School Information

Health Sciences | Colleen Croxall, Ph.D., Director | 313 Marshall, 734.487.4096, ccroxall@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Sharon Holt, M.H.S., O.T.R.L., 260 Rackham, ot_intent_advising@emich.edu

Program Admission

The information below pertains to applicants applying for Winter 2021 admission, for previous criteria and process, please see Program Admission (Winter 2020) .

The Combined Occupational Therapy (COT) route of entry requires a two-phase process and a student cannot apply to EMU as a combined occupational therapy student until the requirements have been completed, reviewed by the occupational therapy faculty, and a request to join the program has been extended. Carefully review the criteria below to identify how you could apply to EMU to complete pre-admission coursework prior to submitting your application.

Admission Criteria

Applicants are assessed on a comprehensive assessment and interview of selected applicants, including the following criteria:

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of application. This GPA will be calculated from the last 60 semester/90 quarter units of coursework. It is the expectation that the average successful applicant has a GPA much higher than 3.0.
• Completion of all pre-admission coursework with a grade of “B-” or better. (See Pre-admission Coursework)
• Completion of the GRE revised General Test, or GRE General Test, within three years of application. No test is accepted as a substitute for the GRE. The test must be taken in enough time to ensure that scores are received, by the June 10th application deadline. EMU OT Program’s GRE Code is 4442. There is no minimum GRE score necessary to be considered for admission. However, average scores admitted to the program include a combined score of over 300 on the quantitative/verbal and 4.0 on the writing. For additional information regarding the GRE, including registration and accommodations, please visit www.ets.org.
• Three references. The ideal candidate will submit at least one professional and one academic reference. Select references who can provide insight into an applicant’s abilities, interpersonal skills, and qualities in the classroom, workplace, and community that would make them a good fit for EMU’s occupational therapy program.
• Observation/Volunteer Experience - A minimum of 20 total hours of volunteering or observation with occupational therapists in at least two different settings must be completed in the three years prior to the application deadline.
• Submission of supplemental information. The supplemental information section on OTCAS provides information on an applicant’s previous and current life experiences, including experiences, achievements, licenses and certifications.
• Interview. After a review of OTCAS applications, selected applicants will be contacted for an online interview. Additional information regarding the interview process can be found below.

Admission Process

The admission process has three components:

Additional Program Information

Program of Study
 - Occupational therapy advising for occupational therapy-intent students is performed by the OT intent advisor or the College of Health and Human Services Advising Center. All applicants should attend a group advising session with the OT intent advisor to discuss admission requirements. Upon acceptance into the occupational therapy program, students are assigned a faculty advisor.

Scholarships - The Occupational Therapy program offers a number of scholarships to students who are admitted to the program. Information is annually distributed from the OT program to students who are currently enrolled in the occupational therapy program. There are also a number of University scholarships available to students. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for information.

Fieldwork - All occupational therapy students must complete two Level II Fieldwork experiences within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program. Students have the right to request part-time or full-time fieldwork. Students who desire part-time fieldwork must make this request in writing to the fieldwork coordinator prior to placement arrangement.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) - The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) administers the national certification examination for occupational therapists in the United States. Upon successful completion of the academic and fieldwork requirements, graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist, administered by the NBCOT. After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All students must pass the NBCOT certification examination to practice in the profession of occupational therapy. In addition to passing the NBCOT certification examination, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Character background information is reviewed by NBCOT to determine a person’s ability to sit for the examination. If you have any potential impediments, such as a felony charge or conviction, charges of malpractice or willful intentional misconduct, we strongly recommend that you contact NBCOT at www.nbcot.org to determine your eligibility to sit for the national examination. Contact Information: NBCOT | 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100 | Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150 | 301.990.7979

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education  or print a worksheet .  

Undergraduate Major Requirements: 58-60 hours

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Undergraduate Degree Total:

For the undergraduate portion of this program, students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Graduate School Admission

If accepted to the program, students will process a Graduate School Application before enrolling in 600-level coursework (students are responsible for any deadlines related to financial aid).

1. Meet the Graduate School Admission Requirements (see Graduate Admissions)
2. Submit a Graduate School Application (emich.edu/graduate/apply). Transcripts submitted with OTCAS application are not shared with the Graduate School.
3. Pay $45 application fee.

Graduate Degree Requirements: 40 hours

The following courses are taken during the student’s professional year two

• OCTH 516 - Level I Community Fieldwork II  3 hrs 
• OCTH 517 - Level I Community Fieldwork III  3 hrs
• OCTH 519 - Programming II  6 hrs
• OCTH 588 - Fieldwork Level II: Clinical Skills  6 hrs
• OCTH 589 - Fieldwork Level II: Clinical Skills  6 hrs
• OCTH 600 - Supervision and Professional Roles  3 hrs
• OCTH 601 - Current Issues in Occupational Therapy  1 hr
• OCTH 619 - Programming III  6 hrs
• OCTH 686 - Culminating Project I  3 hrs
• OCTH 687 - Culminating Project II  3 hrs

Combined Program Total: 164 hours

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

• Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
• Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
• Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
• Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
• Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
• Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
• Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
• Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
• Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
  • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
• Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.