Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Entry-Level)

Program Contact

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

Admissions Overview

Thank you for your interest in our Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program! We are excited to share that we will not be having interviews as part of the admission process this year. For your convenience, we are offering online virtual Information Meetings and onsite Open Houses. Both of these options offer opportunities for you to learn more about our OTD program, facilities, staff, faculty and students. We invite you to register for either of these options at your campus of preference-Denton, Dallas or Houston. Please click on this link to register.

Feel free to contact Karen York, our Admissions Coordinator at 940-898-2801 or ot@twu.edu for all of your questions.

Admission Requirements (review frequently as these are subject to change annually)

• 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.
• We require a prerequisite course GPA of 3.0 or higher and no grade below C (C minus not accepted).  If you have prerequisite retakes, you can use the higher grade to calculate the prerequisite gpa.   We do not accept Advanced Placement credit/tests. Students can apply with incomplete fall 2025 prerequisite courses; however, their admission offer will be conditional until we receive their official final grade. If an incomplete prerequisite course is below a C or brings them below our 3.0 minimum prerequisite gpa then they are no longer eligible for admission.  If you plan to take a spring 2026 prerequisite course, we don't offer conditional admissions, if you qualify, we can offer a spot on our waitlist.  Medical terminology is not part of the prerequisite gpa. Official transcripts must be submitted to TWU admissions.
• 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.

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:

• Online through the TWU Online Graduate Application.
• 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 or your application may be delayed. 

• Domestic Applicants must submit official transcripts for each college or university attended, both undergraduate and graduate. See the Information on Transcripts website for more details.
• International Applicants are now required to provide an evaluation prepared by a NACES or AICE member evaluation service. International transcripts should not be sent directly to TWU.  See the International Admission website https://twu.edu/admissions/international-admissions/#how-to-apply for more details.

4.   International and Permanent Resident Applicants are required to submit a form of English language proficiency; visit the website for your options. 

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 

• • Guide to Online Learning