Occupational Therapy Admission Requirements

Learn more about the MOT program:

Virtual Drop-Ins Now Available - Join  MOT online chat room
We are pleased to offer virtual drop ins to prospective MOT students.  You are welcome to virtually “drop in” and ask quick, general questions of an Admission Counselor.  This is entirely online.  Dates and times are:

• January 11, 4-5 pm
• January 14, 11-Noon
• January 22, 2-3 pm
• January 30, 11-Noon
• February 7, 4-5 pm
• February 15, 1-2 pm
• March 5, 2-3 pm
• March 13, 10-11 am
• March 21, 3-4 pm
• March 29, 11-Noon
• April 1, 2-3 pm
• April 9, 10-11 am
• April 17, 1:30-2:30 pm
• April 25, 10-11 am

Please note that all times are Pacific Standard Time (California time zone).

Please click here for more information about the VIRTUAL DROP INS.  After you have reviewed the general chat information and are ready to start the chat (see dates and time above), click here to join the chat

 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The MOT is an entry-level master's degree designed for someone who has already earned a baccalaureate with a major in any area. To be considered for an inter­view for the MOT program, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution must be completed by the end of the spring term prior to entry
• Completion of all prerequisites as specified from a regionally accredited institution
• Suggested minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 semester units
• Suggested minimum science GPA of 3.0
• Foreign medical graduates and students educated abroad may apply for admission. Regardless of previous professional training and academic degrees earned, Samuel Merritt's MOT curriculum must be completed in its entirety. All foreign academic transcripts must be evaluated by a U.S. evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluations Services (NACES) for degree, course content, semester unit equivalencies, and science and cumulative GPAs prior to the application deadline. Information on NACES may be found at www.naces.org.
• The need for the TOEFL will be assessed based on information provided by the applicant on the application for admission. If required, a score of 100 (Internet Based Test) must be achieved and official score results must be provided.
• Evidence of 40 to 70 hours (minimum) work or volunteer experience demonstrating an understanding of the occupational therapist's role and maturity in career choice.
• Three letters of reference are required. The first should be from a person who has known you in an academic or professional setting. The second letter must be from an occupational therapist who has supervised you as a paid or volunteer worker in an active clinical setting. The third letter may be from an academic, professional, or clinical source. All letters are to be submitted as part of the application found on the OTCAS website. Note: If the recommendation from the occupational therapist is not available at the time of the application deadline, it must be submitted prior to or at the point of interview.

GRE SCORES Results from the GRE exam are not required for admission into the MOT program. GRE scores even if included in the application, will not be considered by the Department in its final decision.

ACADEMIC PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher. The unit value is based on semester units. Unless otherwise specified, all prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring term prior to the start of the program. Additionally, it is recommended that no more than 2-3 prerequisites be in progress during the spring. Preferential admission will be given to applicants who have completed all academic prerequisites at the time of the interview.

*While Anatomy and Physiology are highly recommended, but not required, preferential admission will be given to those who have completed one or both of these courses at the time of the interview. Public speaking is recommended, but not required.

** In lieu of a course, students may submit a portfolio documenting extensive skill and participation in one particular craft area. This prerequisite may be completed during the spring prior to the start of the fall program. Please note the following skills/crafts are not acceptable: painting, drawing, graphic design, photography, playing an instrument, and other two dimensional areas.

***The required Biology prerequisite must be completed with grade available at the time of application.

**** A basic or introductory Physics course is required. This course may be taken online and does not require a lab. It is preferred to have the Physics course completed prior to the application deadline, and it must be completed by the time of the interview in January.

For more information about our prerequisites, please click here.

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
To be considered for an interview, the following items must be sent to and verified by OTCAS:

• Copies of all college transcripts (regardless if the coursework is relevant to prerequisites/ admission criteria)
• Completed goal statement
• Completed volunteer hours
• Letters of reference: Three letters are required. One must come from an occupational therapist who supervised you as a paid or volunteer worker in an active clinical setting. The other letters must be from someone who can judge your academic skills and character. Please refer to the instructions provided by OTCAS regarding submission of transcripts and letters of reference.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application deadline is November 1. Applications may be filed as early as the first day the OTCAS portal is open for the application cycle up to deadline date.  NOTE: It takes up to three weeks for OTCAS to verify your application. Your application will not be accessible to SMU until the OTCAS verification process is completed. It is strongly recommended that you take this into account when submitting your application close to the established deadline.

Additionally, it is to your advantage to include as many available grades as possible with the application for admission. For example, with the deadline of November 1 for fall entry, you should wait to submit an application until your summer grades are available. After the deadline, applications may be accepted on a space available basis. Contact the Office of Admission for further information once the deadline has passed.

2013 APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ADMISSION
Starting with the fall 2013 admission cycle, the OT Central Application System (OTCAS) will be used to process submit an application for consideration.

For a representative Application/Admission Processing Timeline for fall 2013, please click here.

We have prepared an application guide to assist you in submitting the strongest application possible via the OTCAS service. Click here to view it.

To apply, please submit an application through the OTCAS website by clicking here. Please submit the applications and all requested materials at least three weeks before the November 1st application deadline to allow adequate time for processing.

Note: Applicants who choose to submit a portfolio to serve as verification of completion of the 3D skill/craft requirement must send it directly to the Office of Admission. Please mail portfolio to:

Some frequently asked questions that has been created about OTCAS can be found on the AOTA website by clicking FAQ .

OTCAS
Please visit the OTCAS web site to submit your application. You will be charged a fee based on how many schools you select and that fee is paid to the OTCAS service.  You will need to provide contact information for three references on this application.

INTERVIEWS
An on-campus interview is required; phone or web interviews are not acceptable. A maximum of 150 applicants will be interviewed each year for the program. Depending on the application pool, not all candidates who meet minimum qualifications will be granted an interview. Interviews are generally held on two Saturdays in mid-January and are held on the Oakland campus.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Please click here for a list of our frequently asked questions.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION AGENCIES Students who have compeleted their degrees outside of the United States will have to have their degrees evaluated for United States baccalaureate equivalency, also known as a course-by-course/comprehensive evaluation. Please click here for a list of international transcript evaluation agencies.

CHALLENGE EXAMS AND ONLINE COURSE RESOURCES
Students who may want to test out of a course for college credit or find courses that are offered online, please click here for a list of those options.

ADMISSION PROCESS
Please click here for a list of what happens during the admission process.

ADMISSION STATISTICS Admission Statistics about all of SMU's programs are availbe on our statistics at a glance website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Thank you very much for your interest in our program. Our MOT Admission Counselor, Rosa Alvarado would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have, conduct a prerequisite transcript evaluation, or meet with you to further explore your interest in our program. She may be reached at 510-869-1571 or by email Ralvarado@samuelmerritt.edu