Admission Requirements and Process 

CSM’s OT Program is committed to recruiting, enrolling, and educating a diverse student body. This commitment is demonstrated through best practices in holistic admissions processes. The OTD program's admission process complies with federal and state non-discrimination laws and is consistent with CSM’s admission policy, as stated in the current Academic Catalog. 

The OT Program partners with CSM’s Enrollment Department to recruit and guide applicants. Applicants typically apply to the program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS). Applications are initially reviewed for the following criteria: 

• A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale) is required.
  
  • If the applicant graduated more than 5 years ago from college, the last 60 credit hours will determine the cumulative GPA.
• A minimum pre-requisite course GPA of 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) is required.
• Completion of at least 72 collegiate credit hours and three academic years of undergraduate education are required. Bachelor's degrees are recommended.
• A grade of C or better on all pre-requisite courses is required.
• Pre-requisite course requirements (21-22 credits)*:
  
  • Anatomy and Physiology I & II with labs – 8 credits
  • Statistics – 3 credits
  • Lifespan or Developmental Psychology– 3 credits
  • Abnormal psychology – 3 credits
  • Medical Terminology – 1 or 2 credits
  • Research Methods – 3 credits
• Completion of the following recommended coursework provides a competitive advantage to an application:
  
  • Sociology/Anthropology
  • Ethics
  • Kinesiology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Public Speaking or Oral Communications
  • Global or Cultural Diversity Course
  • Pre-health professions course
• Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.
  
  • An application is more competitive if one letter is from an undergraduate professor and if one letter is from an occupational therapist.
  • If an applicant is a CSM student or CSM graduate, only two (2) letters of recommendation are required.
• Each applicant should submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) for consideration. Resumes or CVs should emphasize the applicant’s extra-curricular activities, work and/or volunteer history, and leadership experiences.
  
  • The resume or CV should document the number of service/volunteer hours accumulated within the previous five years.
    • Although no set number of service hours is required,  100 hours or more increases the competitiveness of the applications.
    • Applications are more competitive if the applicant documents service hours across the lifespan (infants, children, adults, and older adults).

*No more than nine (9) pre-requisite credit hours may remain at time of application. The applicant must complete all pre-requisite courses before the start of OTD classes. The applicant must have taken all pre-requisite courses within five (5) years prior to application.

Upon verification of the above requirements in the OTCAS application, prospective students will be invited to complete the interview phase of the admissions process. This is completed online through the Kira Talent platform, where students will provide verbal or written responses to the program’s interview questions. The OTD Admissions Committee will review and score the Kira Talent assessment utilizing standardized rubrics to determine the applicant’s fit with the program. 

Additional Program Requirements 

• The applicant must be prepared to meet the specific health-related requirements to attend fieldwork. The following must be completed before clinical education experiences:
  • Health clearance 
  • 10-panel drug screen 
  • Proof of current American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification, which includes Adult, Child, Infant, and AED training  
  • Proof of current personal health insurance 
  • Proof of current recorded immunizations and/or titers, including but not limited to: 
    • Hepatitis B (3 shot series and/or positive titer) 
    • Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap) within the previous 10 years 
    • MMR (2 shot series and/or positive titer) 
    • Varicella (2 shot series and/or positive titer) 
    • Tuberculin Skin Test within one year (site dependent) 
  • Proof of current influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations
• Applicants should also know that comprehensive background checks completed by a company approved by CSM will be required before clinical education rotations. 
  • A felony or severe criminal conviction may affect a student’s ability to attend some clinical education sites, qualify for the NBCOT certification examination, or attain state licensure. 

Statement of Reasonable Accommodations for Admissions 

The College of Saint Mary has modified its buildings and grounds to provide all students, faculty, staff, and visitors with equal access to its programs, events, and facilities. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University has taken measures to ensure that students with disabilities have access to its academic programs. 

Completing occupational therapy coursework depends on thinking critically and using the occupational therapy process, including communication, motor, and interpersonal abilities. Becoming an occupational therapist requires completing an accredited professional education program involving both intellectual and physical skills and successfully passing the national board exam. Applicants with disabilities will be considered for admission based on their ability to meet the program's requirements with reasonable accommodations. Any candidate for admission should be able to perform independently, and reasonable accommodation does not mean that a student with a disability can be exempt from certain tasks inherent to the practice of occupational therapy. The OT Department will partner with the CSM ADA Officer to determine reasonable accommodations. It should be noted that using a trained intermediary may not be acceptable, as the program must evaluate the student’s independent individual ability and judgment. Each applicant should review the CSM OTD Functional Expectations For Students to determine their ability to complete the program successfully.  

Transferring Credits or Work Experience

The College of Saint Mary OTD program will not accept work experience to meet the content requirements of the doctoral standards. It will also not accept transfer credits for coursework with the prefix OTD. All other policies related to coursework before starting the OTD program, including standards for admission, advanced placement, transfer of credit, credit for experiential learning, and pre-requisite educational or work experience, will follow the CSM Academic Catalog policies. 

Withdrawal and Readmission to OTD program

1. If a student withdraws from the OTD program at CSM, the Occupational Therapy Policy Committee will discuss whether the student is eligible for readmission and make recommendations to the Program Director and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. This determination will be kept in the student’s advising file. 
2. The student who has withdrawn from the OTD program and wishes to be readmitted will be considered for readmission by the Program Director according to the following criteria: 
   1. The recommendation made by the Occupational Therapy Policy Committee at the time the student withdrew. 
   2. The time elapsed between withdrawal from the OTD program to the anticipated date of readmission. 
3. The student requesting readmission to the Occupational Therapy Program must complete the application process according to Policy 1.1, Admission to Occupational Therapy Program. 
4. Students dismissed from the OTD program for academic or professional issues will not be eligible for readmission.