Occupational therapists are responsible for people who face physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges to participate more fully in their lives. OTs work in various settings and are well-trained to work with diverse age groups and work collaboratively and holistically with other health practitioners.
A master’s degree is required to practice. However, OTDs (entry-level doctorates) are becoming increasingly more common as a requirement to practice occupational therapy.
A GPA of 3.5 or better is best for a competitive applicant. Not all programs require the GRE, but you should check the programs you apply to.
In addition, you should cultivate a variety of experiences that make you a strong candidate:
- Exposure to occupational therapy is a must. First, you want to make sure this is the right career for you. Second, you should be able to answer a few questions:
- What setting do you want to practice in?
- What population do you hope to work with?
- Ultimately, why do you want to be an occupational therapist?
- Community service and involvement
- Research, extracurricular, and work/life experiences
All of these things demonstrate your readiness and motivation to pursue a career in occupational therapy.
Activities and extracurriculars
Get involved early in these and ramp up to have a well rounded resume by the time you apply. However, your first job is your academics. You need to maintain a strong academic foundation to be competitive.
- Shadowing. You can gain experience and learn about the field in a number of ways:
- Shadowing an occupational therapist in various settings: schools, hospitals, private practice, community centers, and even wellness resorts.
- What do they do that appeals to you?
- Volunteering in free clinics or hospitals—learn about the field.
- Community service. Give of yourself to your community. Shelters, food banks, community resource centers, after school programs. Preferably not clinically related, although in some cases there may be some crossover.
- Research. Chapman offers many opportunities for students to get involved in research as an undergrad.
- Extracurriculars. Involvement in things you’re interested in, including clubs; does not need to be clinically related. One particularly relevant option is the Pre-Physical and Occupational Therapy Club.
Academics/prerequisites
These are the general courses you should take. There may be some programs that have additional or fewer requirements. Always check with the programs to confirm.
|
Required subjects |
Course options |
|---|---|
|
Biology (1 semester with lab) |
BIOL 204 or BIOL 205 or 208 Biology AP credit generally not accepted |
|
Human Anatomy (1 semester with lab) |
HSCI/BIOL 210 |
|
Human Physiology (1 semester with lab) |
HSCI 365 |
|
Medical Terminology (1 semester) |
HSCI 105 |
|
Abnormal Psychology (1 semester) |
PSY 328 |
|
Developmental Psychology (Life Span Development - 1 semester) |
PSY 327 |
|
Sociology (1 semester) |
SOC 101 |
|
Statistics (1 semester) |
Most stats courses; options include MATH 203, PSYC 203, MATH 303 (or AP credit) |
|
English Composition (2 semesters) |
ENG 103 and one other composition-based course |