Admission Criteria
Non-discriminatory Policy. The UW-Madison OT Program admission
practice does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity or expression,
religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry
or age.
Prerequisites for admission: All prospective students must meet
the University
of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School and the Occupational Therapy Program,
Kinesiology Department graduate admission requirements described below. However,
prospective students may apply and be accepted prior to completion of degree and
course prerequisites as long as these requirements are scheduled to be completed
prior to beginning the MSOT program in June. All other requirements must be received
before we will review an application (see link titled “Applying” for
specifics on non-course prerequisites).
General Requirements for Admission:
1. Baccalaureate degree (from an accredited school of higher education) completed
by time of summer of admission.
2. A 3.0 cumulative GPA on the last 60 semester credits of undergraduate course
work.
3. GRE scores (and TOEFL for foreign students) by time of application
4. Three letters of recommendation
5. Personal statement: A 500 (approximate) word essay which describes your related
skills, experiences, and reasons for desiring graduate studies in occupational therapy.
6. Observation: 40 hours of shadowing, observation, or volunteer service under supervision
of occupational therapy practitioners in at least 2 different settings with at least
two different populations. Completion of Therapeutic Science 100 Orientation to
Occupational Therapy course will count towards 10 hours of the minimum 40 hours
of observation required for admission to the program.
7. Successful completion of all prerequisite course work by time of summer admission
(must earn a grade of “C” or better in these courses):
A. Lifespan Development - infancy through late adulthood (6 credits):
Courses should address infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging issues
B. Abnormal Psychology or Behavioral Pathology (3 credits)
C. Statistics (3 credits)
D. Human Physiology (3-5 credits) - or preferably 8 credits of
Anatomy &
Physiology combined
E. Human Anatomy: Highly Recommenced but NOT required:
FAQs about Prerequisites Courses
1. Do all prerequisite courses have to be completed before applying?
No. Prerequisites must be successfully completed prior to beginning the program
in the summer. You may apply as early as November 1 prior to the summer that you
intend to start. Acceptance is provisional until the transcripts for all prerequisite
courses are received. You may not begin the summer anatomy classes until all admissions
materials have been submitted. This includes transcripts for prerequisites taken
in the spring prior to beginning the program.
2. What is an acceptable grade for prerequisite courses?
You must receive at least a “C” or above in all prerequisite courses,
or a “Pass” in a Pass/Fail course.
3. Which UW-Madison courses are accepted as prerequisites for the MSOT program?
Note: Applicants who have completed a 3 credit lifespan/human development course
(not available at UW-Madison) should complete a second 3 credit human development
course in either child or adult development.
Child Development, 3 credits
HDFS 362-Development of the Young Child, 3 cr
OR Ed Psych 320-Human Development in Infancy
and Early Childhood, 3 cr
OR Psych 560-Child Psychology, 3 cr
Adult Development, 3 credits.
HDFS 363-Development from Adolescence-Old Age, 3 cr
Abnormal Psychology, 3-6 credits
Psych 509-Abnormal Psych, 3 cr
OR: Psych 511-Neurosis, 3 cr AND Psych
512-Psychoses, 3 cr
OR: Independent Learning U820-461: Abnormal Psychology,
3 cr
Statistics, 3 credits
Complete any college-level statistics course, preferably a behavior sciences statistical
course such as psychology, sociology, or education such as Psych 210, Soc 360, Stats
201 or 301
Human Physiology, 3-5 credits:
Physiol 335 Human Physiology, 5 cr
Human Anatomy (Recommended but NOT required)
Anatomy 328: Human Anatomy, 3-4 cr.
4. Do you accept prerequisite courses from other UW System campuses or community
colleges not associated with the UW System?
Yes. We accept prerequisite courses from other all other accredited higher education
programs that are equivalent to the prerequisite courses here at UW-Madison. For
information on transfer of credits to UW-Madison from UW-System and Wisconsin technical
colleges, go to www.uwsa.edu/tis/index.html.
It is not necessary, however, for credits to “transfer” in the traditional
sense so do not be alarmed if the course you have taken does not fit perfectly into
this system.
5. How can I find out if one of the courses that I took is equivalent to one
of your prerequisites?
If the course has the same title and the same number of credits as those listed
as prerequisites, the course will be accepted. If the title is similar, or the content
appears the same, you may submit a completed “Course Equivalency Request Form.”
These forms are used to demonstrate that the course or courses that you have completed
are equivalent to one of the courses that we require. Click on the following to
print out the appropriate form:
Abnormal Psychology -
Course Equivalency Request form for:
Psych 509: Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
Download Form
Child Development (pick one) - Course Equivalency Request form
for:
HDFS 362: Development of the Young Child (3 credits)
Download Form
Ed Psych 320: Human Development in Infancy & Early Childhood (3 credits)
Download Form
Psych 560: Child Psychology (3 credits) Download
Form
Adult Development - Course Equivalency Request form for:
HDFS 363: Development from Adolescence to Old Age (3 credits)
Download Form
Physiology - Course Equivalency Request form for:
Physiol 335 Human Physiology (5 Credits) Download
Form
6. Can I find out if one of the courses I have taken that is similar to one
of your prerequisites will be accepted as equivalent before I apply?
You may complete a course “Course Equivalency Request Form” and submit
it along with the other paperwork listed on the form to the Admissions Coordinator
for review. Courses will NOT be reviewed without this documentation.
7. You require 3 credits of statistics. Will any 3 credit college-level
statistics course be accepted?
Yes. However, it is recommended that you take a behavioral sciences statistical
course such as psychology, sociology, education, etc.
8. You require 3 credits of abnormal psychology. Can any other course
or combination of courses be substituted for this prerequisite?
Perhaps. You will need to fill out a “Course Equivalency Request Form”
and submit it along with the necessary documents for a determination to be made.
However, we have already approved a combination of the UW-Madison courses or equivalents
of the following: Psych 511 - Neurosis (3 cr) AND Psych 512 - Psychoses (3 cr).
9. You require 6 credits in lifespan development. What are some acceptable
ways to fulfill this prerequisite?
A. If you are a UW-Madison student, you may take 3 credits of adult development
(HDFS 363-Development from Adolescence to Old Age) in addition to ONE of
the following child development courses:
HDFS 362-Development of the Young Child, 3 cr
OR Ed Psych 320-Human Development in Infancy and Early Childhood, 3 cr
OR Psych 560-Child Psychology, 3 cr
B. A 3 credit “human development” course that deals with issues from
birth to old age may be augmented by another 3 credit human development course that
concentrates on any of the following:
infant and child development
OR adolescence and early adulthood
OR middle and late adulthood
OR gerontology
10. You require 3 to 5 credits of human physiology. Are there any other ways
of fulling this requirement?
Yes. You may take 5 to 8 credits of human anatomy and physiology combined. Actually,
this is preferred over the 5 credit physiology course, although the UW-Madison does
not offer this option.
The Madison Area Technical College (MATC) combined Anatomy and Physiology (A&P)
course is a 2 semester experience. These courses are numbered A&P 207 and A&P
208, both are 4 credits each and they both include labs. These courses do fulfill
the physiology requirement for our program. However, these courses fill up quickly
and you need to apply early.
11. Why do you strongly suggest that applicants take anatomy when it
is not really an “official” prerequisite for your MSOT program?
The MSOT program begins with the rigorous anatomy course that is taught to both
occupational therapy and physical therapy students in the summer. All of the physical
therapy students that take anatomy with our OT students are required to have a prerequisite
in anatomy. Therefore, OT students are at a disadvantage if they have not taken
anatomy prior to beginning our program. All have passed so far, but the amount of
studying required is intense in comparison to other students who are already familiar
with the subject.
At the UW-Madison, Human Anatomy 328 is offered only during the spring semester.
The timetable indicates that nursing and medical students are given priority, but
there should be some slots available for pre-occupational therapy students as well.
See #4 above for information on MATC’s anatomy and physiology courses.
12. Does UW-Madison offer any distance education for prerequisites?
Yes.
The UW independent learning class listed as U820-461 Abnormal Psychology for 3 credits
WILL be accepted as a prerequisite for our MSOT program.
The following UW distance education courses are accepted for the lifespan human
development prerequisite. If you have difficulty accessing information on the following
links, please contact this program directly.
Offered through the School of Human Ecology, Human Development & Family Studies
at UW-Madison 608-263-2381, e-mail: hdfs@mailsohe.wisc.edu.
Please go to
http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/webadmin/FileDownload.asp?FileName=53908 to see
descriptions of courses.
(HDFS) 362: Development of the Young Child
(HDFS) 363: Human Development from Adolescence to Old Age
You can access the Independent Learning course catalog online at
http://learn.wisconsin.edu/catframe.asp.