Occupational Therapy (OT) Admission Requirements and Procedures

Application for Admission

The Occupational Therapy Program invites the submission of applications through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). Applicants apply online by visiting https://portal.otcas.org.

Applicants are encouraged to apply through OTCAS but, as an alternative, may apply through the Touro College School of Health Sciences Office of Admissions by completing the Touro College SHS Application for Admission, the OT Program Applicant Reference Form for all references, and submitting the personal statement.

Application Deadlines and Important Dates

The Occupational Therapy Department offers the BS/MS Occupational Therapy Program in two New York locations: The Bay Shore campus in western Suffolk County on Long Island and the Manhattan Main Campus. There are two separate admission cycles for application, depending on your choice of location:

Bay Shore Campus:

• Application deadline - March 1
  
  Please submit the completed application and all supporting documents by the application deadline. Applications received after the deadline may be considered after all applications received by the deadline have been processed and if places in the entering class are still available.
• Orientation -
  Accepted students are required to attend a full-day orientation which is normally scheduled for the second Thursday of August.
• Class start date -
  Accepted students should expect to begin classes in mid- to late-August (two weeks prior to Labor Day).

Manhattan Campus:

• Application deadline - September 1
  
  Please submit the completed application and all supporting documents by the application deadline. Applications received after the deadline may be considered after all applications received by the deadline have been processed and if places in the entering class are still available.
  
  "Early Decision" deadline – June 1
  Applicants with superior academic records may wish to avail themselves of the "Early Decision" option through OTCAS, for which the application deadline is June 1. Candidates choosing this option will receive priority consideration in the admission process.
• Orientation -
  Accepted students are required to attend a full-day orientation which is normally scheduled for the fourth Thursday of January.
• Class start date -
  Accepted students should expect to begin classes during the first week of February.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites:

Satisfactory completion of 60 credits in liberal arts and sciences is required and must include 36 credits in the specific subject prerequisites listed below, plus 24 additional credits in liberal arts and sciences. Only coursework completed with a grade of "C" or better can be accepted as prerequisites. No more than 15 prerequisite credits in total, and no more than 4 credits in prerequisite laboratory sciences, may be outstanding at the time of application. All outstanding prerequisites must be scheduled to be completed before the first day of classes at the OT program location where the student will be attending. Science courses completed more than 10 years prior to application cannot be accepted as prerequisites. Prerequisite courses are as follows:

• 8 credits Biology (Biology I and II, or Anatomy & Physiology I and II) with labs, offered through a biology department and designed for science majors
• 4 credits Chemistry or Physics, with labs, and designed for science majors
• 9 credits Psychology including: General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Growth and Development covering the lifespan from early childhood to adulthood. (The lifespan requirement can be fulfilled with more than one course)
• 3 credits Introduction to Sociology
• 6 credits English Composition and/or English Literature (with a writing component)
• 3 credits Mathematics (algebra level or above; pre-calculus recommended)
• 3 credits Statistics (NOT Business Statistics)
• 24 additional credits in liberal arts and sciences. (There is a cap of 12 credits per subject area, such as history, that can be counted toward the additional 24 credits of liberal arts and sciences)

Additional requirements:

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a minimum science GPA of 3.0 are recommended
• Official score reports for either the SAT, ACT, or GRE
• Documented completion of 100 hours of volunteer experience under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist, completed within the last 3 years. A minimum of 25 of the required hours must be complete and verified for an application to be eligible for review by the OT Admissions Committee. For accepted students, all 100 volunteer hours must be completed prior to orientation.
• A minimum of two written recommendations on the required reference form, obtained no more than 3 years prior to application: The required form can be found on OTCAS or, for paper applications, click here. One reference should be from a licensed Occupational Therapist and one from a professional and/or academic source.
• A personal statement (no more than 500 words) must be submitted with the application through OTCAS or submitted with paper applications:
  • Your personal statement should address why you selected occupational therapy as a career and how an OT degree relates to your immediate and long term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you to achieve your goals.
• For applicants whose native language is not English, or who attended college outside of the U.S. or other English-speaking country, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination must be passed with a score of at least 560 (paper-based), 220 (computer-based), or 83 (Internet-based) (Note: the TOEFL exam does not substitute for the SAT, ACT, or GRE requirement, nor does it fulfill the 6-credit English prerequisite requirement). Foreign credentials must be evaluated by a School of Health Sciences-approved agency. A list of approved agencies can be found by visiting www.naces.org/members.htm.
• Accepted students must provide, no later than the date of orientation, evidence of completion of initial training and/or re-certification in CPR (pediatric and adult preferred; Online certification is not acceptable; Basic-Life-Support or Professional Rescuer is suggested).

Selection Process

The Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee evaluates applications, selects qualified candidates for an on-campus interview, and makes decisions regarding admission to the program based on a rigorous and competitive review process. Therefore, meeting only minimum requirements cannot guarantee selection for an interview or admission to the program.

Candidates who are selected for an on-campus interview will be asked to produce a spontaneous writing sample during their interview visit.

Applicants will be informed in writing of the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee’s decision. If offered a place in the OT program, a deposit will be required from the applicant to confirm his/her intention to attend.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for admission may petition the OT Admissions Committee for consideration of special circumstances. The petition must be made in writing at the time of application and should be sent to the School of Health Sciences Office of Admissions. It must clearly explain extenuating circumstances that have prevented the applicant from meeting the requirements, and describe elements of the applicant's background that would indicate the potential for success in the program. Admission decisions regarding students who have not met established admission requirements are based on the student's petition, application, interview and other supporting documents required as part of the application process.

Students with previous occupational therapy experience or courses are not exempt from satisfying all admission requirements and completing all courses in the BSHS/MSOT degree program.

Extended Study Option

The Touro College OT curriculum is typically completed in 3 years of full-time study. With permission from the OT Department Chairperson, a limited number of students are permitted to complete the OT curriculum in 4 or 5 years of extended study. The extended study option reduces the number of courses taken simultaneously for a portion of the curriculum and extends the duration of study. A request to be considered for the extended study option should be made in writing at the time of application and sent to the School of Health Sciences Office of Admissions.

For information, contact:

Office of Admissions - OT Program
School of Health Sciences
Touro College
1700 Union Boulevard
Bay Shore, N.Y. 11706
(866) TOURO-4-U
Enroll.health@touro.edu