• Bachelor's degree in any area of study from an accredited college/university at the time of matriculation into the OTD program in Fall 2025
• Prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better completed by the Spring semester before you start the OTD program in the fall. You will not be able to take prerequisite courses during the summer semester
• At least one (1) Anatomy & Physiology course completed before being accepted to the program
• Documentation of at least 20 clock hours of observation, volunteer experience in one or more occupational therapy settings prior to the time of application. The applicant must independently locate volunteer settings
• Three (3) letters of recommendation are required from individuals who can speak about your academic abilities/aptitude, potential for clinical work, and professionalism. We prefer recommendations from the following sources; exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis.
  • A professor, teacher, or academic advisor (as many as 2)
  • A person who can speak to your clinical potential, such as an occupational therapist or COTA, during your OT-related volunteer experience or who has worked with you in a health care setting
  • A person of your choice who can speak objectively about your strengths. A work supervisor or another teacher is recommended. This person must have no conflict of interest, meaning you cannot get from a family member or a friend

• 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.
• Fees are subject to change:
  • Base fee for one OTCAS application: $125
  • For each additional OTCAS designation: $45
  • UTMB Supplemental Application Fee: $40
  • UTMB Non-Refundable Enrollment Fee (if accepted): $200 to be credited to first semester enrollment
• 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.

• Cumulative Minimum: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Prerequisite Minimum: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Applicants must complete a minimum of 20 clock hours of observation or volunteer experience in a variety of occupational therapy settings, prior to the application deadline date. Applicants are strongly encouraged to observe in a variety of OT practice settings to understand the scope of practice.

Total Credit Hours: 26

OTD applicants must complete the following prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.

All prerequisites do not need to be completed by the application deadline. However, if accepted into the program, they must be completed by spring semester of the year of enrollment. No prerequisites are offered on the UTMB campus.

These are the prerequisite courses required of OTD applicants:

Notes:

* Human Movement or Physics - Analysis of Movement, Biomechanics, Anatomical Kinesiology, Kinesiology. The physics course must address biomechanics.

** Behavioral Sciences - Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Anthropology, or Introduction to Psychology

*** Humanities - Philosophy, Literature, Critical Thinking, Ethics, or English Composition are preferred

• Evaluators must submit ONLY electronic references directly to OTCAS. Paper references are not accepted.
• Applicants may enter up to five (5) evaluator names on the OTCAS application.
• 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.
• 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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Total Program Hours: 113 credit hours