Applicants to the Entry-Level Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy must have completed at a minimum 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree, with a minimum of 15 credit hours of upper-level course work (courses at the 300 or 400 level), and have completed all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.
Entrance Criteria Policy Statement
Applicants are offered admission based on consideration of their qualifications using a standard review process. This is the sole basis for selecting applicants for the Entry-Level Master’s Degree Program in Occupational Therapy. Other influences, whether administrative, legislative, or personal, are not considered a valid basis for preferential treatment of any applicant.
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I. Academic Admissions Criteria: |
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A. Grade Point Average: A 2.70 GPA for all completed
college course work and a 3.00 GPA on the prerequisite courses completed are the minimum requirements. There is no
rounding on these GPAs. |
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B. Standardized Test Scores: The Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) Aptitude Test (3 parts) is required. Send the official score report (current within 5 years) by the
application deadline to Lawrencine Smith, Department of Occupational Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University,
P.O. Box 980008, Richmond, VA 23298-0008. Information about the GRE can be found at the Educational Testing
Service website at – www.ets.org/gre/. We suggest that you
review before taking the GRE. There are classes and materials available. An acceptance decision cannot be made
without receipt of GRE scores. So register early to ensure that scores are received in the OT Department by the
application deadline of January 15th. |
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II. Professional Admissions Criteria: |
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A. Volunteer/Work Experience: (work or volunteer hours must be
completed prior to the application deadline of January 15, 2010.) |
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Supervised by an occupational therapy practitioner (e.g. an
OTR or COTA). These required 60 hours must be in two different settings; one setting with adults and one
setting with children. We do not require that the hours be divided equally between settings. Sixty hours is
the minimum requirement. Additional volunteer hours should be recorded and will be considered in the
overall assessment of the application. |
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Related Hours: In order to guide us in evaluating the
overall quality of your application, please list all work or volunteer experience in other areas working with
people with disabilities, special needs, international and community service. |
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B. References: Three references are required and you must
use the available at www.graduate.vcu.edu/pdfs/reference.pdf.
These references should attest to your academic skills, ability to complete graduate study, general work
skills, and personal qualities desirable for one to be a competent occupational therapist. Thoughtfully select
these people and encourage them to comment on these areas. It is highly recommended that no personal references be
submitted. The objectivity of personal references is highly scrutinized. If you are now or have recently
been a student you should request one reference from a professor who knows you well. If you have been
employed, one reference should be from your employer. Other references can be from faculty, employers,
occupational therapists, or others qualified to comment on your potential for successful graduate study in
occupational therapy. If an occupational therapist or other health care provider can provide a knowledgeable,
informed, and descriptive recommendation of your character and work-related knowledge, skills, and abilities,
then this is highly recommended. If an OT does not know you well enough to complete the reference form
sufficiently, it is wiser to select another choice to write the reference. (Letters of support are useful
but the most important section is the checklist on the front page of the Reference Form. In order to give
credit for a reference this form must be completed.) Have your references returned to you, sealed and signed
by the reference across the seal. You will send all 3 envelopes along with your supplemental application to
the O.T. Department, Virginia Commonwealth University at P.O. Box 980008, Richmond, VA 23298-0008, c/o
Lawrencine Smith, Program Manager. This process will assure you that all three of your letters have been
received by the Department. When letters of recommendation are sent separately applicants are unaware of
missing letters. |
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C. Transcripts: Official transcripts are required from
each community college, four year college or university you have attended. It is recommended that you send
sealed official transcripts in the same packet with your 3 letters of recommendation. Please send all official
transcript(s) directly to: Lawrencine Smith, Program Manager Department of Occupational Therapy, Virginia
Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980008, Richmond, VA 23298-0008. As soon as Fall and Spring grades are
posted, please send these transcripts as well. |
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D. Essay: This is a personal statement of your professional
and educational preparation for O.T. Graduate Study. This essay must not exceed two pages. The essay is a
very important aspect of your overall application and considered very seriously in the
review process so be sure to give it sufficient time and energy. For information on what should be included
in this essay please see the instructions listed under the Application for OT, Part 3. |
Early Decision Option
Students with strong academic credentials, for whom VCU is their top choice for OT education, may request admission
through the "Early Decision Option." The Early Decision Option provides an opportunity for top applicants to apply
and be granted admission to the Occupational Therapy Program prior to the general pool of applicants.
In order to be considered, the applicant must have an overall grade point average of 3.50 on college course work,
a 3.50 grade point average on all pre-requisites taken, scores of at least 450 on the GRE Verbal test and 500 on
the Quantitative test, and at least 4.0 on the Analytical Writing test.
The application process is identical to the Entry-level Occupational Therapy admissions process. All requirements
for volunteer hours will need to be completed prior to submitting your application. Early Decision applications
will be accepted from June 15 to September 15. By mid-October, applicants will receive admission decisions.
Acceptance will be contingent upon completing all pre-requisites before O.T. classes begin in June of the year of
admission. Applicants also will have to maintain the minimum 3.0 GPA during the remainder of undergraduate
coursework and prerequisites.
If accepted in the Early Decision Option, it is expected that the applicant will agree to enroll at VCU. The
applicant would either agree to not apply or withdraw applications to all other O.T. Programs.
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