Admission Requirements

1. Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university or a plan to complete one prior to enrollment. While we do not require any specific discipline, undergraduate students often major in areas such as health science, exercise science, or psychology in preparation for a doctorate program in occupational therapy.

2. Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

3. B- or better in all prerequisite courses:

Candidates must have completed the above prerequisites within the last ten years. We accept applications with prerequisites still in progress as long as we receive official transcripts showing successful completion (B- or better) prior to program matriculation. For prerequisites taken during the Spring 2020 semester affected by COVID-19, a grade of Satisfactory or Pass will be accepted. For  questions about a specific prerequisite, complete this form.   

4. Minimum of 50 hours of observational, volunteer, and/or work experience in occupational therapy completed before the start of classes. Candidates do not have to complete all 50 hours prior to application. We recommended having more than one observation site and experience with ages across the lifespan. Alternative options are available for those unable to gain access to onsite observation hours. Please contact graduate@huntington.edu to review alternatives.

5. Completed OTCAS application.

6. Three letters of recommendation, submitted via OTCAS. At least one of these must be from a healthcare provider, preferably a licensed occupational therapist.

Technology

Successful participation and completion of the doctoral program in occupational therapy will require students to be competent in using computer and internet technology. Learn more about required technology. 

Advanced Placement and Experiential Learning

Advanced Placement (AP) and experiential learning are not options in the Huntington University OTD program to align with the OTD curricular completion of all accreditation standards as outlined in the ACOTE Standards.

Transfer Students

Graduate credits earned at other regionally accredited institutions may be transferrable to Huntington

University's Graduate Programs. Only graduate courses with a grade of B- (2.67) or above are transferable.

Generally, such credits must be no older than 10 years and must represent courses that can reasonably substitute for courses in the Huntington University Graduate Programs. Individual program directors determine the suitability of such courses for transfer credit and may deny transfer credit. Students will be asked to provide relevant materials for their transfer courses. Students in the Occupational Therapy Program may transfer in a maximum of 12 credit hours. Although credits may transfer, no transfer grades are recorded nor counted in the cumulative grade point average.

Background Check

Students will be required to pass a background and substance abuse checks at time of admission to the program in order to be eligible for fieldwork, experiential component and to take the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) exam. Eligibility requirements for the national exam for becoming an occupational therapist can be retrieved at www.nbcot.org. NBCOT, One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 Phone: (301) 990- 7979; E-mail: info@nbcot.org; Fax: (301)869-8492

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Degree Information

Period of Study
Students being accepted to the Huntington University OTD program must have a minimum of three FTE academic years in undergraduate work. The addition of the three FTE year in the Huntington University OTD program is required to meet the minimum of six FTE academic years for ACOTE compliance.

Progression in the OTD Program
Coursework is developmental in nature and requires coursework to be sequential as listed in the OTD Completion Plan. Completion of fieldwork and experiential component (capstone) must be completed within 24 months or 2 years from didactic coursework. Timeline from matriculation to graduation should not exceed six years.

Retention
Students compliant with grade requirements and OTD program policies and procedures as documented in the student manual will advance toward graduation through satisfaction of each semester requirements.

Graduation Requirements
The OTD requires the completion of 106 credit hours in a sequenced three-year sequence. For the first two years, the course loads range between 40-47 hours. The final year involves 24 hours total for fieldwork and capstone requirements and a three-hour online course.