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OT Admissions Requirements

To be considered complete and eligible for review, an Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) application must be verified and all applicable documents must be submitted as indicated in OTCAS and received by the program deadline date. Please allow a few weeks for the OTCAS verification process.

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about the OTCAS application process

  1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally college or university prior to the start date of the program.
  2. Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
  3. Completion of prerequisite coursework.
  4. Submission of record of a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer or observation experience with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant prior to applying to the program. Experiences in community engaged service are also recommended.
  1. Submission of record of a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer or observation experience with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant prior to applying to the program. Experiences in community engaged service are also recommended.
  2. Three professional (work, academic, etc.) letters of recommendation
    Applicants will need to enter the name, title and email address of the individuals writing the recommendations in the evaluation section of the online application. The persons whom you select to recommend you will receive an email from OTCAS with a recommendation form to be completed online.
  3. Official transcript(s) from all post-secondary institutions attended
    Submit your official transcripts for each college or university attended directly to OTCAS for verification.
  4. Personal statement/essay

All data requested must be submitted for consideration for graduate admission to Iona University via OT Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

Verified, qualified applicants will be sent an interview invitation via email until April 2, or until the program is full. A personal interview is required as a part of the admissions process.

In addition to the general application requirements, international students must also submit the following:

  • Transcript evaluation by a NACES-approved evaluation that is compatible with OTCAS.
  • Official TOEFL (80 minimum) or IELTS (6.5 minimum) scores.
  • A copy of your visa, if you are already in the U.S., or documentation of sufficient financial support for at least one year of full-time study.

Evaluation Criteria and Selection of Applicants

Entry into the Graduate Occupational Therapy program is competitive. A number of factors are considered in selecting candidates including the balance of applicant experiences, attributes and academic performance.

We are basing our admission process on the EAM Model of holistic review (aamc.org). We will be considering each applicant’s experiences, attributes and academic metrics in a balanced way to consider how each person might contribute as an Iona occupational therapy student and as a future occupational therapist.

Students must complete the following prerequisite coursework with a grade of C+ or better prior to beginning the MS in Occupational Therapy program. Courses must have been completed within the last seven (7) years.

  • Anatomy and Physiology I (lab component required, 4 credits)
  • Anatomy and Physiology II (lab component required, 4 credits)
  • General Psychology (3 credits)
  • Lifespan Development (3 credits)
  • Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
  • Sociology or Anthropology (3 credits)
  • Statistics/Research Design in Behavioral or Health Sciences (3 credits)

These course may be taken at any regionally accredited community, public, or private college or university. Online courses at regionally accredited colleges are also acceptable for psychology, sociology, anthropology, or statistics courses. Anatomy and physiology courses must be taken in a classroom setting.

You may have up to three (3) prerequisite courses in process at the time of application to the program. If you are accepted into the program while currently enrolled in one to three (1-3) required prerequisite courses, you will be provisional accepted. The provisional acceptance will be changed to full acceptance once transcripts are received that confirm successful completion of outstanding prerequisite courses with a grade of C+ or better and an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

All students who are offered admission are required to have a criminal background check and receive child abuse clearance. Fieldwork sites that require a criminal background check, child abuse clearance, and/or fingerprinting may deny a student’s participation in a fieldwork experience because of a felony or misdemeanor conviction or a record of child abuse. Clinical sites may also deny participation in clinical experiences for other reasons such as a student failing a required drug test.

Persons who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be denied certification or licensure as occupational therapists. Potential students considering entering an occupational therapy educational program and who are concerned about legal issues in their background that may preclude their eligibility to sit for the occupational therapy certification exam, should use the NBCOT’s Early Determination Review Process to assess their eligibility.

To earn the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Iona University, students must:

  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more for all semesters of academic work. Students who earn a grade less than a B in any course will be placed on academic probation. Students who receive a grade of C or below in any course will be required to repeat that course. Students who receive more than one grade of C or below will be dismissed from the program. Any student who fails a Service-Learning/Fieldwork 1 placement will be placed on probation and will be required to repeat the rotation prior to beginning the next semester.
  2. Meet ethical standards and professional behavioral expectations as determined by faculty review and as outlined on the Professional Behavioral Plan
  3. Successfully complete all Level I/Service-Learning and Fieldwork II experiences
  4. Complete Level II fieldwork within 24 months after completion of the academic portion of the OT program. Students will receive the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy following completion of all academic and clinical requirements of the program.
  5. Have reliable internet access to engage in virtual classroom activities and to access email and competence in using Zoom video conferencing to successfully participate in two academic courses that are offered through distance education during students’ second Level II fieldwork experience. 

The Iona University Graduate OT program seeks well rounded, self-directed, engaged learners who embrace Iona University’s values of diversity and inclusion and who demonstrate the potential to improve the lives of persons across the lifespan through community engagement and service, excellence in occupational based practice and scholarship, entrepreneurship and innovation.