• Bachelor's degree in any area of study from an accredited college/university at the time of matriculation into the OTD program in Fall 2027
• Prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better completed by the Spring semester before you start the OTD program in the fall.
• Documentation of a minimum of 20 clock hours of unpaid observation with a licensed occupational therapist is required at the time of your application. These hours must consist of shadowing/observing an OT in one or more practice settings and may not include paid employment or job duties. Applicants are responsible for independently arranging their observation experiences.
• Official verification of completed hours must be submitted with the application in order for the observation hours to be reviewed and counted. Applicants may use the observation form provided below or submit alternate documentation that includes the dates and number of hours completed, as well as the supervising occupational therapist’s signature and license number. We strongly encourage applicants to seek experiences in a variety of practice settings when possible.
• 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:
  • Academic Reference (up to 2): A professor, teacher, or academic advisor.
  • Clinical Reference: A person who can speak to your clinical potential, such as an occupational therapist (OT) or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), who supervised you during your volunteer experience or worked with you in a health care setting.
  • Professional/General Reference: 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; therefore, references from family members or personal friends are not permitted.

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 January 31, 2027. With rolling admissions, screening will begin as applications come into our system and interviews will commence in September 2026.
   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 official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities.
4. Pay appropriate fees to OTCAS (varies depending on number of programs you select).
5. Once your OTCAS application reaches verified status, it will be released to UTMB. You will then receive an email containing a link to the supplemental application ($40). Please note that your application remains on hold until this supplemental component 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 are conducted from September through February, with both virtual and in-person options available. For those selecting a virtual interview, we highly recommend scheduling a campus visit during one of our scheduled Open Houses (SHP Open House).
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 otadmissions@utmb.edu
11. Admissions decisions are based on a review of documents submitted in OTCAS and interview scores. This holistic review allows the top scoring applicants to be accepted into the program.
12. The Department of Occupational Therapy maintains a waitlist of qualified applicants. Should a seat become available due to a decline from the initial cohort of accepted students, an offer of admission will be extended to the next candidate on the waitlist.
13. Each incoming class is selected by a committee of department faculty and staff. This process involves a thorough review of all OTCAS application materials, followed by formal interviews conducted by core faculty members on designated 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: $169
  • 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

• Documentation of a minimum of 20 clock hours of unpaid observation with a licensed occupational therapist is required at the time of your application. These hours must consist of shadowing/observing an OT in one or more practice settings and may not include paid employment or job duties. Applicants are responsible for independently arranging their observation experiences.
• Official verification of completed hours must be submitted with the application in order for the observation hours to be reviewed and counted. Applicants may use the observation form provided below or submit alternate documentation that includes the dates and number of hours completed, as well as the supervising occupational therapist’s signature and license number. We strongly encourage applicants to seek experiences in a variety of practice settings when possible.

Observation hours worksheet (word doc).

Total Credit Hours: 26

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

Prerequisites may be in progress at the time of application but must be completed before the program begins. Failure to complete all prerequisites will prevent the student from starting the program. These courses must be taken at an outside institution, as they are not offered at UTMB.

These are the prerequisite courses required of OTD applicants:

*Preferred course(s)

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 an evaluator is unresponsive or declines a reference invitation, applicants may update their evaluator list within OTCAS either before or after the application is e-submitted. However, once a reference has been received, no further edits to that evaluator’s information can be made.

Applicants must arrange for OTCAS to receive official transcripts directly from every regionally accredited U.S. institution attended. OTCAS does not accept student-issued, unofficial, or faxed copies.

Important notes for smooth process:

• Verification Timeline: OTCAS will not begin the verification process until the application fee and all expected U.S. transcripts have been received.
• Transcript Request Forms: We strongly encourage using the OTCAS Transcript Request Form for each institution. This bar-coded form ensures your transcripts are matched correctly to your application.
• Name Discrepancies: If your current name differs from the name on your transcript, please include both names on the request form to avoid matching delays.
• Deadlines: While OTCAS accepts transcripts after a deadline has passed, your application will remain "Incomplete" and will not be forwarded to UTMB until all transcripts are verified. Please ensure they arrive by our program’s deadline to ensure timely review.

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 (pdf)
  (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.