Pre-Occupational Therapy
“Occupational therapists (OTs) assist clients in performing activities of all types, ranging from using a computer to caring for daily needs
such as dressing, cooking, eating, and driving. Services typically include: customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to
perform daily activities; comprehensive home and job site evaluations with adaptation recommendations; adaptive equipment
recommendations and usage training; and guidance to family members and caregivers.” Taken from
http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/6/Occupational_Therapist
At MTSU, most students choose to complete a four-year degree in a science related discipline such as Biology or Chemistry. However, as
long as prerequisite courses for Occupational Therapy school are completed students can complete a degree of choice. Below is a
suggested curriculum of courses that incorporates requirements for most Occupational Therapy schools:
Suggested Curriculum
First Year Fall
CHEM 1110/1111 General Chemistry I*
BIOL 1110/1111 General Biology I
ENGL 1010 Expository Writing
MATH 1730 Pre Calculus
Second Year Fall
BIOL 2010/2011 Anatomy and Physiology I
PHYS 2010/2011 Non Calculus Based Physics I
Literature General Education
Course from Major
Third Year Fall
MATH 1530 Applied Statistics
PSY 3230 Abnormal Psychology
US History
Humanities General Education**
Course from Major
Fourth Year Fall
HLTH 3300 First Aid and Safety Education
Courses from Major
Note 1:
Note 2:
Note 3:
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
4 hrs
15 hrs
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
14 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
15 hrs
3 hrs
12 hrs
First Year Spring
BIOL 1120/1121 General Biology II
ENGL 1020 Research and Argumentative Writing
COMM 2200 Fundamentals of Communication
PSY 1410 General Psychology
Course from Major
Second Year Spring
BIOL 2020/2021 Anatomy and Physiology II
PSY 2300 Developmental Psychology
HLTH 3020 Terminology in HHP
Course from Major
Third Year Spring
SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology***
CSCI 1150 Computer Orientation
Humanities General Education
US History
Course from Major
Fourth Year Spring
Courses from Major
4 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
16 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
16 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
15 hrs
14 hrs
*A student who has had little or no high school chemistry or is not satisfied with their high school chemistry
should first take Chemistry 1010/1011 (Introduction to General Chemistry) before taking CHEM 1110/1111.
** Some programs suggest students take a Philosophy course in which case PHIL 1030 Introduction to
Philosophy would be recommended.
*** Some programs will accept either a Sociology or an Anthropology course (ANTH 2010 Cultural
Anthropology would be recommended).
PRE-OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY TIPS
Advisor: You will be assigned a Pre-Professional advisor in addition to the advisor for your major. See your advisors at
least once per semester. Notify your advisor about the OT schools you wish to apply and consult with them about course
selection and volunteer work.
What The Schools Are Looking For: OT schools are looking for four basic things: good grades (at least a GPA of 3.0 to
be competitive) including good grades in the sciences, knowledge of OT as a career (volunteer work), maturity, and
excellent interpersonal skills (recommendations and the interview). They also check to see that you meet all their
requirements.
GRE : Students applying to OT programs must take the Graduate Record Exam. We recommended a minimum of 300,
however higher scores will be helpful.
Volunteer Work: Each school typically requires volunteer (or shadowing) work with an Occupational Therapist. You are
encouraged to gain this experience early (and often). Experiences gained during volunteer work will enable you to make sure
Occupational Therapy is the proper career field for you. Work should be obtained in 2 to 3 different types of patient care,
such as an Occupational Therapy clinic, a hospital, a nursing home, or a home health service. The number of hours required
vary according by school, but 50 - 100 volunteer hours is appropriate. The purpose is for you to learn as much as possible
about the career of OT and about as many different types of patient care as possible. Talk to the OT’s and ask them about
their career and their undergraduate and graduate experiences. There is a lot of information online regarding the career.
Therefore we encourage you to read as much as you can about the field. Also, be sure to develop a relationship with the
Occupational Therapists since some of the schools require evaluations or recommendations from them.
Pre Professional Advisory Committee: References from professors, advisors, and/or Occupational Therapists are required
as part of the admissions process. We can offer you a mock interview and a Composite Evaluation from the Pre Professional
Health Science Advisory Committee. This process involves getting evaluations from four or five science
professors. Therefore it is to your advantage to develop relationships with your professors early so they can better evaluate
you. Contact your advisor in KUC 316 to schedule the MTSU interview.
Professional School Interview: The interview is extremely important. Take time to prepare for this interview. The best way
to prepare is to practice. Your advisor can help you prepare as can the Career Development Center. Think about what has
inspired you to become a Occupational Therapist. The Professional School is looking for maturity, problem solving skills,
critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and most importantly demonstrated knowledge of Occupational Therapy.
Helpful Websites:
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) http://www.aota.org/
The Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy Schools - https://portal.otcas.org/
Tennessee State University http://www.tnstate.edu/ot/
Belmont University http://www.belmont.edu/ot/
University of Tennessee Health Science Center https://www.uthsc.edu/health-professions/ot/index.php
Milligan University http://www.milligan.edu/academics/msot/
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga https://www.utc.edu/occupational-therapy/
For more information please see your Advisor in the Pre Professional Health Science Advising Center in
KUC 316 or email preprof@mtsu.edu.
Eric Miller
Advising Manager
615-494-8894
ericb.miller@mtsu.edu
Last Names A-D
Douglas Adams
Advisor
615-898-2316
douglas.adams@mtsu.edu
Last Names E-M
Jon Buchalski
Advisor
615-898-5465
jon.buchalski@mtsu.edu
Last Names N-Z
http://ericbmiller.setmore.com
http://douglasgadams.setmore.com
http://tinyurl.com/nelvlsn