Requirements

Occupational Therapy
Admission Requirements

 Applicants to the OT program must demonstrate the following to be considered for admission:

 A minimum cumulative AND science GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is recommended

  • Completion of all prerequisites by the end of the spring semester prior to beginning the program.
  • A TOEFL score of at least 550 (if the applicant is an international student whose first language is not English)
  • Completion of all materials in the online application (OTCAS.org).
  • Participation in a personal interview.

Points of Acceptance into the Program

The Occupational Therapy Education Program accommodates multiple points of acceptance for interested students. For the Rockhurst undergraduate student, these include Freshman Pre-Admission, the Occupational Therapy Scholars Program and regular acceptance during the final year of undergraduate coursework. Post-baccalaureate students from any accredited university may be accepted at any time during the year for the next occupational therapy class.

Post Baccalaureate Students - Students from accredited universities are welcome to apply to Rockhurst University. Typically, students apply while in the last year of their undergraduate degree with a plan to enter the graduate program upon completion of their undergraduate degree.

Early Admission - For The Rockhurst University Undergraduate
Students may enter the OT program as a Pre-admission Student, Freshman Occupational Therapy Scholar, Transfer Student or Post-Baccalaureate Student. Students in all of these categories are required to complete the prerequisites.

  • Pre-Admission 
    Exceptional students who plan to attend Rockhurst University for their undergraduate degree may be awarded a freshman early-admission guarantee for the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program based on a combination of ACT or SAT scores, high school grade point average and prerequisite courses. Students complete the application process before September 1st of their Junior year. Download and print* Pre-Admission criteria list
  • OT Scholars 
    Rockhurst students with outstanding academic work may apply for advanced admission status through the OT Scholars Program. To apply for acceptance into the OT Scholars program, students submit a letter of intent to the Occupational Therapy Program office at the beginning of their Sophomore year. OT Scholars must achieve and maintain a cumulative and science grade point average of a minimum of 3.4. Students then complete the application process before September 1st of their Junior year. Download and print* OT Scholar criteria list.
  • Transfer Students 
    Students transferring to Rockhurst may apply for pre-admission if they have completed two years of undergraduate coursework. To apply, the student submits a letter of intent to the Occupational Therapy Program office before the conclusion of their first semester at Rockhurst. Students then complete the application process before September 1st of their Junior year. Download and print* Transfer criteria list.
  • Post-Baccalaureate Students 
    Students with a completed baccalaureate degree are encouraged to apply upon completion of the majority of their prerequisite coursework.

Prerequisite Courses

Students must have all pre-requisite courses complete before entering the program. A 3.0 GPA is recommended.

  • English Comp (6)
  • Foundations of Speech (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • Ethics (3)
  • Abnormal Psychology (3)
  • Introductory Sociology or Anthropology (3)
  • Developmental Psychology (3)
  • Introductory Physics w/ Lab (4)
  • Biology w/Lab (4)
  • Physiology w/ Lab (4)
  • Anatomy w/ Lab (4)

Requirements are subject to change. It is the applicant's responsibility to contact the Office of Graduate Admission or the Department of Occupational Therapy Education to inquire if there are changes before submitting an application through OTCAS.

If you question whether a specific course meets our prerequisite requirements, please contact Terry Forge at Terry.Forge@Rockhurst.edu

Partnerships

Avila College
Students at Avila College are eligible to apply to the Rockhurst Master of Occupational Program (MOT) and are eligible for early acceptance into the program. Students may apply in May of the preceeding year of entrance.