Occupational Therapy

OTA admission and application

Admission requirements

Applicants to MU’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program are reviewed holistically. We take the time to get to know you as an individual through your application, not just a number on a score sheet. We are searching for applicants that possess personal attributes of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence, as well as the ability to perform essential functions fit for a career in occupational therapy. The admission committee reviews applications that contain the following:

  1. Application
    • Includes personal information, educational background, work and volunteer experience.
    • Start your application
  2. Prerequisite courses
    • Applicants must have all OT Department required prerequisite courses completed prior to starting the OTA program. Applications can be submitted with some prerequisite courses still in progress.
      • Sociology
      • Abnormal Psychology
      • Medical Terminology
      • General Biology with lab
      • Human Anatomy with lab
      • Human Physiology with lab
      • Human Development – must cover entire lifespan
      • Introductory Statistics
    • Applicants are highly encouraged to have as many, if not all, of the University of Missouri general education and Bachelor of Health Sciences requirements completed prior to starting the OTA program. Completion of these courses is required to graduate with your Bachelor of Health Science – OTA degree.
    • Prerequisite Course List
  3. GPA and transcripts
    • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is required for both application and to begin the professional phase of the program.
    • OT Department prerequisite courses must be completed with a C or better in each course.
    • Unofficial transcripts need to be submitted with the OTA application.
    • Official transcripts will be required upon acceptance into the program.
  4. Essay
    • 2-3 page essay that discusses why you are interested in becoming an occupational therapy assistant and your understanding of the occupational therapy profession.
  5. Potential interview
    • Applicants may be invited for an interview at any time during the admissions cycle.

Optional Occupational Therapy Observations: While our application requirements do not require observations to be completed, we still highly recommend observing occupational therapy in practice. There are numerous benefits to observing occupational therapy practitioners that will benefit you as an applicant and as a student within the program. This observation form is an option for applicants to document any occupational therapy-related experiences they obtain. This form can be uploaded into your application.

Admission cycle

The Department of Occupational Therapy will begin accepting application for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program on October 1 each year. Priority application deadline is February 1. Late application deadline is July 1. Each cohort of 44 accepted students will begin the OTA program in the Fall semester following the application cycle. The admission cycle closes on July 1, but due to the rolling admissions process used by the admissions committee, the program could potentially fill the 44 spots prior to the end of the cycle. Rolling admissions allows for early determination for exceptional applicants.

  • New completed applications will be reviewed each month beginning with the start of the admissions cycle.
  • Candidates may be considered from time of application until the end of the application cycle.
  • Applicants may be invited for interview at any time during the cycle.
  • Applicants will be notified of the initial status of their application within 45 days of their completed submission.

Prospective students are encouraged to read the MU OT Student Handbook thoroughly before enrolling to ensure that they can meet the requirements of an MUOTA Student. All University of Missouri Occupational Therapy Assistant students are required to read, acknowledge, and abide by the policies set forth in the Handbook. These include policies on essential functions, academic standards, professional behavior, background checks, drug screens, immunizations, BLS training, and insurance, among others. If you have questions about your ability to meet any of these requirements, please email us at muot@health.missouri.edu.