Web application. OTCAS accepts VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. OTCAS accepts credit card payments via the on-line application only, and not by mail, phone or fax. Some applicants may choose, however, to mail a money order payment. Applicants who pay by mail are instructed to use the "OTCAS Payment Form" to facilitate the matching of the payment to the correct OTCAS ID. OTCAS does not begin to verify the application until the correct application fee amount is received.