Admission Criteria
Application Deadline: November 1
Note: For the 2022 admission cycle, the deadline to complete the prerequisite coursework is extended to February 1, 2022, if all other application material is submitted by the November 1 application deadline.
Applicants considered for admission are those applicants who possess the academic and professional promise necessary for development as competent, caring members of the health care community. Within this competitive admission framework, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available. Interested individuals are advised to complete their applications as early as possible to ensure timely consideration.
Admission criteria for each summer-entry cohort are dependent on satisfactory completion of all prerequisite requirements before the November 1 application deadline. To be considered for admission to the graduate OTD program in occupational therapy, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below. The ideal candidate for the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program will have:
- A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or University by May 31 (or before) of the year they are applying. A degree in any area of study will be accepted.
- A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (Applicants whose overall undergraduate GPA is below 3.0 will be considered if they earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in their last two years of study and across all the prerequisite coursework).
- A 3.0 or higher GPA on all prerequisite coursework.
- Completed all prerequisites within five (5) years of the November 1 application deadline.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within five (5) years of the application deadline with minimum scores of (Applicants whose scores are below the minimum may be considered.)
Verbal ≥ 150 verbal,
Quantitative ≥ 145
Analytical writing ≥ 3.5
- Clear admission to the Graduate College of UTRGV
- Documented evidence of volunteer, work, or service experiences/hours
- Three references /recommendation letters
- Personal Statement (Standard Essay)
- Application to the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy Schools (OTCAS)
REQUIRED PREREQUISITE COURSES
Applicant must show satisfactory completion (minimum 3.0 GPA) of the following courses within five (5) years of the application deadline.
| Anatomy & Physiology I (lecture & lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Anatomy & Physiology II (lecture & lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Biomechanics | 3 credit hours |
| Basic Statistics (applied or biostatistics) | 3 credit hours |
| Intro Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| Human Development across Lifespan (course covering human development from birth to death or completing both a child development course AND a gerontology/psychology of aging course.) | 3 credit hours |
| Abnormal Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| Anthropology or Sociology(related to culture, community, or population focus) | 3 credit hours |
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Recommended elective courses |
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| Ethics or Social Justice (health care, medical, diversity, moral reasoning) | 3 credit hours |
| General Physics I (lecture & lab) | 4 credit hours |
| Technical Writing | 3 credit hours |
| Medical Terminology | 3 credit hours |
Coursework:
All coursework must be completed at the college or university level. Coursework must be semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution with an earned grade of C or better (C- and below is not acceptable). A grade of "D" or "F" will not be accepted for any prerequisite courses. Students may re-take prerequisite courses. The grades for the classes will be averaged together if they are taken within the 5-year time frame. If five (5) years have elapsed, then grades outside the 5-year time frame will not be averaged. Advanced Placement (AP) credit is acceptable for prerequisite coursework.
Application Process
Step #1: Submit a UTRGV Graduate Application at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply. The university application fee of $50 ($100 for International Applicants) can be paid online by credit card or electronic check (in the online application). All application fees are nonrefundable.
Step #2: Request your official transcripts to be sent electronically to gradapps@utrgv.edu or mailed to:
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Graduate College
Marialice Shary Shivers Bldg. 1.158
1201 W. University Drive
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
*Please Note: If you are a graduate of UTPA, UTB/TSC, or UTRGV, you do not need to request an official transcript to be sent to the Graduate College.
Step #3: Apply to Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)
The UTRGV Occupational Therapy program uses the Centralized Application Service of Occupational Therapy Schools (OTCAS) for students applying to the Program. All applicants to the OTD program are required to submit their application to OTCAS with all the necessary materials by the November 1 application deadline. Please refer to the OTCAS website for instructions on submitting the OTCAS application materials and opening the admission cycle in mid-July. Materials submitted to OTCAS include application, official transcripts, letters of reference, and personal statement. The official GRE scores are sent to the UTRGV Graduate College but are self-reported on OTCAS.
Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy Schools (OTCAS).
- Application to the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy schools (OTCAS). All required materials must be completed and submitted online by the November 1 application deadline. Check your application status online! To view the real-time progress of your file, log in to your OTCAS application and select the status options on the right-hand side of the screen.
- Official Transcripts: Official transcripts of all college and university work must be submitted directly to OTCAS at OTCAS Verification Department, PO Box 9120, Watertown, MA 02471.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE): Official GRE Scores are sent to UTRGV Graduate College but are self-reported in OTCAS.
- Three references/recommendations: Reference letters must be submitted electronically through the online OTCAS application system (portal.otcas.org ). Please refer to the OTCAS website for Instructions on submission of the OTCAS application materials.
- Volunteer, work, or service experiences/hours: No set number of volunteer hours or experiences must be completed to be considered for admission into the Program. At least three volunteer/experiences are recommended. Nor are you required to complete hours in occupational therapy through work or observation. Volunteer experiences are unpaid work, assistant, or service. Observations and shadowing are not considered as volunteer or work experiences. Your volunteer experiences are submitted through the OTCAS application.
- Personal Statement (Standard Essay): Use your own words to create a personal essay that responds to the question below. Your essay should address a) why you selected OT as a career and b) how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you to achieve your goals. Do NOT make your essay program-specific, as the same essay will be sent to each designated OT institution you applied to. You are limited to approximately 1 page (7500 characters, including spaces).
- Application Verification: OTCAS will process your application once you submit your completed application, required fee, and all official transcript(s) to the Service. OTCAS processing may take up to 4 weeks once all required materials are received. Once your application is complete, OTCAS will verify the accuracy of your materials, compare your original transcripts to the self-reported course information on your application, calculate your OTCAS GPA's, and submit your application to each of your designated OT institutions. You will receive an automatic email once your file has been verified and your GPAs are available to you online. It is your responsibility to review the GPAs for accuracy.
- Personal Interview
Applicants may be required to participate in a personal interview with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. If needed, the Chair of the Admissions Committee will notify the applicant via phone, email, or letter for an interview.
Additional requirements for domestic applicants who attended foreign universities:
- TOEFL or IELTS Language Proficiency Test with minimum scores: 550 on paper-based, 213 on computer-based, or 79 on Internet-based for the TOEFL; 6.5 for the IELTS. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years. For additional information, visit the Additional Documents forDomestic Applicants who Attend Foreign Universities section of our website.
- Certified English translation of educational records.
Additional requirements for international applicants:
- TOEFL or IELTS Language Proficiency Test with minimum scores: 550 on paper-based, 213 on computer-based, or 79 on Internet-based for the TOEFL; 6.5 for the IELTS. For additional information, visit the English Proficiency Examsection of our website.
- Certified English translation of educational records.
- Financial Documentation showing sufficient funds to cover all expenses (living and academic) for the first year of study. For additional information, visit the Financial Documentationsection of our website.
- Immigration documents, including a current copy of your valid passport. For additional information, visit the Immigration Documentssection of our website.
UPDATE ON INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS FROM US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT:
- SEVP regulations prohibit the issuance of a Form I-20 based on conditional admission, effective July 13, 2016. University officials can only issue a Form I-20 when students have met all standards for admission for the Program of study listed on the Form I-20. These standards for admission include any English proficiency requirements.
Selection and Notification Process
The Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee meets as soon as possible after the deadline to review each application. If required, the Chair of the Admission Committee notifies the applicant via phone, email, or letter for an interview. No information regarding the status of an applicant is given over the phone or via email. The Admission Committee will communicate with the applicant through OTCAS. The Official admission offer will be made only by the Graduate College. The UTRGV Graduate College will notify all applicants indicating whether they have been accepted into the OT Program.
Not every applicant who meets the minimum admission requirements can be admitted. The Department of Occupational Therapy reserves discretion in admission for the most highly qualified applicants. This program is not designed for individuals already licensed to practice as an occupational therapist.
Important Information
In keeping with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley policy, the Department of Occupational Therapy Admission Committee does not discriminate against any individual based on race, color, creed, religion, origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, or previous status major, or college attended.
Be Advised: Applicants who acknowledge a felony conviction should know that the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) might bar persons with a felony record from taking the certification examination. The Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE) may deny persons with a felony record a state license to practice. For information regarding their requirements for certification following graduation, please contact:
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) http://www.nbcot.org
- Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE) https://www.ptot.texas.gov/page/occupationaltherapy
The College of Health Professions requires a criminal background check before admission to the Program. Some personal information may need to be disclosed during the educational experience. For example, the information may be required by a clinical education site or licensing board. Prior notification will be given to the students.
In signing your admission application to the Graduate College, please ensure that all information given on your applications Is complete and correct. Misrepresentation or omission of information on this application and credentials is cause for denial of admission to the Program.