Pre-Occupational Therapy
Click on the categories below to learn more about the pre-occupational therapy track at UCCS, testing requirements, and experiential learning opportunities in the industry.
IMPORTANT: UCCS does not have an occupational therapy program. Pre-Occupational Therapy Prep is not a major or a minor, but a listing of prerequisite courses and recommendations needed to be eligible for admission into CSU’s College of Health and Human Services in Ft. Collins, CO.
A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 120 credits from an accredited college or university is required to be completed prior to matriculation to the program.
Other programs may have different requirements. Students should check admissions requirements for all schools to which they plan to apply. Completion of prerequisite coursework does not guarantee acceptance into any professional degree.
Application Information for the CSU College of Health and Human Services, including contact information, application materials, deadlines, and testing, can be found at:http://www.ot.chhs.colostate.edu/students/professional.aspx.
Click Here to access the Program Catalog for the Pre-Occupational Therapy Track Information
After completing your graduate-level occupational therapy program, you must pass the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam in order to become certified as an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists are required to complete continuing education credits each year to keep their license current.
Some but not all OT programs may require the GRE.
You will need to be able to answer the question: Why Occupational Therapy?
Application Process:
OTCAS: The Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) simplifies the process of applying to occupational therapy programs. You start by selecting the programs you wish to apply to, then you submit one application that includes all necessary materials. Once received by OTCAS, your application and materials go through a verification process before being transmitted to all of your selected programs.
What you will need to provide in the application:
Personal History
Academic History (manually input coursework)
Letters of Recommendation
Experiences
Personal Statement
Licenses/Certifications if applicable
Observation Hours
Achievements if applicable
Official Transcripts from all institutions
Official Test Scores if required
Shadowing and Observation hours of a certified Occupational Therapist is typically considered required for applying to OT programs.
It is important to journal your shadowing experiences, impactful observations, outcomes etc. You will have to write about these experiences in your application. This indicates to the admissions committees that you understand what the role of an OT entails and that you are sure this is the profession you want to pursue.
Other considerations that can help in boosting your application:
Work Experience-any industry, OTA experience, Volunteer/Community Service, Other healthcare experiences or shadowing, Research, Tutoring/Teaching Assistant, Student Engagement- student orgs and clubs.
Occupational therapy services typically include:
an evaluation made just for you that that lets us know your history, life experiences, and your interests. We call this your occupational profile, and it tells us what values and activities are important to you during this conversation.
an intervention plan that is unique to you to improve your ability to perform daily activities and reach your goals,
and an outcomes evaluation to make sure that the goals you set with your occupational therapy practitioner are being met.
The broad range of occupations is categorized in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4) as activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, health management, rest and sleep, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation.
Specializations:
Gerontology
Mental health
Pediatrics
Physical rehabilitation
Occupational therapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, offices and clinics, school systems, nursing homes, and home health agencies. They typically work 40 plus-hour weeks during daytime hours, including some weekends and holidays. Occupational therapists work most of their hours on their feet while treating their patients.