Welcome to the Admissions Page for the UTC Occupational Therapy Program
The application cycle for Fall 2013 is now closed.
*** The admission cycle for Fall 2014 will be open in September 2013 ***
Program Admissions
Our program accepts 24 students per academic year. Due to the sequential nature of the curriculum, matriculation to the OTD degree program occurs FALL SEMESTER START ONLY. The OTD program admits students for one admission cycle only. Applicants who request deferred admission must reapply and compete with the new applicant pool.
Admission Criteria:
The admissions committee considers the following requirements essential in determining a candidate’s potential for success in the program. To be considered for acceptance into the OTD program, a candidate must:
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA). Degrees in progress will be considered. Official college transcripts are required. Degrees from foreign institutions must be independently evaluated for equivalence to the U.S. baccalaureate, including determination of a U.S. converted.
- Applicants must complete a UTC Graduate School Application. Submit the Graduate School
application and $30 application fee to UTC at the following website:
https://ssb.utc.edu/cbanpr/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon
- Submit the official results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), general test, within the past 5 years, which demonstrates a minimum mean percentile of 53% on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections (or a combined score of 305). A minimum of 3.5 is required on the analytical writing measure. All three areas must be completed. It is essential that the applicant determine the appropriate time to take the GRE so that he official results are received in a timely manner. GRE information can be obtained by calling 866-473-4373 or 609-771-7670 or visiting the GRE website at http://www.gre.org. The UTC school code for the GRE is 1831.
- Show completion of, or a plan for completing, the following prerequisites at the College level with a grade of C or better. Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting the program NOT prior to application.
- General Biology (8 semester hours)*
- General Chemistry (4 semester hours)*
- Physics (4 semester hours)*
- Human Anatomy & Physiology (8 semester hours)*
- Introduction to Psychology (3 semester hours)
- Lifespan Human Development or Developmental Psychology (3 semester hours)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 semester hours)
- Statistics (3 semester hours)
- Sociology or Anthropology (3 semester hours)
- Medical Terminology Competence (2 or 3 semester hours)
* - These courses must have been completed within the last 7 years.
- Official transcripts showing prerequisite completion will be required prior to program matriculation.
- Submit 3 letters of recommendation, each from a person with authority regarding your work and accessing your qualification for graduate education, ability to complete graduate work, and your qualifications for a professional scholarly career. These may include professors, therapists, and/or other professionals familiar with your capabilities and achievements. One must be from an occupational therapist.
- Submit an essay describing your interests and skills, goals and professional accomplishments, including why you are choosing a graduate degree and your current understanding of the profession of Occupational Therapy.
- Essential Functions: Occupational Therapy students must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodations, each of these essential functions in order to fully participate in our program (including clinical experiences) and successfully complete the requirements for a doctorate degree in occupational therapy. Applicants are asked to certify that they are able to complete each of these essential functions as an OT student with or without reasonable accommodations.
Criminal Background Checks
The OT Department requires criminal background checks and/or drug tests for all enrolled students, in order to verify an individual’s suitability to participate in experiential education rotations and to ensure patient safety.
Thank you for your interest in the OTD program at UTC. Below is the application form that you will need to complete and submit to the UTC Graduate School. The admissions process is a two stage process as described below. You must first apply to the graduate school and then to the Occupational Therapy doctoral program.
Application Packet
(please read and carefully fill out all the requested information fields)
Please submit the above to:
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
The Graduate School, Department 5305
Chattanooga, TN 37403
