Admission requirements
The BGSU OTD program is designed for students who show the capacity to excel in an accelerated, hybrid OTD curriculum. Admission to the OTD program is contingent upon fulfilling the following criteria before program orientation.
OTD program requirements
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution*
- Minimum cumulative and prerequisite GPAs of 3.00 or greater**
- Three professional references:
- One from a U.S.-licensed occupational therapist who has interacted with the applicant in a clinical setting either through employment or shadowing observation hours
- Two of the applicant’s choice
- Attestation to the Minimum Technical Standards
- Completed criminal background check prior to matriculation
- Submission of a statement of purpose on OTCAS
- Possession of a personal laptop with access to the internet
- Recommended completion of 20 hours of shadowing with a licensed occupational therapist
*Admission into the OTD program may be granted pending completion of a bachelor's degree prior to matriculation. All official transcripts must be submitted to OTCAS.
**If cumulative GPA is less than 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, an applicant may still be eligible for admission if a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or greater has been achieved over the last 60 semester or 90 quarter hour credits of coursework, indicating a positive grade trend.
The program will not grant credit for advanced placement, experiential learning, work experience or transfer credits from another program or institution. All courses within the didactic and clinical curriculum are required.
Technical standards and essential functions
The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Bowling Green State University has identified technical standards and essential functions all students must meet and maintain for enrollment and progression, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Doctor of Occupational Therapy prerequisites
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits, lab required)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits lab required)
- Kinesiology, Biomechanics or Physics (3 credits)
- Human Development (3 credits)
- Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology (1 credit)
- English Composition or Writing (3 credits)
Substitutions for any of the required prerequisite courses may be granted by the occupational therapy admissions committee on an individual basis.
- Courses must be completed before matriculation into the OTD program. Applications will still be accepted if courses are in progress or will be completed, reported and verified prior to July 1 of the cohort start year. All prerequisite courses will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Complete all required prerequisite courses with a minimum cumulative and prerequisite course GPA of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale.
- Complete all required prerequisite courses and provide official transcripts/academic updates by July 1 of the cohort start year.
- All prerequisites must be completed with a grade C or better.
- If a course is repeated, the repeated course grade needs to be a C or better. The prerequisite GPA will be determined using the highest course grade achieved; however, both grades will be calculated into the cumulative overall GPA.
- Quarter system courses: In MOST instances, completion of 3 quarters of science courses with lab components are required to fulfill the two-semester requirement. These courses will be reviewed individually as institutions have different requirements and standards.
- No more than 6 calendar-year 2020 prerequisite course hours can be submitted in pass/fail format. Anatomy and Physiology I & II prerequisite courses must be reported as letter grades.
- Credit awarded through Advanced Placement (AP) exams may not be used toward prerequisites.
- College Level Entry Program (CLEP) or aptitude tests are not accepted in place of completed courses with a grade requirement. Higher-level subject matter courses will be considered as prerequisites on a case-by-case basis.
- All letter-graded prerequisite coursework is acceptable, no matter when it was completed.
- Requests by applicants for substitutions to required prerequisite coursework may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Such requests must be made in writing to the Director of Admissions using the Prerequisite Substitution Request form and must include the course description/syllabi, the institution at which the applicant took the course and the grade obtained.
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II course descriptions should state that they are “for science or pre-health majors” or be taught in a science department and should contain a lab.
- Prerequisite courses taken at institutions other than Bowling Green State University, including courses taken at 2-year institutions, are evaluated through review of course catalog descriptions and/or syllabi to determine appropriateness of course material and level of rigor.
Please ensure you have selected the cohort you wish to be considered for and understand your eligibility before submitting your OTCAS application.
Updated: 11/15/2024 07:52AM