Admission

Applying to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at East Tennessee State University

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Apply through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS) OTCAS login page

2. Students must also apply for graduate admission to ETSU through the ETSU Graduate School application

WHEN TO APPLY:

Applications open on July 19, 2024 for the Summer/Fall 2025 application cycle.

Early Admission Deadline: Applications for the Summer/Fall 2025 cohort will be due by October 1, 2024 for early admission consideration.  Applications must be submitted and completed by October 1st to be considered for the early deadline.
 
Final Admission Deadline: Applications for the Summer/Fall 2025 cohort will close on December 15, 2024. 

We do NOT require the GRE

• Application Information

  The Occupational Therapy Program admits up to 30 students to begin matriculation in the summer semester (mid-May) of each year. The program is full-time and 3 years in length. 
   
  Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications and supporting materials (letters of recommendation, official transcripts...) are complete by the final application deadline date of December 15th. Apply using the link above. 
  

   

  Admission Timeline (cohort will matriculate in May 2025): 

  • 
    
    
    Applications submitted and in complete status* by October 1, 2024, will be reviewed, and qualified applicants will be contacted for early bird interviews conducted in late October.  
  • Those who are submitted and in complete status* after October 1 through December 15, 2024, will have the chance to attend the second round of interviews (in late January) which fills remaining cohort slots.
  • Applicants are required to submit OTCAS and the Graduate School application by the appropriate deadline.
  • Admission offers will be emailed out by the ETSU Graduate School  
  • A $500 deposit will be required to hold your spot in the program.  This deposit is non-refundable and will be applied to your first semester's tuition. It must be submitted within 2 weeks of accepting an offer of admission.
  • Orientation and classes begin in mid-May

  * Complete status is an OTCAS status indicating all required documents have been received. Applications in verified status will also be considered.

• Observation Hours/Clinical Experience

  In the application, you must submit your log showing at least 30 observation hours in two different settings. Exceeding the minimum requirement is strongly recommended. A competitive applicant will have around 100 hours completed. 

  Please note that even though this log is listed as an "optional" upload in the application, it is meant to be required. Previously it had been required in the Supporting Materials section, so we changed it to an optional upload in the Program Materials section.  Please be sure to upload the logs into your application, otherwise we will be emailing you requesting them.

  It is helpful if your logs have total number of hours indicated on them. 

  
  
  
  Applicants have the option to complete 12  of the 30 required hours virtually via the Occupational Therapy Online Shadowing Experience (password: LucasQU). Applicants must submit documentation of online shadowing experience through OTCAS application.   If choosing the online option to assist in meeting the minimum observation hours requirement, the candidate must complete all 12 online hours plus at least 18 additional hours in person. 

• Eligibility Requirements

  To be considered for admission, applicants must have completed, submitted, or met the requirements in items 2-8 below by the application deadline for the application to be eligible for consideration. 

  
  Applicants may be enrolled in prerequisite courses (see #9) or in process of completion of the bachelor's degree (see #1) at the time of application; however, you must be able to successfully complete all prerequisite courses and/or earn the bachelor's degree by the end of the spring semester prior to starting the program.  

  
  Requirements: 

  1. 
     Attainment of a bachelor's degree* prior to beginning the program from a regionally accredited institution;
  2. Have an overall GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale) in all undergraduate coursework for domestic students; 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for international students;
  3. Have a prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), completed within the past 10 years, with grades of C or better;
  4. Submit official transcript from ALL previous schools attended via OTCAS;
  5. Three recommendations with one letter from a licensed Occupational Therapist. (Submitted in OTCAS);
  6. Upload your Resume or Curriculum Vitae. Be sure to include your work experience, educational, organization affiliations, and activities. This includes honors, awards, and internships. (Submitted in OTCAS);
  7. Writing Sample (Submitted in OTCAS) Please respond to the OTCAS prompt, but you can upload this same statement in the ETSU Graduate School application;
  8. Log of 30+ Observation hours in at least 2 different settings (Submitted in OTCAS)
  9. Completion of the prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better;
  10. A positive evaluation after an interview with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee.

  *While we require completion of bachelor's degree, we do not recommend or require a particular undergraduate program of study. 
   
  **Any student convicted of a felony may not be eligible for certification and/or credentialing in occupational therapy. ** 
   

• Prerequisite Coursework

  Courses   -   Credit Hours 

  
  Statistics or Research Methods – 3 credits 

  
  General Biology* 1 with lab or Biology for non-majors with lab - 4 credits 

  
  Kinesiology or Biomechanics or Physics - 3-4 credits 

  
  Anatomy and Physiology – 6-8 credits 

  
  Introduction to Sociology or Anthropology – 3 credits 

  
  Psychology (including Introduction, Developmental or Lifespan, and Abnormal)** - 9 credits 

  
  Medical Terminology – 1-3 credits 

   

  
   *No other sciences will be accepted as a substitute for the Biology requirement. 

  **This can be complete in a combination (maximum of two) of courses such as Child/Adolescent Development and Adult Development. Another accepted substitution is Lifespan Psychology or Human Development, as long as it covers the lifespan.

   

  
  Requests regarding prerequisite substitutions must be sent to Melanie Falkenberg (falkenberg@etsu.edu), Graduate Admissions Coordinator. For a course to be reviewed and considered, a copy of the complete course syllabus must be included in the request.  

• Program Requirements

  The OTD program will require that you have a laptop (not an ipad or tablet) and internet access to use for coursework within the program.

Admission 

• The application deadline is not a suggestion! Submit your application materials well in advance of the application deadline. Applications will be processed in the order that they are submitted and completed. 
• Make sure you request transcripts from ALL post-secondary institutions you have attended (even from ETSU). Official transcripts, from all schools, regardless of the number of credits completed. These must be requested through OTCAS.
• Submission of more than three (3) recommendations will not help your application. Please submit only three (3), with one letter from a licensed Occupational Therapist. Do not submit letters from family members or friends. 
• When in doubt about prerequisite courses, ASK! Each OT program has its own set of admission and prerequisite course requirements. Courses accepted by one program may not be accepted by another, so verify course acceptance with the Admissions Coordinator. 
• Admission and eligibility requirements apply to all applicants. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the requirements. Applicants who do not meet admission/eligibility requirements will not be considered for the program.
• There are no advanced placements,  credit for experiential learning, or credit for prior work experience. Previous OT coursework is non-transferrable to the ETSU OTD Program.

For general program questions, please email etsuotd@etsu.edu

For any application process questions, please contact:
Melanie Falkenberg (falkenberg@etsu.edu) , Graduate Admission Counselor.