Admissions

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Doctor of Occupational Therapy: Entry Level program is designed to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to transform our nation’s health and education systems, and address the needs of diverse communities.

This clinical doctorate program is designed specifically for entry-level graduate students. The program includes the fundamentals of occupational therapy as well as courses on excellence in clinical practice, wellness, leadership, and the development and application of evidence in occupational therapy.

Our mission is to train highly skilled occupational therapists to become visionary leaders and advocates in interprofessional practice. You will be guided towards creating a personalized professional learning plan, which will culminate in a capstone experience and an individual project.

Non-Discriminatory Policy

UW-Madison OT Program admissions do not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or age.

Baccalaureate Level/ Bachelor’s Degree

• The UW Graduate School’s admission requirements include a bachelor’s (or comparable) undergraduate degree. The undergraduate degree will need to be from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• The undergrad degree must be completed by the time you start classes in the OT Program. All OT offers of admission are, however, provisional until final undergraduate degree and grades are reviewed and accepted and UW OT conducts a Criminal Background Investigation with acceptable results.
• Undergraduate degree can be in any major. Prospective applicants may find it helpful to review the Prerequisite Coursework below. Some common undergraduate majors of past OT students include Psychology, Biology, Rehabilitation Psychology, Human Development, Kinesiology, Sociology and Public Health.

Transcripts

• The UW OT admissions evaluation will be done using transcript data that applicants submit via OTCAS. When applicants are first applying, UW OT does not need to receive printed transcripts. Please do, send your transcript(s) to OTCAS.
• Applicants who are selected for (and who accept) an offer of admission to OT will then need to submit an official transcript to UW-Madison.
• If the transcript submitted at the time of admission shows a Baccalaureate degree that is still in-progress, then another transcript will be required when the degree has been awarded.

Minimum GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.0

• The UW Graduate School admits students based on the GPA for approximately the last 60 credits of the Bachelor’s Degree. The UW Graduate School minimum GPA is 3.0, although the OT Program may request a GPA waiver for an applicant whose qualitative factors are felt to be particularly strong. If your last-60-credit GPA seems likely to be under 3.0, you might wish to communicate with the OT Admissions Coordinator about your circumstances.
• The Grad School’s GPA evaluation, to establish its GPA minimum, normally won’t consider courses beyond the completion of the Bachelor’s Degree. In certain cases, though, an advanced degree might be relevant.

Prerequisite Courses

• Several foundational courses, regardless of undergraduate major, are required for UW OT admission. Be sure that you carefully read and understand the Prerequisite Coursework.
  • Equivalent courses from other accredited institutions of higher education are generally acceptable to meet prerequisites.
  • If you are in doubt about our prerequisites, or about whether your courses meet them, you may contact the UW OT Admissions Coordinator.

Standardized Tests (if applicable)

• The GRE is not required.
• Non-native English speakers must take the TOEFL (minimum score of 92), the MELAB (minimum score of 82), or IELTS (minimum score of 7.0) exam. This requirement is waived for students who have studied for at least 2 semesters in the US or if English was the language of instruction for their undergraduate degree. For score reporting, use UW–Madison institution code 1846.

Letters of Recommendation

• Three letters of recommendation are required.
  • An academic reference is encouraged. Consider asking a professor, an academic advisor, a supervisor, or an occupational therapy practitioner for a recommendation. The person should know you well enough to address whether and how you display the following qualities: leadership skills, maturity, responsibility, skill in communicating, and interpersonal skills.
• Standard submission of letters of recommendation is electronic (online) via OTCAS.

Statement of Purpose/Reasons for Graduate Study

• Length of the statement: 7,500 characters, including spaces
• Statement allows the prospective applicant the opportunity to highlight experiences, related skills, and personal attributes which make them an exceptional candidate for the field of occupational therapy.
• As the Statement of Purpose is one of the most important components of the application, a prospective applicant is encouraged to review it prior to submission. The UW-Madison Writing Center is a possible resource for UW-Madison students.
• The Statement itself should be the applicant’s own work.
• Submission of the Statement of Purpose is via OTCAS.

OT Experiential Requirement

• Have observational, paid, or volunteer experience in a least two different settings serving persons across the lifespan with physical, cognitive or behavioral conditions (direct observation of occupational therapy practice is highly recommended).
• Minimum of two different practice settings with at least two different populations.
  • Examples of practice settings include: Inpatient/ Acute/ Outpatient Hospitals; Outpatient Clinics; Skilled Nursing Facilities; Schools; Mental Health Facilities; Community-Based Practices; and Industrial Rehabilitation.
  • Examples of populations include Pediatric, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric.
• Optional options for 10 hours of OT Observation:
  • Introduction to Occupational Therapy Course (for example: O.T. 100 at UW-Madison). A course of this type may count as 10 hours of OT observation, but it does not count as a “setting” for the Experiential Requirement.
  • OT Observational Experience Course. This virtual 10-hour course is self-paced and gives you the insight and information to learn about a career in occupational therapy. You’ll also learn how to apply to the ELOTD.

Seeking further information? Please contact the UW-Madison OT Program Admissions Coordinator with any questions.

ACCREDITATION DISCLOSURE

The UW–Madison entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program Is accredited 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 acoteonline.org. As an accredited program, graduates 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 in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.