Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Occupational therapy is a growing field in the area of rehabilitation medicine.  Occupational therapists work with clients to promote their health and well-being through occupation with the goal of enabling clients to fully participate in activities of daily life.  Occupational therapists work in hospitals, out-patient clinics, nursing homes, school and private practices.

The UM-Flint Occupational Therapy program, leading to a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree, is a 110-credit program requiring 9 semesters (3 calendar years) completed on a full-time basis.  It includes didactic and laboratory coursework, fieldwork experiences, and a residency/capstone project.  Courses are offered on campus, with some taught in mixed mode using a flipped-classroom methodology.

Admissions

The OTD admissions process uses the OTCAS centralized application service.  The most competitive applicants demonstrate knowledge of the depth and breadth of the profession, as well as consistent academic performance, maturity, and values associated with health care professionals.

Admission requirements include:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall
• Completion of the following prerequisite courses at an accredited institution no more than 7 years* prior to application, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall, minimum GPA of 2.75 in science courses, and no grade lower than a C (2.0):
  • 4 credits in biology with laboratory, to exclude botany
  • 4 credits in physics with laboratory
  • 4 credits in human anatomy with laboratory**
  • 4 credits in human physiology with laboratory**
  • 3 credits in political science (American national government and politics)
  • 9 credits in psychology
  • 3 credits in statistics
  • 1 credit in medical terminology (in a letter-graded course)
  • 3 credits in biomechanics
  • 1 credit introduction to health careers

             *Prerequisite courses completed more than 7 years prior to application are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

             **If a 5-6 credit combination of anatomy and physiology class is taken, the course content must be reviewed.

• Current first aid and CPR (adult, child and infant) certification
• 60 or more hours of observation of occupational therapists in two or more types of clinical settings; 125 or more hours in four or more settings recommended
• Demonstration of computer and word processing competency to include, but not limited to, internet navigation, utilization of software and learning management systems (i.e., Blackboard), e-correspondence, and database exploration.

Applicants admitted to the OTD program must demonstrate that they possess the attributes necessary to succeed in a challenging curriculum as well as to perform in the practice of occupational therapy.  Essential and technical standards are the cognitive, emotional, behavioral and physical abilities required for satisfactory completion of the OTD curriculum and development of professional attributes required of all students at graduation.  While an applicant is not required to disclose the specifics of any disability, it is the applicant’s responsibility to request reasonable accommodation if he or she cannot demonstrate these essential and technical standards without accommodation.