Pre-Occupational Therapy

Pre-Occupational Therapy

Pre-Occupational Therapy Advisement Track

  • The Pre-Occupational Therapy concentration coursework satisfies the course requirements for admission at most occupational therapy schools.
  • Additional elective courses are recommended but not required and can vary depending on the occupational therapy school to which students intend to apply.
  • Students must consult SUNY Oneonta's current undergraduate catalog for descriptions of courses, course prerequisites, and time of year when courses are offered in order to plan properly in advance
  • Students have the responsibility to check entrance requirements for schools to which they intend to apply.
  • Highly qualified SUNY Oneonta students have the opportunity in the spring of their junior year to apply for Preferred Acceptance at The Russell Sage Graduate School Occupational Therapy Program via the SUNY Oneonta-Russell Sage 4+2 Preferred Acceptance Agreement.

Pre-Occupational Therapy Advising Meetings can be scheduled using the Bookings App

NOTE: four digit course numbers reflect the new course numbers, effective Fall 2022, as developed via the College-wide Course Renumbering Project.

  • BIOL 133 / 1001: Investigative Biology Laboratory
  • BIOL 130 / 1002: Cellular Perspectives in Biology*
  • BIOL 131 / 1004: Organismal Perspectives in Biology
  • BIOL 111 / 1008: Biological & Medical Terminology
  • BIOL 205 / 2200 / 3202: Human Anatomy & Physiology I
  • BIOL 206 / 2202 / 3204: Human Anatomy & Physiology II
  • CHEM 111 / 1111: General Chemistry I*
  • PHYS 103 / 1030: General Physics I (Non-Calculus)
  • PSYC 100 / 1000: Introductory Psychology
  • Choose two or three:
    • PSYC 240 / 2420: Child Development
    • PSYC 246 / 2450: Lifespan Development (preferred at most schools)
    • PSYC 274 / 3720: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology or PSYC 374 / 4720: Advanced Abnormal Psychology
  • SOC 101 / 1001: Introduction to Sociology or ANTH 100 / 1000: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • STAT 101 / 1010: Introduction to Statistics

NOTE: BIOL 130 / 1002 & CHEM 111 / 1111 are prerequisites for BIOL 205 / 2200 & BIOL 206 / 2202 at SUNY Oneonta

NOTE: Occupational Therapy education programs may change course prerequisites at any time and may have additional requirements, preferences, or policies that are not reflected in this advising track course list and vary depending on if a student is applying for a Masters or Doctorate Degree. Programs may also allow applicants to substitute courses or choose different prerequisite tracks. Applicants should review the program-specific details and contact programs directly to determine whether a particular course will fulfill a prerequisite.

The timeline for applying to occupational therapy school varies among students and is dependent on a variety of factors, including successful completion of prerequisite coursework, competitive GRE examination scores, and appropriate healthcare experience.

Many Pre-Occupational Therapy students are choosing to take at least one year after they graduate SUNY Oneonta to work in healthcare or pursue other academically or intellectually enriching experiences after they graduate.

In fact, across the United States many first-time applicants to occupational therapy school apply after their senior year or later. Having a “Growth Year” between undergraduate studies and beginning occupational therapy school is often beneficial for applicants and does not hurt your chances of admission as long as you continue to strengthen your application. It allows time to gain additional life experiences, continue volunteering or pursue non-academic interests.

If a student wishes to take a "growth year," or takes a different undergraduate path, students will need to adjust the course sequence plan accordingly, based on their personal planning needs. Individual student plans may vary depending on when the student hopes to enter occupational therapy school and what major is chosen, therefore each student should work with their Primary Major Advisor and their Pre-Health Concentration Advisor to establish their own personalized schedule.

Students should regularly review the Occupational Therapy School Admission Requirements, including required prerequisite coursework.

Applicants are evaluated on:

More information can be reviewed at AOTA.org

Application to occupational therapy school is made through the centralized application OTCAS.

  • The 2024-2025 OTCAS Application Cycle opens in mid-July, 2024

NOTE: Not all Occupational Therapy programs participate in OTCAS. Be sure to confirm the application process for each school to which you plan to apply.

Many Occupational Therapy Programs require the GRE General Test

GRE preparation options include free and paid test prep programs

Students request three letters of recommendation to be submitted on their behalf for occupational therapy school applications. Appropriate recommenders include science faculty, other course instructors, healthcare professionals, current or former employers, and professional references.

Pre-Occupational Therapy questions should be directed to Tami LaPilusa, M.S., Program Coordinator, Pre-Health Professions

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