Division of Occupational Therapy

Prerequisites

Below is a list of prerequisites for the Occupational Therapy Program. The list does not represent every class that might fill the prerequisite. The information is subject to change without written notice or obligation. Students are urged to make contact, at least once a year, with the Academic Advisor.

Course Prerequisites 

The coursework or approved equivalent coursework must be taken for a grade, unless otherwise noted. Courses with an asterisk (*) must be completed by or before the Fall Semester prior to the January application deadline.

Any coursework with a grade below "C" will not be considered toward fulfillment of the program's prerequisites. Applicants must have a prerequisite cumulative of at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA.

In addition to a 3.0 prerequisite GPA, applicants must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA of all of their university coursework.

  • Human Anatomy with lab* - one course taken within the past 5 years
  • Human Physiology* - one course
    Note:  Applicants must have either Human Anatomy or Human Physiology.
  • Human Growth and Development through the Lifespan or Developmental Psychology through the Lifespan* - one course or the equivalent. 
  • Physics* - one course in general physics (Course must include mechanics, kinematics and motion.) 
  • Advanced First Aid* - one course in advanced first aid or EMT training. This course need not be taken for a grade.  The course must cover adult, child and infant CPR, choking and one and two person CPR. Current CPR certification required at the time of application.
  • Anthropology - one course
  • Abnormal Psychology - one course
  • Sociology or Health Ed or Special Ed or Gerontology - one course from one of these areas. First Aid/CPR and personal health courses will not fill this requirement.
  • Statistics - one course
  • Technical Writing - one course (must be upper division) or lower division technical writing AND an upper division writing intensive class
  • Medical Terminology - one course.

The following class needs to be completed by the end of spring semester of the year of application but does not need to be taken for a grade. Proof of completion is required.

  • Studio Arts Course - one course in an area of arts or crafts. Art history, music or dance classes or survey classes will not count as fulfilling this prerequisite.
  • Recommended (not required) - Kinesiology or Biomechanics - one course

Applicants must be able to demonstrate strong word processing ability and functional internet use.

All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of spring term.

Suggested Classes for The U and Other Utah Universities 

Suggested classes for the University of Utah and other selected universities within Utah, including:

  • BYU, BYU-Idaho, CEU, Dixie, SLCC, Snow, SUU, UofU, USU, UVSC, Weber, Westminster

For institutions outside of Utah, please contact the Academic Advisor.

Fieldwork Prerequisites

Failure to pass requirements imposed by fieldwork sites and the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) may negatively effect student eligibility for fieldwork placements and to sit for the national certification exam. Requirements include, but are not limited to the following: criminal background checks, drug screening, and health/immunization requirements.

Required tests

Contact Hours with an Occupational Therapy Professional

As a part of the application process students will be required to document a minimum of 50 hours contact with a certified occupational therapist (OTR). It is required that the student observes, works or volunteers in at least two different settings. The second observation may be as few as 8 hours and counts toward the 50 hour minimum

Students taking OCTH 3000 Introduction to Occupational Therapy (through the U of U, Division of Occupational Therapy) with a B grade or higher, will be able to waive 25 of the 50 hours and will then be required to have contact with one setting other than the class. Students completing an Introduction to OT course, with a B grade or higher, at another institution may waive 15 hours and will only need one additional site.