Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

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Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

CSM’s OT Program is committed to recruiting, enrolling, and educating a diverse student body. This commitment is demonstrated through implementing 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.

Admission Requirements

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:

  1. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale) is required.
    1. If the applicant graduated more than 5 years ago from college, the last 60 credit hours will determine the cumulative GPA.
  2. A minimum pre-requisite course GPA of 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) is required.
  3. A grade of C or better on all pre-requisite courses is required.
  4. Pre-requisite course requirements (21-22 credits)*:
    1. Anatomy and Physiology I & II with labs – 8 credits
    2. Statistics – 3 credits
    3. Lifespan or Developmental Psychology– 3 credits
    4. Abnormal psychology – 3 credits
    5. Medical Terminology – 1 or 2 credits
    6. Research Methods – 3 credits
  5. Completion of the following recommended coursework provides a competitive advantage to an application:
    1. Sociology/Anthropology
    2. Ethics
    3. Kinesiology
    4. Pathophysiology
    5. Public Speaking or Oral Communications
    6. Global or Cultural Diversity Course
    7. Pre-health professions course
  6. Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.
    1. An application is more competitive if one letter is from an undergraduate professor and if one letter is from an occupational therapist.
    2. If an applicant is a CSM student or CSM graduate, only two (2) letters of recommendation are required.
  7. 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.
    1. 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, upwards of 100 hours is recommended.
      • 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

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

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 ADA Officer to determine reasonable accommodations. It should be noted that using a trained intermediary may not be acceptable, as someone else’s observations may influence a student’s judgment. Each applicant should review the CSM OTD Technical Standards 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.

 

The Pre-OT Accelerated Entry Pathway (AEP)

Accelerated Entry Pathway

The pre-OT AEP is a system that supports CSM undergraduate students in their preparation for entry into the OTD program. AEP students can select any undergraduate degree program offered at CSM and will meet with their OT Advisor each semester to ensure that all OTD pre-requisite courses and entrance criteria are being met.  Students at any stage of their undergraduate education at CSM may apply to join the AEP, but it should be recognized that all prerequisites listed in Student Policy 1.1 must be met before the student can be considered ready for the OTD program.

AEP Criteria and Process:

There are two tracks to enter the AEP:

  1. As a high school senior applying to CSM.
  2. As a college freshman, sophomore, or junior - either already enrolled at CSM or transferring into CSM. (See Notes section if the applicant is a college senior.)

The requirements and application process for each track are outlined below.

High School Seniors applying to CSM:

  1. ACT ≥ 23 and a math sub score ≥ 23 or SAT equivalent.
  2. High school cumulative GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Resume demonstrating participation in high school extra- and co-curricular activities, service, work history, volunteer hours, and/or clinical experiences.
  4. High school student application process:
    1. Follow CSM Undergraduate application process
    2. OT AEP Advisor will establish contact with the student and meet as needed, at least once per semester.

College Students (Transfer or Established CSM Students):

  1. Collegiate cumulative GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
  2. Semester GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale from the semester completed prior to application.
  3. Resume demonstrating participation in collegiate extra-curricular activities, service, work history, volunteer hours, and/or clinical experiences.
  4. College student application process:
    1. Once a student is fully enrolled at CSM, they complete the Internal Application for AEP OT dynamic form and attach their resume to this form.
    2. OT Admissions Committee reviews internal applications, transcripts, and resumes.
    3. If AEP requirements are met, the student will receive an official AEP acceptance letter from the OT Department.
    4. The OT AEP Faculty Advisor will meet with AEP students at least once per semester to guide them through the benchmarks for preparation for the OTD program. These benchmarks are:
      1. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 during undergraduate coursework.
      2. Complete at least 72 credit hours of collegiate work. Completion of the Bachelor's degree is strongly recommended. Some undergraduate degrees at CSM can be completed in 3 years if students take summer courses.
      3. Successful completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher:
        • Anatomy & Physiology I & II with labs (8 credits)
        • Statistics (3 credits)
        • Research Methods (3 credits)
        • Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
        • Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
        • Medical Terminology (1-2 credits)
        • Introduction to Occupational Therapy or other similar pre-health professions course offered at CSM (3 credits)
      4. Complete 100 service hours
      5. [Recommended] Complete at least 8 hours of observations of OT practitioners in clinical settings.
    5. Once the student has completed all benchmarks, the OT AEP Advisor will notify the OT Admissions Committee. In the spring before the intended start of the OTD program, the student will be invited to complete the Kira Talent assessment online so that she can experience a professional interview. The student must also provide two letters of recommendation from CSM faculty.
      1. Students must make progress on the provided benchmarks and expectations each semester to remain in the AEP program. Otherwise, preparation for the CSM OTD program may be delayed, or the student may be dismissed from the AEP program.
      2. While entry to the AEP cannot guarantee that the student will be accepted into the OTD program, completing all the AEP benchmarks makes acceptance very likely.
      3. Students will receive acceptance letters after the OT Admissions Committee reviews the letters of recommendation and Kira Talent assessment. The deposit fee for the OTD program is waived for CSM AEP students.

Additional notes about AEP:

    • There is no additional fee to apply for the OTD AEP program.
    • CSM Seniors who wish to apply to CSM’s OTD program should be directed to the Graduate OTD Admissions Counselor. They will submit three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a written essay (same prompts as in OTCAS), and a resume. Their transcript will be evaluated based on the entrance criteria for the Graduate OTD Pathway by the OT Admissions Committee. This process will negate the need to apply through OTCAS.