Competitive Admission | Master of Occupational Therapy

Competitive applicants are those who are Carroll students without Direct Admission status or those who have completed a degree at an institution other than Carroll University. Competitive applicants submit documents via the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). The OTCAS application opens for each cycle mid-July. The priority application deadline is January 15th. Early application is encouraged as seats are filled on a rolling basis.

Application Process

STEP 1: Complete the OTCAS Application to Carroll which includes the following:

  • Personal Statement
  • Supplemental Essays
  • Three Professional References - Suggested authors include a college instructor, a supervisor and an occupational therapist
  • Evidence of exploration of the occupational therapy profession - Volunteering, observations, internships and/or work experience within a setting where occupational therapy services are conducted
    • No specific form of documentation is required
    • 20 hours of OT-specific observation are highly recommended
    • All healthcare exposure will be reviewed
    • Optional: Complete the Occupational Therapy Online Shadowing Experience. Password: LucasQU (case sensitive)
    • Optional: Completion of the Simucase OT observation experience
  • Pending Coursework – no more than two courses can be pending at the time of application
  • Community Service - highly suggested

STEP 2: Submit all official transcripts to OTCAS from any institution where credit was obtained

STEP 3: Submit OTCAS Application for verification. Please allow 4-6 weeks for verification. A Verified OTCAS Application is required for review. Early application is encouraged.

Academic Requirements

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution - The program neither requires nor recommends the degree be earned in any particular major. Liberal arts majors are encouraged to apply.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
  • *Pre-Professional GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
Pre-professional coursework must be completed with a "C" or higher prior to matriculation. Note that a "C-" will not be accepted.
  • AP courses are accepted for sociology and statistics if listed on a university transcript.
  • Candidates are strongly encouraged to have only one pre-professional course repeated.
  • Anatomy and Physiology courses need to have been completed within five years, three years preferred.
  • Courses identified with an asterisk are used to calculate the pre-professional GPA (see the Carroll University catalog for course descriptions).
    • *Anatomy & Physiology I w/lab (ANP130)
    • *Anatomy & Physiology II w/lab (ANP140)
    • *Abnormal Psychology (PSY201)
    • *Lifespan Development (PSY221)
    • *Medical Terminology (HCA100)
    • *Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, or Social Psychology (SOC101, SOC110, or PSY303)
    • Statistics (CMP112)
    • Physics I w/lab (PHY101), or Kinesiology w/lab (ESC322) (recommended)
    • Chemistry I w/lab (CHE101) (recommended)

Attributes of Competitive Candidates

  • Strong performance in anatomy and physiology coursework
  • Strong commitment to community service
  • Average cumulative and prerequisite GPA of 3.5 or higher

Other Admission Information

  • Students need not have received their bachelor's degree from Carroll University, but those who do will receive a calculated advantage in the admission process
  • The Carroll University MOT program does not accept transfer students or transfer credits for any required courses in occupational therapy. Students accepted into the program must complete all required occupational therapy courses. Advanced placement is not granted for any reason, including prior academic studies or professional experience.

Matriculation Requirements

Admitted students are asked to respond to their offer of admission within 10 days of notification. A $500 non-refundable seat deposit is required.

Admitted students must submit official college transcripts from the institution where their undergraduate degree was earned as well as any institution where outstanding prerequisites are being completed directly to Carroll University prior to matriculation.

Admitted students are required to have a completed health screening, updated immunizations and tuberculosis screening according to current Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for health professionals, background investigation and drug screening prior to matriculation.

As part of a comprehensive health science education curriculum, students participate in various clinical education or experiential learning experiences. Carroll-operated health and wellness clinics require standard vaccinations for students in training. These requirements are consistent with CDC recommendations for healthcare providers and are subject to an approved medical/religious exemption. Currently, the Covid-19 vaccine is not required in Carroll operated health and wellness clinics. Similarly, students placed in external healthcare sites will likely have these same or unique requirements. Students must comply with host site vaccination policies, most of which follow CDC Healthcare Provider recommendations, these may include the Covid-19 vaccine. Individual sites may have their own exemption processes for vaccination, defer exemption screening to the University, or may not include an exemption option.

Admitted students must BLS and AED certified. This certification course is also known as BLS for Health Care Providers. BLS certification must be procured through the American Heart Association from a qualified and approved provider. Please note that BLS certification is NOT the same as CPR certification, as the BLS certification includes both a CPR and AED component. CPR certification will not be accepted as a substitute.

Admitted students must be first aid certified. This can be completed via an online module from American Red Cross, American Care Association or American Heart Association.

International Applicants

International applicants and those who graduated from a non-US college or university must complete the following in addition to the above:

  • Documented completion of baccalaureate degree from accredited institution or equivalent via an international credit evaluation must be sent directly to OTCAS
  • Official English Language Score Report must sent directly to Carroll University for those who graduated from a non-US college or university. The following exams and scores will be accepted:
  • Documentation needed to issue I-20

Please also see the International Graduate Admission for more information.

Admission Questions

For questions regarding the application process contact:

Alexis Baynard
Admission Counselor for Graduate Studies
Phone: 262.524.7225
Email: otinfo@carrollu.edu
Schedule a 1:1 Meeting: Bookings Link

The MOT program considers all qualified applicants without discrimination regardless of race, color, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origin, or handicap that does not interfere with the performance of occupational therapy practice as provided by law. Thirty (30) students are admitted each May based on individual merits and in competition with others. Each student will be considered holistically based upon an academic and non-academic evaluation. The submitted materials will be used to evaluate applicants for potential success in the program based on proven academic performance and potential; knowledge of the OT profession, work, community service and other experiences; letters of references; and essays. In some circumstances, a personal interview may be requested.

Admission and standards are subject to change based on regulatory, licensing and or certification needs.

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