Admission Requirements
The West Virginia University Occupational Therapy Program requires students to demonstrate both academic and professional success to gain entry into the Distance Education Track.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS:
To evaluate academic success the admissions committee looks at the applicant's academic performance throughout their higher education career. The admissions committee evaluates two main measures of academic success: overall GPA and Pre-Requisite GPA. The Overall GPA will include all classes taken in an institution of higher education since high school graduation. Pre-Requisite GPA includes academic performance in specific classes that are outlined below. The minimum GPA required for admission into the program is a 3.0 overall and in pre-requisite courses. Individuals with a lower GPA may be considered if they are judged to have strong professional performance. However in years when there is increased competition for limited seats a higher GPA may be necessary.
The West Virginia University Occupational Therapy Division also requires that the pre-requisite courses be completed PRIOR to initiation of the occupational therapy program. Pre-requisite courses can be taken at any university and individuals considering applying are encouraged to contact the program to determine if their previously taken classes will transfer.
The following section summarizes the pre-requiste courses needed. There is a complete list at the end of this page.
Biological and Physical Science Couses:
Each applicant is required to complete 8 hours of General Biology coursework with lab, AND the equivalent of 4 hours of Human Physiology. At WVU these courses are:
- BIOL 101 (3 hour course) and 103 (1 hour lab) General Biology I
- BIOL 102 (3 hour course) and 104 (1 hour lab) General Biology II
(Note: the Division of OT may accept approved OTA coursework in place of BIOL 103 & 104 – check with OT Program)
- PSIO 241 (4 hours) Human Physiology
(Note: the Division of OT will accept the combination of A & P I 4 hours AND A & P II 4 hours in place of PSIO 241)
Students are also required to complete 4 hours of Intro to Physics with lab. At WVU the Couse number is:
- PHYS 101 - Introductory Physics
Psychology Courses:
Each applicant must complete 9 hours of psychology courses in three areas of psychology: general, developmental, and abnormal. At WVU these courses are:
- PSYCH 101 - Intro to Psychology
- PSYCH 241 - Intro to Human Development
- PSYCH 281 - Abnormal Psychology
The program will accept other human development courses outside of psychology if they cover the entire lifespan. Child development courses cannot be used as a substitute.
Other Couses:
Additional Pre-requiste courses are required in communication, English, sociology, and statistics. At WVU these courses are:
- ENGL 101 - English 1
- ENGL 102 - English 2
- COMM 100 - Prinicples of Human Communication
- COMM 102 - Human Communication in the Interpersonal Context
- SOCA 101 - Introduction to Sociology OR SOCA 105 - Introduction to Anthropology
- STAT 211 - Elementary Statistical Inference
Speech will be accepted in lieu of Communication classes.
Completion of General Education Requirements
As part of it's undergraduate degree program WVU requires students to complete General Education courses. The general education curriculum is organized into goals that the student must take classes to meet. For further information on general education curriculum please refer to the WVU Home website or contact Brenda Wolfe at (304) 293-8828
| COMPLETE PRE-REQUISITE COURSE LIST |
| ENGL 101 |
English 1 |
3 |
| ENGL 102 |
English 2 |
3 |
| PSYC 101 |
Introduction to Psychology |
3 |
| PSYC 241 |
Intro. To Human Development |
3 |
| PSYC 281 |
Abnormal Psychology |
3 |
| SOCA 101, or 105 |
Introduction to Sociology Or Introduction to Anthropology |
3 |
| BIOL 101 & 103 |
General Biology I & Lab |
4 |
| BIOL 102 & 104 |
General Biology II & Lab |
4 |
| PSIO 241 |
Human Physiology
(or A&P I AND A&P II) |
4 |
| PHYS 101 |
Introductory Physics I |
4 |
| STAT 211 |
Elementary Statistical Inference |
3 |
| COMM 100 |
Principles of Human Comm. |
1 |
| COMM 102 |
Human Communication in the Interpersonal Context |
2 |
|
SUBTOTAL = |
40 |
|
|
| Fulfillment of WVU’s General Education Requirements |
12 |
|
TOTAL = |
52 |
Students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree at the end of the Senior year (year 2 in the OT Program). In order to receive this degree, students must have successfully completed a minimum total of 128 hours of college credits, including completion of WVU’s GEC requirements. To achieve this, the student typically completes: 40 hours of OT prerequisite coursework, 12 hours of GEC coursework not covered by the OT prerequisites, and 77 hours of undergraduate OT coursework – which in this combination totals 129 hours.
It is the student’s responsibility to insure that sufficient approved hours of coursework are completed in order to fulfill the requirements for awarding the Bachelor degree. It is the student’s responsibility to insure that all prerequisite coursework and GEC courses are completed prior to starting the OT Program.
Note: some OT prerequisite courses have their own specific prerequisites. For example, Physics at WVU requires that students also complete College Algebra and Trigonometry – a total of 6 hours).
The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Degree is awarded upon completion of all required graduate work (typically the end of the third year in the OT Program). The total number of credits hours of graduate OT work (including both academic and clinical fieldwork) is 38-41 hours.
WVU students must consult the Student Advising Center prior to enrolling in prerequisite courses. These courses may be taken at any institution that offers equivalent courses. Equivalence may be determined by contacting the Transfer Desk, Admissions and Records, West Virginia University, PO Box 6009, Morgantown, WV 26506-6009.
PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS:
Professional success or readiness for the OTA with an Associate Degree will be judged by the committee by review of several pieces of documentation. These include:
- Documentation of AT LEAST 2000 hours of employment as a licensed OTA
- 2 Professional References, 1 from a supervisor adn one from the current supervising OT
- Additional professional experience, including community service and awards received, submitted by the candidate on the general information form.
ACADEMIC READINESS FOR THE NON-OTA INDIVIDUAL WITH A BACHELOR DEGREE:
Academic readiness in an OT Program for the non-OTA with a bachelor degree requires 60 hours of volunteer work with an Occupational Therapist. Because most OT Programs in the U.S. have required volunteer work with an OT, most OTs will understand what you are referring to when you approach them or their facility about volunteering with an OT to learn more about the OT Profession. You should keep a record of your supervisor(s), the name(s) of the facility (-ies) where you volunteered, the number of hours, and a general description of your volunteer work. There will be forms in the application packet for you to transcribe this information, which will need to be “signed off” by your volunteer supervisor(s). While volunteering at one facility will be sufficient to complete this requirement, volunteering at more than one setting with different OTs will help one gain better insight into the OT profession.