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Admissions
Welcome! We are pleased that you are considering 鶹ý for your occupational therapy education.
Admissions Process
Pleasenote: graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy (NBCOT®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of theNBCOTcertification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for theNBCOTcertification examination orattainstate licensure.
The TSUM.OTProgram does not offer credit forpriorexperiential learningor work experience. Decisions about transferring credit from another accredited occupational therapy program are made ona case-by-case basis and review of the student’s transcripts/courses.
Becoming a TSUM.OTstudent involves three stages. Please read the following information to help you understand the expectations for each stage. If you need clarification about anything, please email the admissions team at OTAdmissions@tnstate.edu . We look forward to hearing from you!
ImportantDates:
Deadline in OTCAS to be considered for the following fall admission: September 30thannually
Deadline to have all admissions requirements complete (e.g., documentation of shadowing hours, final transcripts received) for following fall admission: June 30thannually
STAGE ONE: Applying for Admission
Program admission is made through the Graduate School of 鶹ý and the
application system. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission due to the competitive nature of the MOT program. In addition to thegeneral requirements of the Graduate School, documentation of the following is required:
1
. GPA and UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE:
Completion of a cumulative bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
This requires sending official transcripts from all colleges you have attended to OTCAS with TSU ETS Code: 1893.
Degree may be in progress at time ofapplication butmust be conferred by June 1 prior to the fall start.
- PREREQUISITE COURSES: Credit for advancedplacementpre-requisite courses will be accepted if accepted by the undergraduate institution.Completion of the following prerequisite courses within the last 10 years with a minimum grade of "C" (C- cannot be accepted). Six of the nine courses must be completed by September 30th, to apply for the following fall class. Please complete the Academic Update in OTCAS during the availability time. Acceptable TSU courses are listed here; non-TSU courses that are not listed perclass namewill be evaluated on a case-by-case basis- email questions to OTAdmissions@tnstate.edu.
-
OBSERVATION HOURS:
Completion of a minimum of 30 hours of observation, volunteer, or work with an occupational therapy practitionerin a minimum of
two practice settings
and populations.Examples of practice settings include inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, school systems, long-term care facilities, home health, and community settings. Examples of client populations include pediatrics, adults, geriatrics, mental health, and hand therapy. Observation hours may be completed with anoccupational therapist (OT)oran occupationaltherapy assistant(OTA). Observation hours must be documented with the signatures of the licensed OT/COTA being shadowed(must provide “wet” signatures – not electronic). You may use any form that captures the requiredelements;however,here is an optional form to document observation hours to upload into OTCAS:
Observation Hours Form
. At least 15 of the total 30 hours must be completed and documented in OTCAS by September 30
th
to apply for the following fall class; all remaining hours will be due by June 30
th
.
4. REFERENCES :Submission of a minimum of 3 professional and/or academic references or letters of recommendation are requiredby September 30 th . Family members or personal friends will not be accepted.
STAGE TWO: Interviews and Writing Samples
All students who meet the criteria listed instageone willbe invited to interview and provide a writing sample. The interview process is meant toidentifyapplicants who haveappropriate socialinteraction skills andlayman’sknowledge of occupational therapy. The writing sample process provides insight into applicants’ written communication skills and basic understanding of occupational therapy.
The interview and writing samples will be completed in October-November of the year prior to starting the program.Typically,we host an in-person day during which time applicants complete a small group interview and a proctoredelectronic writing sample.A limited number of electronic interviews/writing samples are completed on a different day.Applicantsalsocanmeet with current students during this time for informal question and answer sessions. If students wish to come to campus for a tour of facilitiesat other times, pleaseto schedule a department visit.
STAGE THREE: Joining a Cohort
Based on the results of stages one and two, a holistic formula is used toidentifythe top thirty applicantswho will be invited to join the upcoming cohort.Invitations will be sent inlateNovember-December of the year prior to starting the program.At this time, students are asked to review the OT studentessential functions documentand confirm their ability to succeed as an occupational therapy student.
Once the invited applicant accepts their invitation to join the cohort, they will beassigned a T number by the TSU Graduate School andasked to pay a $250 non-refundable seat fee to hold their seat in the upcoming cohort. This seat fee will be applied to fall tuition but is lost if the applicant changes their mind about joining the cohort.Any remaining admissions requirements mustbemet by the dates listed above, and all holds removed by the Graduate School prior to enrollment.
A waitlist is also created from students who rank lower on theinitiallist. The department will invite students from the waitliston a rolling basis as needed to achieve a cohort of 30 students.If the full 30 seats are not filled using the process described here, a late admissions drive may occur in January – February, but this is not guaranteed.