1. How do I learn more about the occupational therapy profession?
Visit American Occupational Therapy Association. Contact and shadow occupational therapy
practitioners in your area. Visit our homepage at www.uca.edu/ot. Set up an appointment with
the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas at (501) 450-5017.
2. What degree does UCA offer in occupational therapy?
UCA offers an entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree.
Currently, occupational therapy programs can elect to offer either a Master’s degree or Doctoral
degree for an entry-level degree to practice occupational therapy. AOTA and ACOTE released a
joint statement related to the point of entry in 2019. For further information click here.
3. What type of undergraduate degree do I need to enter the program?
There is no “right undergraduate degree.” Many students at UCA select degrees from the College
of Health and Behavioral Sciences, College of Education, and College of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics. Please note the program values and benefits from having students from diverse
educational backgrounds, so do not feel limited by the list above.
4. What prerequisite course work must I complete?
See table below: Pre-Requisite Course Work with University of Central Arkansas Course
Numbers. All prerequisite course work must be completed prior to the January 15th application
deadline. Prerequisite course work 10 years old or older will not be accepted. Courses taken
elsewhere must be equivalent or evaluated and must be approved in advance.
5. How do I determine if a particular course meets the prerequisite requirements?
Prior to contacting the university, visit the Arkansas Course Transfer System. If your university/college is not represented on the ACTS page, or if you are from out of state, you may contact the Department of Occupational Therapy at (501) 450-5017.
6. Can I use AP scores & CLEP credit exams for any of the occupational therapy prerequisite courses?
No. These course exams are not allowed to satisfy occupational therapy prerequisite
requirements. Letter grades of A, B, or C must be shown in order to calculate the prerequisite GPA. Since the grade from the scores appear as “CR” meaning credit on your transcript, they are not sufficient for calculating the prerequisite GPA.
7. My prerequisite course work was completed over 10 years ago. Will you accept it?
No. Prerequisite course work 10 years or older will not be accepted.
8. How many students are accepted per class?
Maximum 48 students are selected annually.
9. Can out of state students apply to the program?
Yes! We have graduates that apply to and have graduated from our program from across the United States.
10. Is there a limit to the number of out of state applicants that can be admitted in a cohort?
No.
11. I graduated a few years ago; is there a time limit on being out of school before applying?
There is no specific time limit. However, all prerequisite course work must be completed within 10
years of application. All applicants are evaluated on an individual basis.
12. What are the necessary steps to apply to the occupational therapy program?
The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Entry-Level) program has strict admission requirements and
enrollment limitations. Acceptance is by specific application and competitive admission only. A new class begins each fall semester. Two options exist for admission to the program. Regardless of the admission option, all applicants are required to complete the online application through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) at www.otcas.org by January 15 of the year of planned enrollment.
Freshman Admission
Declaration of Intent: Intent to pursue the option for Freshman Admission must be completed with the Department of Occupational Therapy Program Advisor by November 1 of the freshman year.
Students who begin study at UCA as a freshman will be admitted into the occupational therapy program if they meet and maintain specific performance standards and criteria. Actual enrollment into the occupational therapy program will occur after completion of the baccalaureate degree and if performance standards and criteria are maintained.
To maintain Freshman Admission status, the applicant must:
- Take all coursework at UCA.
- Attend three SPOT (Students for Pre-Occupational Therapy) meetings each year (12 total meetings in 4 years).
- Maintain at least a 3.7 cumulative GPA every semester and a 3.5 GPA for all occupational
therapy prerequisite course work.
- Submit GRE revised General Test (August 2011) scores OTCAS. OTCAS GRE code 7416; score at least 150 on Verbal, 150 on Quantitative, and 4 on Analytical Writing sections.
- Complete a minimum of 20 hours volunteer/observation experience under the supervision of one licensed occupational therapist (supervision by an OTA will not be accepted); the therapist must submit a performance rating from this experience (form and specific instructions are available from the Department of Occupational Therapy website: www.uca.edu/ot).
- Complete all prerequisite course work by the end of the fall semester prior to the spring graduate OT program application deadline (January 15 of each year). Occupational therapy prerequisite coursework 10 years or older will not be accepted.
- Complete the online application through the Occupational Therapist Centralized ApplicatioService (OTCAS) at www.otcas.org by January 15th of the year of planned enrollment.
- Complete a baccalaureate degree at UCA by May of the year of planned enrollment.
No interview is required of applicants entering the graduate OT program under Freshman Admission. Contact the UCA Occupational Therapy Program Advisor for more details regarding Freshman Admission.
Regular Admission
Application Deadline: January 15 of the year of planned enrollment.
Those applicants not using the Freshman Admission or those who were not able to maintain performance standards and criteria for Freshman Admission must complete an application for Regular Admission. The deadline for Regular Admission is January 15th of the year of planned enrollment.
To be eligible for Regular Admission, by the application deadline, the applicant must:
- Possess a cumulative GPA of 2.75 minimum based on a 4.0 scale or possess at least a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of course work on a 4.0 scale.
- Submit GRE revised General Test (August 2011) and GRE Analytical Writing scores to OTCAS. OTCAS GRE code 7416.
- Complete a minimum of 20 hours volunteer/observation experience under the supervision of one licensed occupational therapist (supervision by an OTA will not be accepted); the therapist must submit a performance rating from this experience (form and specific instructions are available from the Department of Occupational Therapy website: www.uca.edu/ot).
- Complete all occupational therapy prerequisite course work, with a grade of C or better, by end of the fall semester prior to the spring graduate OT program application deadline (January 15 of each year). Occupational therapy prerequisite course work 10 years or older will not be accepted.
- Complete the online application through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) at www.otcas.org by January 15th of the year of planned enrollment.
- Complete a baccalaureate degree by May of the year of planned enrollment.
NOTE: All college work must be submitted regardless of when completed or the nature of the course work. Work experience is not calculated into the satisfaction of admission requirements. Additional information can be found at http://uca.edu/ot/doctor-of-occupational-therapy-otd/.
13. What is the length of the program?
The program is three years in length.
14. Does the program offer a part-time curriculum or evening classes?
No. The curriculum requires full time study. We do not offer part-time, online or an evening option. Classes take place during the week generally between the hours of 8am-5pm.
15. Are there any other resources to learn more or prepare to apply to the occupational therapy
program?
Informational meetings and mock interviews are typically offered in fall and spring semesters accordingly. Please check the Doctor of Occupational Therapy page for our upcoming events.
16. What is the timeline of the application process?
The application process is from July to January 15th of the year of planned enrollment. We strongly recommend completing your application requirements by December 1st so that all materials are received before the application deadline of January 15th. Mandatory interviews will take place in March. Applicants will receive a letter in late March with a list of the top 48 applicants invited to enter the program.
17. What should I expect if I am accepted into the occupational therapy program?
Applicants who are invited to the upcoming fall class will receive correspondence over the summer with tasks to complete before the school year begins. There is also a mandatory orientation that will take place before instruction begins.