Pre-Occupational Therapy - NMU Bulletin

Advising for students interested in the pre-occupational therapy program is done by Scott Drum, Ph.D., in the School of Health and Human Performance, 906-227-2195; email: sdrum@nmu.edu.

Students interested in a career in occupational therapy (OT) will need to complete graduate studies in occupational therapy after completing a baccalaureate degree program at NMU. Occupational therapy students must complete either an entry-level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) or an entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree program before they can become a licensed occupational therapist. Note, hereafter, MSOT and OTD programs will collectively be termed *OT*. It’s up to individual students to apply to OT schools of their choice - whether a school infers a Master’s or Doctorate degree at this time does not affect becoming a licensed OT.

While students may enroll in any baccalaureate degree program at NMU, there are specific prerequisite requirements for admission into OT programs. Generally, these prerequisites include coursework in biology, chemistry, statistics, physics, psychology, and neuroscience. At NMU, the pre-occupational therapy adviser works with students to understand the specific requirements of the various OT programs around the country and helps students tailor their baccalaureate degree with the appropriate prerequisite courses. Because of the overlap between OT program prerequisites and the NMU baccalaureate degrees in Sports Science, Biology, or Psychology many students choose one of these majors.

An undergraduate education at NMU provides students with the level of rigor required for admission into an OT program.

In general, the following coursework at NMU is suggested to cover most pre-requisites for entrance into OT programs. However, we suggest that each pre-OT student research their chosen school(s) as needed and create a list of potential pre-requisite courses that can be taken as electives or to fulfill the Cluster Minor if part of the Sports Science major.

*What is the difference between an entry-level master's and an entry-level doctoral degree in occupational therapy?

Both degree levels are currently routes of entry to the profession, prepare graduates to be entry-level practitioners, and are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE©). The doctoral degree offers additional semesters of study focusing on clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. Both degree levels require Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences. In addition, doctoral students must also complete an experiential component (16 weeks) and culminating project. (From the American Occupational Therapy Association)

For department information or additional degree requirements, click here

For information and pre-requisite coursework related to OT programs in the U.S., click here.

For department information or additional degree requirements, go to the Pre-Professional Programs department page.

For related information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapists.htm

Bulletin Year: 2022 - 2023 Undergraduate Bulletin