For more information about the MOT program please contact:
Rosa Alvarado
Admission Counselor
Ralvarado@samuelmerritt.edu
General Live Online Chat Sessions!
Live Online Chat Sessions have been discontinued temporarily. We hope to have them up and running again by October 31.
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
- 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.
- Two 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. It is highly recommended that both letters be included with your application for admission. 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.
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.
| Course | Units |
| English Composition/Critical Thinking | 6 |
| General Psychology | 3 |
| Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
| Sociology, Anthropology, Ethnic Studies or additional Psychology course | 6 |
| *Public Speaking | 3 |
| *Human Anatomy | 3 |
| *Human Physiology | 3 |
| **3-Dimensional Skills or Crafts. | 3 |
| ***General Biology | 3 |
| ****Basic or Introductory Physics | 3 |
*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 application. Public speaking is recommended, but not required.
** The link provides examples of acceptable skills/crafts. 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 summer 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, but may also be taken fall semester.
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
To be considered for an interview, the following items must be sent in one envelope with your application:
- Copies of all college transcripts (unofficial copies are fine for the initial review of the application; official transcripts will be required at a later date)
- $50 non-refundable fee
- Completed goal statement
- Completed prerequisite worksheet (part of the application)
- Letters of reference: Two 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 letter must be from someone who can judge your academic skills and character. Forms have been provided for your use.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The postmark application deadline is November 1. Applications may be filed beginning two months prior to the application deadline, keeping in mind that it is to your advantage to include as many available grades as possible with the application for admission. For example, with the postmark 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
We anticipate starting with the fall 2013 admission cycle, the application process for Occupational Therapy at Samuel Merritt University will change to an online process called OT Central Application System (OTCAS). More information on OTCAS is available on their website by clicking here. Some Frequently Asked Questions that have been created about OTCAS can be found on the AOTA website by clicking FAQ.
Graduate Application
Please note: you must have Adobe Acrobat installed in order to view and print the application.
INTERVIEWS
An on-campus interview is required; phone 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.
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.