Pre-MOT to MOT Admission Info

As of Fall 2018, we are no longer accepting applications for the Pre-MOT to MOT Program. See proposed Entry Level OTD information.

Occupational therapy is a rewarding and satisfying career that requires a high level of skill and expertise. See the list of Essential Functions for Coursework and Fieldwork that details the performance abilities and characteristics necessary to successfully complete the requirements of the MOT program.

Pre-Master in Occupational Therapy Admission

Pre-MOT students apply through the Center for Adult and Part-Time Students.

Phone: 513-745-3355
E-mail: xucaps@xavier.edu

The following must be submitted to the CAPS office:

A completed pre-MOT application
Official copies of all college transcripts

Program Admission

Beginning Fall 2020

Beginning Fall 2020, Xavier will offer a MSOT/OTD program design. With that process, there will be the option to continue on from the MSOT to obtain an OTD degree (both entry-level). Click here for the admission criteria and list of pre-requisites (proposed; final approval pending). The new application process is anticipated to begin in Fall 2019. As undergraduate students prepare to apply to the MSOT/OTD program, any undergraduate degree can be earned given the pre-requisites are successfully completed.

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 and is normally determined by the following criteria:

Evidence of completion or in progress of all semester hours for BLA degree or a non-OT Bachelor's degree with a minimum final grade point average as reported on the official transcript of 3.0 (on a 4.0) scale.
Completion of all 40 of the 40 HOCS required hours of volunteer/work experience prior to the first day of classes (hours must be documented on approved form as described below).
Evidence of meeting with a representative of the occupational therapy department. Information sessions will be held on Monday, April 20th and Friday, May 15th. Please contact Diane Burton in Admissions to schedule a visit, 513-745-2940.
Completion of criminal background check by end of first HOCS semester.

Volunteer/Work Experience

Documented exposure to the field of occupational therapy is accomplished through volunteer or paid work experience in an occupational therapy practice setting. Completion of a total of 40 hours at two separate sites with two different populations and two different therapists is required. This is to be accomplished by completion of a minimum of 20 hours at one site with one population and one occupational therapy practitioner, and an additional minimum of 20 hours at a different site with a different population and a different occupational therapy practitioner, for a total of 40 hours. Different population examples include, pediatrics, adults, and geriatrics. Volunteer/work experience must be completed with two of the three populations. Documentation must be on the Volunteer or Work Experience in Occupational Therapy forms. Only two forms will be accepted; additional forms will not be considered. The forms must be completed by a fully credentialed occupational therapy practitioner who supervised the student and must be submitted on the original forms. The occupational therapy practitioner may not be a relative or personal friend. Photocopies of completed forms will not be accepted. Forms must be sent directly to the Department of Occupational Therapy by the occupational therapy practitioner.

Notice: For Fall 2017, all HOCS slots are filled and a wait list has been activated by ranked GPA. Any student who begins the HOCS and/or MOCT courses and does not continue sequentially will be placed at the bottom of a wait list should one occur at time of placement. If slots are limited, ranked undergraduate degree-end GPA will determine continuation. Students are allowed only one such instance of "dropping back" one cohort year.

Master in Occupational Therapy Admission

Meeting the following criteria offers annually 40 students admission into the MOT program. If more than 40 qualified applicants apply to the MOT Program, applicants are ranked by their end-point undergraduate degree GPA. Students who dropped back a year will be permitted into the graduate program only if there are fewer than 40 qualified applicants from the original HOCS-entry cohort class. Qualified applicants not accepted into the program may re-apply the following year.

All criteria must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Services (513-745-3360; xugrad@xavier.edu). 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 with a minimum final grade point average as reported on the official transcript of 3.0 (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). All pre-requisities must be taken at Xavier University.
Official test scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), receiving a minimum average of 33 percent when all three sections are combined (verbal reasoning, quantitative and analytical writing).
Personal statement related to the 40 hours of volunteer experience.
Personal interview, evaluation and completion of on-site writing sample may be required.

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 or community experience. All students also must have current CPR certification; Tdap immunization; Varicella (Chicken pox) immunization; hepatitis B immunization; measles, mumps and rubella immunizations; an annual two step (or blood) tuberculosis test; annual seasonal influenza immunization; annual history and physical exam; annual Universal Precautions and HIPAA training; and an annual criminal background check in order to participate in all fieldwork experiences. The inability to comply with any of the required immunizations may restrict or prohibit Level I and/or Level II Fieldwork placements and subsequent program progression. Level II Fieldwork courses must be completed within 12 months of the academic coursework on campus. Additionally, a drug screen prior to participation in a specific fieldwork site may be required.

Note: A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the certification examination or attain state licensure.