Admissions

Requirements for admission to the MSOT Program

1. Applicants must have achieved a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average overall or
2. A minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA of the last 60 credits may be considered for a holistic approach. 
3. For more detailed prerequisite information please see below.

2. Prerequisites. Prerequisites include courses that are essential to a solid foundation in preparation for the rigorous academic demands of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. Prerequisites are detailed below and include the following: 

• Human Anatomy & Physiology
• Developmental Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Statistics
• Medical Terminology 

At the time of application, no more than two prerequisites may be in progress or pending but must be completed by the deadline listed on the OTCAS application. Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites may be taken at any U.S. accredited university or college (including community colleges and accredited online programs).
Note: All transcripts must be uploaded directly to OTCAS*.

3. Required Observations.  40 hours of observing is required.The number of reported health care experience hours will be considered during the applicant screening process. Observations should include at least two different service delivery settings (e.g., school, early intervention program, skilled nursing facility, community health center). Observations provide applicants with an understanding of the breadth and depth of the profession.

4. Letters of Reference.  Applicants must submit three evaluations (reference) as part of the OTCAS application. This documentation will go into the Supporting Information section of the OTCAS application under the section labeled "Evaluations". Evaluations are submitted electronically to OTCAS. It is recommended that applicants request at least one evaluation from a professor, supervisor, and any non-relative who can attest to your character.

5. Essays.  Applicants must also complete the Maverick Questionnaire and the Maverick Essay as part of the required Colorado Mesa OT Program Materials section as listed on OTCAS.

6. Connection to western Colorado We encourage applicants from a diversity of backgrounds and degree programs to apply. The MSOT admissions committee will favorably weigh applicants who have ties to Western Colorado and who intend to practice on the Western Slope. (Western Slope Counties: Archuleta, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, San Miguel, Saguache, and Summit.)

7. Technology Requirements. Students accepted into the program must be prepared with adequate technology for the in-class and online components of the program. Details are provided in the Admission Policy and Student Handbook.

8. Felony Conviction. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure. 

All Applications and supplementary materials are submitted through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application System found here: OTCAS.  This system allows you to input or upload all required documents to include your transcripts, Personal Statement, Observation/Shadowing hours and experiences, your Questionnaire and Essay, and allows you to identify your three references for your letters.  

Any questions related to the submission of transcripts should be directed to OTCAS at [email protected] or 617–612–2860.

The first application cycle opens in January and closes in June. The second application cycle opens in July and closes in November. Please keep in mind we will review applications as they are verified complete in OTCAS and offer admission on a rolling basis; so the earlier your application is complete, the earlier it will be reviewed and a decision made to offer you a seat in the next class. 

Interviewees will be notified of the admissions decisions via email within a month of the interview. Applicants that interview with the CMU MSOT program will be placed in one of three categories: Accept, Waitlist, and Not Accepted.

A $750 non-refundable payment is required to reserve the seat in the program at the time the offer is accepted. Instructions for payment will be provided with the acceptance letter. 

The Occupational Therapy Selection Committee will notify all applicants of their final status. If an applicant commits to another program, we request the professional courtesy of notifying the CMU OT program. 

Candidates offered a position will be required to complete the following prior to enrollment:

1. Immunization and Health Information documentation 
2. Current BLS for Health Care Providers or CPR/AED that includes Pediatric Certification & First Aid Certification
3. Valid Driver's License
4. Certified Background Check and Drug Screen
5. Official Transcripts submited to CMU for all coursework
6. AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) Learner Membership 
7. OTAC (Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado) Student Membership
8. Learner Liability Insurance 

• A minimum GPA of 2.0 (letter grade of C) is required for each prerequisite course.  
• Applicants may have two prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of submission; but all prerequisites must be completed by the December 31, prior to January matriculation. Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites may be taken at any U.S. accredited university or college (including community colleges and accredited online programs).
• Evidence of completion of a Bachelor's degree and all prerequisites must be submitted prior to the start of the program.
• Post-Baccalaureate prerequisite credits must be approved by the MSOT program in OTCAS.
• The MSOT program does not accept Advanced Placement, experiential learning, or work experience as credit for any required course. Post baccalaureate prerequisite credits must be approved by the MSOT program in OTCAS.

A minimum of 3.0 cumulative grade point average of the last 60 credits may be considered for a holistic approach.  If under a minimum of 2.7, there may be special considerations based on experience. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for each prerequisite course. 

Your official GPA will come from Official Transcripts and through the OTCAS calculations.

There are 40 hours of observing that is required.The number of reported health care experience hours will be considered during the applicant screening process. Observations should include at least two different service delivery settings (e.g., school, early intervention program, skilled nursing facility, community health center). Observations provide applicants with an understanding of the breadth and depth of the profession.

The MSOT Program does not provide a template for tracking observation hours. We recommend that you track your hours by recording the location, supervisor, contact information, your position, and a short description and the number of hours you completed at each location

The MSOT program partners with the Occupational Therapist Central Application Service (OTCAS). The CMU MSOT Program's OTCAS application cycle opens in January and closes in June. If the class is unfilled when the cycle closes in June, it will reopen in July for new applications. Please note, the OTCAS application cycle is open longer than the CMU application cycle, so please familiarize yourself with our specific close dates, which can be located on the Occupational Therapy Program homepage.   

The CMU MSOT program uses a rolling admissions process, which means applications are reviewed for interview offers as they are completed. The full OTCAS application with all additional documents as well as the CMU Graduate Admission Fee must all be submitted before an application will be reviewed.

Applicants must consider program deadlines carefully and start the application process early. Once an applicant has completed and submitted the OTCAS application, OTCAS will verify all information, which can take up to four weeks. Only after it is verified by OTCAS will the CMU MSOT Program evaluate an application for consideration of interview and/or admission to the program. This process may take an additional two weeks beyond the verification date. The OTCAS application cycle closes June 20th for our program. 

More information on OTCAS and the verification process can be found at: OTCAS Applicant Help Center

Yes, a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university must be completed by the end of the Fall Semester prior to matriculation. Degrees earned outside of the U.S. must be evaluated and accepted by a U.S. equivalency reporting agency as an equivalent degree from a foreign institution. 

All prerequisite courses must be from a Regionally Accredited US College or University. 

We highly recommend that all prerequisites are completed within the last five years. However, there is no time restriction or cutoff date for prerequisite course requirements*. All prerequisites must be successfully completed and transcripts for outstanding prerequisite coursework must be received by CMU no later than December 31 of the year prior to matriculation. 

The minimum credit hour requirement for each prerequisite are in semester credits. Coursework completed in quarter credits may be applied toward the prerequisite requirements but should be converted to semester credits to verify that the minimum requirements have been achieved.

Each quarter credit is equivalent to 0.667 semester credits.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring they have met the full semester credit requirement for each prerequisite.

International applicants with a degree earned outside the U.S. must meet the following criteria:

• Submit your foreign degree coursework to a U.S. based evaluation service for a course-by-course US equivalency report. This report should then be sent directly to OTCAS from the evaluation service. Click here to learn more about foreign evaluation vendors used by OTCAS. 
• All required prerequisite courses must be taken at a regionally accredited U.S. higher education institution and be verifiable through official transcripts.
• Applicants must communicate well in English as all course work is conducted in English.
• TOEFL Exam Score: Minimum of 550 on the paper-based exam; minimum of 80 on the internet-based exam