graduate program: Occupational Therapy

BLA to MOT Admission Information

Overview | Course Sequence | Admission Info

Bachelor of Liberal Arts Admission

Students under 22 years of age may apply online or contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Students 22 years of age and older may apply online or contact the Center for Adult and Part-Time Students.

Human Occupation Studies Concentration (HOCS)

Admission to the HOCS courses is open to all Xavier students, but enrollment is limited. Registration for the HOCS courses is approved by the department of occupational therapy. Applications are processed in the order they are received and priority is given to applicants with earliest admission dates to Xavier University. Documented exposure to the field of occupational therapy must be initiated - or preferably completed - prior to taking the HOCS courses.

Documented exposure to the field of occupational therapy is accomplished through volunteer or paid work experience in an occupational therapy practice setting. A minimum of 40 hours of supervised experience (20 hours minimum at two different facilities) is required prior to program application deadline. Documentation must be on the recommendation and verification of volunteer/work experience in occupational therapy clinic or work setting forms. Only two forms are required: Sending one form will invalidate the application and additional forms sent above the required two will be returned to sender and not used for consideration. This form must be completed by a fully credentialed occupational therapy practitioner who supervised the student and must be submitted on the original form. The supervisor may not be a relative, personal friend or acquaintance of the student. Photocopies of the form are not accepted.

Additional letters of recommendation will not be accepted or used for consideration. Forms are sent directly to the Office of Graduate Services.

NOTICE: The incoming freshman cohert for students declaring BLA/HOCS as a major (Class of 2014) has reached its maximum capacity of 48 students; additional students wanting to declare BLA/HOCS as a major will be placed on a wait list according to their high school GPA and accepted as majors as space is available.

Master in Occupational Therapy Admission

Applicant eligibility is normally determined by the following minimum criteria. Meeting the following criteria offers admission into the MOT program. All criteria must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Services (513-745-3360; ). Applications are due June 1 following completion of the first year of HOCS courses.

  • Graduate program admission form.
  • Official transcripts of all previous college or university work.
  • Evidence of completion or in progress of all semester hours for the BLA degree and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale).
  • Evidence of successful completion (grade of "C" or higher) or in progress of all prerequisite courses with no more than two "C"s (Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Rhetoric, Statistics I and II, Physics, Developmental Psychology, Bioethics, Kinesiology, Neuroscience, and all HOCS courses).
  • Official test scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), with a preferred minimum average of 33 percent across all GRE sections (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing).
  • Reflective analysis essay related to the 40 hours of volunteer experience.
  • Personal interview, evaluation and completion of on-site writing sample may be required.

Note: In the event the above criteria are not met, provisional acceptance may be granted provided space is available.

Other Requirements

Upon acceptance into the MOT program, students are required to complete all graduate courses (MOCT courses) with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Student membership in The American Occupation Therapy Association (AOTA) is also required. The mission of the AOTA "advances the quality, availability, use and support of occupational therapy through standard-setting, advocacy, education and research on behalf of its members and the public" (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2000).

Prior to beginning Level I and Level II Fieldwork, students must show evidence of malpractice liability insurance ($2,000,000/$4,000,000). Liability insurance is mandatory, and provided by the University, and the University has negotiated a favorable group rate for occupational therapy students. Students are billed through the University when they register for courses that include a fieldwork experience. All students also must have current CPR certification; hepatitis B immunization; measles, mumps and rubella immunizations; an annual tuberculosis test; annual history and physical exam; annual Universal Precautions and HIPAA training; and criminal background check in order to participate in all fieldwork experiences. Level II Fieldwork courses must be completed within 24 months of the academic coursework on campus.