Information for Pre-Occupational Therapy Students

 

The University of Washington, Eastern Washington University, and the University of Puget Sound are the only schools in the state of Washington that offer programs in occupational therapy.  All of the programs are Masters in Occupational Therapy which require that applicants have earned a bachelor’s degree.  There is no specific bachelor’s degree major that is recommended or preferred.  Admission to all programs is very competitive.

 

College coursework generally required by occupational therapy schools

 

1 quarter of general chemistry with lab BCC Chemistry 101

1 quarter of general physics with lab BCC Physics 114

2 quarters of anatomy and physiology BCC Biology 260 and 261

1 quarter sociology or anthropology BCC Sociology 110 or Anthropology 202

2 quarters of psychology BCC Psychology 200 and 204

1 quarter of statistics BCC BA 240

 

English/Humanities:  Beyond the required science courses, a broad humanities and liberal arts background is encouraged.  Two quarters of foreign language is an admission requirement for most undergraduate programs and an additional quarter may be required for graduation.  Some schools require a speech class in addition to English composition. 

 

Math:  The amount of math required depends on the baccalaureate major and the physics courses that are chosen.  Math 120, Pre-calculus II is a prerequisite for Physics 114.  Math 105 is a prerequisite for Math 120.

 

Specific requirements of the UW Occupational Therapy Program

 

2 quarters of anatomy and physiology

1 quarter of chemistry (Chemistry 101 or 140 at BCC acceptable)

1 quarter of physics

3 quarters of psychology, general, developmental and abnormal

1 quarter of statistics

1 quarter of sociology or cultural anthropology

 

Note: 

There is no specific pre-occupational therapy baccalaureate major at the University of Washington or at other schools.  You do not have to complete all of the requirements at the community college.  It is important to maintain a strong GPA, so students should select a baccalaureate major that will enable them to achieve that goal.  In addition, you should choose a baccalaureate major that will provide an alternative career choice in the event that you are not admitted to an occupational therapy program

 

Sample schedule for Bellevue Community College with AAS

 

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

Year 1

 

Chem 101 (6)

Psych 100 (5)

Math 105 (5)

Soc 110 (5)

Engl 101 (5)

Math 120 (5)

Psych 204 (5)

Engl 201(5)

Biol 101 (5)

Ongoing OT

experience

Year 2

Physics 114(6)

BA 240 (5)

Speech 100 (5)

Biol 260 (6)

Humanities (5)

Psych 200 (5)

Biol 261 (6)

Humanities (5)

Soc Science (5)

Ongoing OT

experience

 

The above sample schedule provides 94 credits and does not include any lower math or English classes which may needed to bring your skills up to college level.  Therefore, classes may need to be taken during summer quarters in order to complete the degree requirements.  Courses that are taught in sequence should be finished at the school at which they are begun.  After transfer, students would complete requirements for the baccalaureate major and additional courses for the programs to which they are applying.

 

GPA

Although the minimum GPA for admission to the program is 3.0, the average GPA for entering students at the UW is in the 3.5 range.  College grades are an important predictor of successful performance and students should strive to maintain a strong GPA with limited withdrawals, incompletes, repeated courses and non-graded options.

 

Graduate Record Exam

Graduate programs require applicants to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with the application.  The GRE measures verbal, quantitative and analytical reasoning skills that have been developed over a long period of time.  Applicants should check with the institutions to which they are applying to confirm deadlines for the receipt of scores.  More information on the GRE is available at the GRE website, www.gre.org.

 

Experience

All programs require applicants to have some type of occupational therapy related work or volunteer experience.  Students should check with the individual schools to determine appropriate types of experience as well as expected number of hours and documentation.

 

Resources for Additional Information

American Occupational Therapy Association, http://www.aota.org

University of Washington, http://www.washington.edu

Eastern Washington University, http://www.ewu.edu

University of Puget Sound, http://www.ups.edu

 

Contact the Science Division L200, 425-564-2321 for an advising appointment.