• 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.
• 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

1. Create an account and follow directions listed at the OTCAS website once it opens in mid-July. For more information, visit the OTCAS Applicant Help Center.
2. Complete and submit your OTCAS application as soon as possible. The official deadline is February 2026. With rolling admissions, screening will begin as applications come into our system and interviews will commence in September 2025.
   Note: Your application will be considered incomplete if there is missing information, transcripts and/or documentation by the published deadlines, and will not be processed because of the volume of applications received.
3. Submit all official transcripts from each college and university that you have.
4. Pay appropriate fees to OTCAS (varies depending on number of programs you select).
5. After your OTCAS application is in the verified status, OTCAS will submit your application to UTMB and then UTMB will send an email to the applicant with the link for the supplemental application ($40). Your application will not be processed until the supplemental application is completed.
6. UTMB Enrollment Services will process your prerequisites and submit your application to the department for admission review. Once received, applicants will be given a UTMB ID number to access MyStar.
7. UTMB Occupational Therapy has a rolling admissions process; therefore, your application is open until you hear from us with a final decision. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to increase their chance of getting into the program.
8. Interviews will be held in September 2025 to February 2026. Applicants will have a choice to attend a virtual or in-person interview. If you opt for a virtual interview, it is highly recommended that you arrange to visit the campus during one of the Open Houses or contact the department for a date when we will host an open house for selected applicants.
9. Once accepted, all selected students will be required to undergo a background check for security clearance and pass a drug screen in order to matriculate at UTMB and other off-campus clinical training facilities.
10. Admissions decisions are final; unsuccessful applicants may contact the Admissions chairperson for advice on how to strengthen their application and reapply in subsequent cycles/years. Requests for review will be assessed between April-June of each year. Email us at ot.admissions@utmb.edu
11. Admissions decisions are based on a review of documents submitted in OTCAS and interview scores. This holistic review allows the top 60 scoring applicants to be accepted into the program.
12. The Occupational Therapy department will maintain a waitlist of all applicants who qualify for admission into the program. The waitlisted applicants will be offered full acceptance as and when the first 60 selected applicants decline their seats.
13. The department admissions committee consists of the Program Director and OT faculty members who select each incoming class based on folder review. Core faculty perform interviews on interview days.

• 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: $164
  • For each additional OTCAS designation: $71
  • 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.

Observation hours worksheet (word doc).

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:

*Preferred course(s)

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

If you don't see a course listed that you think fits the prerequisite requirement, please contact us to verify its eligibility.

• 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.

The entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) program includes both didactic and clinical courses totaling 113 credit hours of coursework over a period of 3 years. Level I Fieldwork is embedded in the first 2 years with Fieldwork Practicums. Level II Fieldwork follows successful completion of all didactic courses with the capstone experience at the end of the 3rd year.

All fieldwork education and doctoral capstone must be completed within 24 months of completion of academic coursework.

• Download: Entry-Level Doctorate in OT Curriculum
  (Applies to Class of 2025 and 2026, Effective Fall 2021)
• Download: Entry-Level Doctorate in OT Curriculum
  (Applies to Class of 2027 onwards, Effective Fall 2024)

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Total Program Hours: 113 credit hours

Successful completion of academic program requirements and to Graduate from the OTD Program requires:

• Completion with a passing grade (“C” or better or a P) in all didactic coursework. A final cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
• Completion with a passing score of all Level II fieldwork within 24 months of completion of all didactic coursework.
• Completion of a doctoral capstone project experience including, but not limited to, program design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Completion of the required UTMB IPE Certificate Program.
• Participation in the on-campus NBCOT Board certification preparation workshop.
• Discharge of all financial obligations to UTMB.