Admissions Criteria | Health Professions | SIU

Admissions Criteria

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited with conditions by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. 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 individual 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.

The OTD program was granted a Status of Accreditation with Conditions for a period of 7 years. According to ACOTE, Accreditation with Conditions is granted to initial programs when the program is in substantial compliance with the ACOTE Accreditation Standards but does not meet the minimal requirements to be in full compliance with all the ACOTE Standards. A program may be in substantial compliance if the program has the necessary policies, procedures, and practices in place; however, it is not evident that these policies, procedures, and practices are consistently followed. ACOTE will monitor the Standard(s) and review a monitoring report within one year of the ACOTE action.

According to the ACOTE report, the condition is based on 2018 Standard A.2.7. Faculty Degrees / 2023 Standard A.2.5. OT and OTA Faculty License and Faculty Degrees. The following was stated: The following area is now considered substantially compliant. The OTD program faculty and administration are confident that policies, procedures, and practices are in place. We will continue to comply with all ACOTE timelines for reporting on 2018 standard A.2.7/2023 Standard A.2.5 as dictated in the report.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DOCTORATE (OTD) IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Admission Criteria

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program accepts students to begin the course sequence each fall semester. Applicants admitted to the program will be granted admittance into SIUC as a graduate student. The minimum admission guidelines for the clinical Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Degree program mirror those of the Graduate School at SIUC, with additional guidelines set specific to the OTD program, provided below:

Applicants will possess a minimum of a baccalaureate degree, in any major, from a regionally accredited college or university

• Possess a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Submit, along with their application, official transcripts for all attended institutions
• Provide three satisfactory professional recommendation letters from:
  • A supervisor of employment, volunteer service or observation experience
  • A professor or teacher, a healthcare provider, or an academic advisor
  • A person of your choosing who can address your potential for academic success in graduate school

Completion and submission of an application for enrollment into the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program.

Demonstration of college level writing abilities (written essay) as prompted within the personal statement portion of the application.

Professional resume included within the application.

GRE scores are not required to apply.

Complete prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better, prior to the start of the program, to include the following:

• General course in social/behavioral science. Example: General Psychology, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, or Social Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology
• Human Growth and Development. Example: Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Adolescent Development, Adult Development, Aging or Lifespan Development
• Anatomy - If a two-part series, both courses must be completed to fulfill the Anatomy requirement
• Physiology 200 Level or above
• Social Science or Business Statistics

Prerequisite course grades and/ or an overall GPA lower than the minimum criteria will be considered, however; priority will be given to applications that meet minimum criteria.

If your native language is not English, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score requirements will follow the requirements set forth by the SIUC Graduate School.

Enrollment in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is limited and based on a competitive process. Applicants will be evaluated on the overall submitted application package and rank order of applications that meet minimum criteria for admission.