Entry-Level Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy Admissions

Application Timeline

Applications are accepted to the Entry-Level Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program on a rolling basis.

• As the program begins in the Summer I session, applications are accepted until March 15 of the same year the applicant plans to matriculate.
• Interviews are required and offered to the most qualified candidates.
• Applicants are notified of their acceptance by April 1.

How to Apply

All prospective OTD students, internal or external to Quinnipiac, must apply through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS).

All application materials, including official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, letters of recommendation, letter of intent, etc. should be submitted directly to OTCAS.

The deadline for a complete application to OTCAS is March 15. Quinnipiac does not require a supplemental application.

Apply on the OTCAS website

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the program.
• A minimum GPA of 3.2 in all post-secondary coursework. 
• A minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 with a grade of C+ or better in each prerequisite course. 
• A minimum of 40 verifiable observation hours in the past 3 years. These hours may be a completed in a combination of traditional/clinical and non-traditional/non-clinical settings and patient/client populations. 

Candidates should complete the observation hours verification form (PDF)

• 3 letters of recommendation, with at least 1 from an academic adviser or faculty member, and at least one from a supervisor in an employee or volunteer capacity.
• Supplemental personal statement that includes reasons for pursuing the Entry-Level Professional OTD at Quinnipiac and examples of personal attributes as well as professional and academic experiences that demonstrate capacity for rigor of doctoral studies and future success as well-rounded occupational therapist and leader.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Applicant must have access to technology devices needed for online or hybrid courses that are interwoven throughout the curriculum. Courses labeled DE or HY indicate that they are delivered in part or whole as online.
• Student should be knowledgeable in utilizing technology software including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams) and e-mail communication. Information on recommended computing device and software may be accessed through information technology services at https://techhelp.quinnipiac.edu/
• Successful in-person interview with the OTD Admissions Committee.

Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are not required. However, applicants may submit scores if they believe it can enhance the strength of their application.

_{Applications are reviewed once all of the required materials have been received. It is your responsibility to ensure that missing documents are received prior to the stated admissions deadline. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.}

Admissions Process

Students are admitted to the Entry-Level Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (E-OTD) program using a holistic review process. A holistic review takes into account multiple factors about the candidate's potential for meeting the expected outcomes of the E-OTD program, as well as their potential contribution to the educational experience of their fellow students.

There are two stages to the application process: a screening stage and an interview stage. 

1. The screening stage involves a review of the applicant's GPA, prerequisites and observation hours as listed below. After the screening stage, the most qualified applicants will be offered an interview.
2. The interview stage involves an actual interview, as well as a reivew of the applicant's recommendation letters, personal essay and resume.  

There are three potential outcomes of the application process: 1) acceptance; 2) conditional acceptance; or 3) denial of admission. An applicant may be denied admission at either stage of the process.

Note: A student with a prior history of dismissal from any of the programs within the QU Occupational Therapy Department is ineligible for admission. 

OTD Prerequisites

The OTD prerequisite courses are as follows:

1. Biological Sciences
   • Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab (4 credits)
   • Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab (4 credits)
2. Quantitative Literacy
   • General Physics (3-4 credits). A course in Calculus or Biomechanics may be used as a substitute.
   • Biostatistics or Statistics for Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 credits)
3. Social Sciences
   • Lifespan Development including Child Development and Adult Development (3-6
   • Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
   • Sociology or Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)

Prerequisites must meet the following conditions for credit:

1. Prerequisites must be completed within 8 years of application from a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher learning. For students whose credentials were received from a foreign institution, submit an academic equivalency evaluation from a credentialed agency (naces.org).
2. Each prerequisite course must be completed with a grade of C+ or better.  Each prerequisite course may only be repeated once.
3. For prerequisite courses with a separate lab course grade (e.g., Anatomy and Physiology), the lecture and lab components will be weighted and calculated based on credit hour, and recorded as a single course grade.
4. At the time of application, up to two prerequisite courses (excluding labs) may be in progress or pending but must be completed by May before starting the E-OTD program. Qualified candidates whose prerequisites are in progress or pending may be granted conditional acceptance until all prerequisites are satisfactorily met. 

The following courses are not required but strongly recommended: 

• Coursework on the disease process (e.g., Pathophysiology, Human Health and Disease, Biology of Aging, etc.)
• Coursework on health systems, health policy or leadership
• Coursework in Humanities such as philosophy, logic, ethics and courses on Western thought and ideas

Required Documents

1. Application form completed through OTCAS
2. Letter of intent
3. Supplemental personal statement
4. Official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate and professional schools attended. 
5. Three letters of recommendation
6. Observation hours (40) that are verified in an official letter from the supervising occupational therapist with contact information