Occupational Therapy, OTD

Department of Occupational Therapy
Health Sciences 101
(216) 687-3567
https://health.csuohio.edu/occupational-therapy
Robin Chilton, Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate Program Director

Introduction

Occupational Therapy, which began in 1917, is a health field that focuses on individuals’ ability to do their everyday occupations in self-care, work, and leisure (such as dressing, homemaking, working, and recreating). Its goal is to help people achieve their own unique, desired lifestyles. It requires getting to know individuals personally, understanding their goals, and identifying creative ways to allow them to reach their desired levels of independence and productivity. This work is highly personal and creative. In addition to working directly with clients, occupational therapists often consult with others important to the client about adapting the client’s lifestyle or environment. Occupational Therapists also design programs for themselves or others to implement, they speak on behalf of clients and their families, and they participate in research.

Cleveland State University’s 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 www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program 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. 

Students must complete a minimum of 103 credits, which includes 24 weeks (940 hours) of full-time fieldwork and a doctoral capstone in order to be eligible to sit for the national certification examination and to apply for state licensure. To allow for continuity of academic and clinical learning, students must complete Level II fieldwork and capstone requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program unless they have written permission from the program director to extend the timeline.

The certifying body for occupational therapists is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) (www.nbcot.org).

Note: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure.

Faculty Research

The Occupational Therapy Program faculty has an outstanding record of research and publications.

Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of graduate assistantships may be available to full-time students for the second year of the Program. Assistantships are stipend only. Assistants may be involved in departmental projects or work with individual faculty on specific teaching endeavors. Contact the Department of Occupational Therapy at (216) 687-3567 or via e-mail at ot@csuohio.edu for more details.

Admission Information

Admission to the program is limited to 45 students each Fall. There are three pathways to be admitted into the program:

1. Regular Admission. Apply as a college senior or postbaccalaureate: Applications are available electronically through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS) on or around July 18th of the year prior to admission. All applications, transcripts, and other documents or test scores required to apply must be submitted electronically through OTCAS no later than October 15th of the year prior to admission.
2. Direct Admission As A College Freshman. Apply online to Cleveland State University by May 1 prior to year begin freshman year. Students should indicate interest in applying for direct admission as a freshman.
3. Direct Admission As A College Junior. Apply online to the Department of Occupational Therapy by October 15th of junior year (earned 60 credits toward undergraduate degree) and indicate interest in applying for direct admission.

Admission Criteria

Students must have:

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
2. An overall grade-point average of at least 3.0, or a score at the 50th percentile or above in each area of the GRE (test scores within 5 years will be accepted). Students whose overall grade point average is between 2.75 and below a 3.0 may also petition the program for reconsideration. They should contact the Department of Occupational Therapy for instructions.
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 in prerequisite courses, with at least one of the natural science prerequisites, and at least 4 of the 8 required courses (or their equivalent) completed prior to the application deadline.
4. Non-native English speakers must demonstrate proof of English-language proficiency. See Admission to the College of Graduate Studies for applicable policies and procedures.

Application Procedures

Students seeking regular admission must submit an application to the OTD Program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Process (OTCAS). Click here to begin application to the CSU OTD Program.

All transcripts, application fees, the program application including the program specific essay, official GRE Test scores if using to satisfy the overall GPA requirement, and other documents required to complete the OTCAS application must be submitted directly to OTCAS by the application deadline.

Once students are accepted into the OTD Program, the College of Graduate Studies will then consider the student’s application for final approval of admission to Cleveland State University.

Students must complete all 8 required prerequisite courses (or their equivalent) with a grade of C or better before they may begin the program.

Occupational therapists treat individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Our goal is to admit academically qualified students who embrace, respect, and represent individual differences. Our students should be able to interact effectively with those from diverse backgrounds, as represented in our local Cleveland community.

We encourage persons to apply who are Certified OT Assistants, veterans, dependents of veterans, and/or who qualify as meeting one or more of the economic or environmental Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) indicators identified on the OTCAS application.  Examples of HRSA indicators are that the applicant is economically disadvantaged, a first generation college student, a participant of an academic enrichment program funded by the Health Careers Opportunity Program, or their primary language is not English.

Although not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that applicants volunteer and/or work under the direct supervision of an occupational therapist in at least two areas of practice prior to enrollment in our program. 

Direct Admission for Undergraduates

Direct Admission as Freshman to the OTD Program with a major in health sciences pre-therapy - pre-OT track. Students typically have a high school grade point average of 3.25 or higher, or ACT score of 27, or SAT score of 1300 or higher

1. Apply online to Cleveland State University by May 1 prior to year begin freshman year. Students must indicate interest in applying for direct admission as a freshman into the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program.
2. Students will subsequently be prompted to submit the following supplemental materials:
   1. An application essay (prompt will be provided)
   2. Two letters of reference are required. Applicants are encouraged to seek letters from reviewers able to comment on the student’s ability to complete academic work in their major and who have completed activities (e.g., work, service, school related clubs) that involve interacting with diverse member within their communities.
3. Once admitted, students will need to develop a graduation plan from their academic advisor to assure timely completion of the bachelor of science in health sciences degree, pre-occupational therapy track.
4. Students must complete all undergraduate degree and prerequisites of the OTD program and meet admission requirements prior to matriculating into the OTD program.
5. Student must matriculate into the OTD program the fall semester following completion of their graduation plan.
6. We encourage students who have been accepted into CSU’s CHOOSE OHIO FIRST Scholarship Program or CSU’s Honor’s Program to apply. Applicants should submit proof of acceptance.

Direct Admission as a Junior. Once the student has earned 60 credits toward their undergraduate degree and are majoring in the bachelor of science in health sciences pre-occupational therapy track, general interest track, or in exercise science, they may apply for admission to the OTD program by October 15th of their junior year. Students must meet all of the following requirements:

1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in all college-level coursework from transferring institution (if applicable) and from CSU. If a student’s overall GPA is between 2.75 and below a 3.0, they may petition the program for reconsideration at the time of application. If accepted, they will be admitted provisionally into the graduate OTD program.
2. Completion of at least ONE of the science prerequisites with a grade of B or higher. Note that A&P I and II count as one science and will meet the Physiology prerequisite requirement.
3. Completion of most general education requirements by the end of the semester in which the student is applying.
4. A program specific application essay (prompt will be provided). 
5. Two letters of reference are required. Applicants are encouraged to seek letters from reviewers able to comment on the student’s ability to complete academic work in their major and who have completed activities (e.g., work, service, school related clubs) interacting with diverse members within their communities.
6. Completed graduation plan from their academic advisor that is submitted with their application with a major in Health Sciences Pre-Occupational Therapy Track, General Interest Track, or Exercise Science.
7. Students must complete all OTD program prerequisites prior to matriculating to the OTD program.
8. Student must matriculate into the OTD program the fall semester following completion of their graduation plan. If their overall GPA continues to be between 2.75 and below a 3.0 when they start the program, students will be admitted as provisional students into the College of Graduate Studies and the OT Program. This will require them to earn an overall GPA of 3.0 or above during the fall semester of the first year of the OTD program. If they do not meet this requirement, they will be automatically dismissed from the graduate program.
9. We encourage students who have earned an associate’s degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from an accredited program to apply.
10. We encourage students who have been accepted into CSU’s CHOOSE OHIO FIRST Scholarship Program, Honors Program, or the Mandel Continuing Scholars Program.

Students who are admitted into the OTD program as freshman or juniors must adhere to the agreed upon timeline for degree completion as declared in their graduation plans. They also must meet all the admissions requirements of the program upon completing their undergraduate degree from CSU as follows:

• Undergraduate Degree from CSU completed prior to fall of OTD program.
• OVERALL GPA OF 3.0 from all institutions attended unless provisionally accepted through the petition process.
• PREREQUISITE GPA OF 3.0

Required Prerequisites

Pathology (HSC 381, if taken at Cleveland State). Introduction to medical diagnosis and treatment, covering basic concepts and nomenclature of pathology, major diseases of body systems, epidemiology, biopsychosocial concepts, pharmacology, infectious disease, cellular injury, tissue repair, neoplasia, genetic disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, nervous system disorders, and psychiatric disorders.

Physiology with lab (HSC 422 and HSC 450 or BIO 422 and BIO 423 or BIO 266/267 and BIO 268/269, if taken at Cleveland State). Human physiology is recommended.

Human Anatomy (HSC 475 and HSC 457, if taken at Cleveland State). Human cadaver dissection or prosection is recommended. Please note that BIO 266/267 and BIO 268/269 (Anatomy and Physiology I and II) do not satisfy this prerequisite.

Neurosciences with lab (HSC 476 and 478, if taken at Cleveland State). Study of structure and function of human central and peripheral nervous systems, including vascular components and special senses. Please note that a Neuropsychology course does not satisfy this prerequisite.

Lifespan (PSY 223, if taken at Cleveland State). Examination of human development from infancy to old age.

Abnormal Psychology (PSY 345, if taken at Cleveland State). Survey of major psychological disorders and their classification, etiology, and management.

Social Science Statistics (PSY 317 or STA 347, if taken at Cleveland State). Content should include inferential statistics used in analyzing and interpreting data in the social sciences OR

Social Science Statistics (PSY 217 or STA 147 or STA 145, if taken at Cleveland State) and Research Methods (HSC 484, if taken at Cleveland State). Statistics content should include descriptive statistics in analyzing and interpreting data in social sciences and rules of probability. Research methods content should include examination of the methods of inquiry in health sciences, including quantitative and qualitative methods for gathering and analyzing data, and critiquing and interpreting research and theory, design, and basic statistics involved in survey and experimental research.

Medical Terminology (HSC 203, if taken at Cleveland State). Evidence of completion of medical terminology course or self-study.