Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Entry-Level)

OT student works with adult patient on cookie cutter project

Occupational therapists help people engage in activities that give their lives meaning. As an occupational therapist, you will be a health care provider who asks your clients “what matters to you?” and then designs solutions to help them succeed.

The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree educates professional occupational therapists by providing them with a strong foundation of knowledge, encouraging active learning and critical reflection, and fostering integrity and compassion. Our program is an in-person learning environment and will prepare you to:

  1. Enter the field ready to practice with confidence, creativity and caring.
  2. Continue on a path of scholarly inquiry as you practice the art and science of occupational therapy.
  3. Practice according to ethical principles that benefit clients individually as well as society as a whole.
  4. Provide leadership within the profession of occupational therapy.
  5. Contribute to health care and social policies of the state, the nation and the world.

Accreditation and Student Outcomes

Our accredited program has a history of graduating excellent Occupational Therapist.  

The entry level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Texas Woman’s University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).  located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).  In addition, all states require licensure to practice, however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.  A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination or attain state licensure. 

The Entry level OTD program was granted accreditation through December 31, 2030, by the Commission for Accreditation in Occupational Therapy (ACOTE), following an exemplary review in 2022.

Program Graduates

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Graduation Year Graduation Rate
2023 85%
2024 93%

NBCOT

five Occupational Therapy students stand around a desk while a patient sits behind a computer

Texas Woman’s University’s OTD program graduates are eligible to sit for the national board exam. Find out how our graduates have performed as reported by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) 

Our Faculty

a faculty member sits at a table with four students sitting around the table

The faculty for the School of Occupational Therapy are recognized as leaders in the OT profession. 

Program requirements

The entry-level OTD degree requires 90 credit hours over 9 semesters in 3 years to complete. The program begins once a year in the summer session, and applications are accepted the preceding year.

See full program requirements in the Graduate Catalog.

Tuition and Annual Cost Estimates

The following information is an estimate of cost for the 2022-23 school year and should only be used as a guideline. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
View OTD tuition and annual cost estimates

Admission requirements

Admission to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (entry-level)

Program Contact

Karen York - OT Admissions Coordinator
940-898-2801
ot@twu.edu

Admissions Overview

This full-time campus-based program begins once a year in June.  You will need to submit an OTCAS application and an application for the graduate school at TWU (only one, even if you list more than one of our campuses on OTCAS). Both applications open in July. Please read all the way down to the end to see details about both of the applications and sending in all of your transcripts. 

Your OTCAS application needs to be submitted by the October 1st 11:00 pm CST deadline. We will only email invitations to interview for applications that are complete and verified. Interview details will be updated on this website in late summer.

Admission Requirements

  • Baccalaureate degree completed before classes start in June; we accept all accredited undergraduate degrees.
  • Minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 calculated on the approximate last 60 credit hours of your bachelor's degree, or minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on 12 or more graduate credit hours.
  • GRE test scores are not required.
  • Prerequisite courses GPA of 3.0 or higher and no grade below C. Advanced Placement credit will not be accepted. Applicants that have all of their prerequisites complete (with the exception of medical terminology) with official grades submitted by our October 1st deadline will have priority for the first round of admission offers. If an applicant is completing prerequisite course(s) after October 1st, we will accept the application for review and if all admission requirements are met, an interview invitation may be offered. We will not offer admission until an official grade report or un/official transcript for remaining prerequisite course(s) are submitted to the Office of Admissions Processing.
  • For prerequisite equivalency approvals, email ot@twu.edu with the course title, university attended, and course description.
  • Prerequisite Courses:
    • Elementary Statistics- Frequency distributions; graphical representation, measures of central tendency, and dispersion; normal curve; hypothesis testing confidence intervals. (TCCN MATH 1342) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours.
    • Anatomy and Physiology I & II Lecture / Lab- Principles of the structure and functions of the human body. (TCCN BIOL 2401 & BIOL 2402) You can take separate Anatomy and Physiology courses with labs but you cannot mix an A&P part I or ll course and then add a separate Anatomy or Physiology course.  Requires a minimum of 8 credit hours total for both lectures and labs.
    • Lifespan Developmental Psychology- Development of Personality and learning capacities across the life-span from birth to death; emphasis on interactions of heredity, environment, and maturational processes. (TCCN PSYC 2314) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours.
    • Abnormal Psychology- A study of psychopathology covering the major classification systems including mood disorders and psychotic behavior, defenses, anxiety, methods of psychotherapy, and mental health principles; examination of abnormality in relationship to normal behavior. (TCCN PSYC 2320) Requires a minimum of 3 credit hours. 
  • Competency in Medical Terminology demonstrated by a passing grade in a medical terminology course (college credit or continuing education certificate). This may be submitted after acceptance, prior to OTD program entry.  This course is not a part of your prerequisite GPA.
  • Complete a minimum of 20 contact hours with an Occupational Therapy Practitioner (OTP; OTR or COTA) You will enter those hours into OTCAS, a separate log is not necessary.
  • A minimum of three evaluator/references.  One reference must be from the OTP that you observed for 20 hours. The other two evaluators should be academic and/or professional references.  Applicants should select evaluators that will show their breadth of experience from different sites or institutions.
  • All students in the TWU OTD Program must comply with background checks, random drug screening, and immunization requirements in order to progress through experiential learning and fieldwork.

TWU Alumni Advantage Admission Requirements (for TWU students only)

Texas Woman’s University students or graduates who qualify may apply for an Alumni Advantage into the OTD program. In addition to the above requirements, the Alumni Advantage Admission requires:

  • Texas Woman’s University baccalaureate degree be completed at the time of enrollment with a Pre-OT track degree plan in Child Development, Family Studies, Health Studies, Kinesiology (Exercise Science), or Psychology.
  • A minimum of 30 hours completed at Texas Woman’s University at the time of application.
  • Overall GPA of 3.7 on the last 60 credit hours at the time of application.
  • Prerequisite courses GPA of 3.5 or higher and no grade below B.
  • One of the evaluator references must be from a full-time TWU faculty member in the Pre-OT major under whom the applicant has completed a course of study.

Application Process - Two part process

Part I: Apply to TWU - opens July 1st

1.  Complete the application at TWU Online Graduate Application Portal. 

2. Pay the application fee.  The $50 fee, ($75 fee for international applicants), which applies to all new and returning applicants, can be paid by:

  • Credit card - Online through the TWU Online Graduate Application.
  • Certified check or money order by mail or electronically - payable to TWU, sent by mail to:
    TWU Admissions Processing, 301 Research Circle, Room 220; Denton, Texas 76204
    (include your full name and ID number).
  • Cash (no personal checks) - Pay at the Bursar's Office. After paying, bring the receipt to Admissions Processing (2nd floor of GRB).
  • Fee Waivers - Graduate applicants who are certified McNair Scholars are eligible for a McNair Scholar application Fee waiver. Submit the request using the Application Fee Waiver Submission Form.

3.  You must submit your transcripts from all schools attended

5.  Have official TOEFL scores sent to TWU using Code 6826 (if applicable).

Complete the OTCAS Application Process - opens July 19th

  1. Apply to The TWU School of Occupational Therapy through OTCAS. If you experience technical difficulty completing the OTCAS application, visit the OTCAS help page.
    • Use a permanent email address when applying to OTCAS and check it regularly.
    • Notify your evaluators/references to let them know they will receive a reference request from OTCAS. Applicants are encouraged to follow-up with evaluators to ensure the references are received prior to the deadline.
    • Make certain that the application becomes complete and verified by October 1st.
  2.  When you have completed the two-part admission process, you should get an email from the School of OT saying that it has been sent to the admission committee for further consideration.
  3. If you are an international student, please review the additional requirements. Submit TOEFL and TSE/Test A (if applicable). 

Technology Requirements for the Program 

Page last updated 3:48 PM, August 9, 2024