The Occupational Therapy Program offered by the School of Occupational Therapy is a post-baccalaureate, graduate, professional entry-level program, leading to a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree (MSOT). Baccalaureate degree should be completed, or a realistic plan of completion should be considered, before beginning of occupational therapy classes. You may major in any field that maximizes your talents and interests; there is no preferred major.

Overall GPA of all baccalaureate work of 3.0 or better. If applicant has multiple degrees the GPA of the more recent degree completed is used as qualifier. Completed graduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better will qualify an applicant with a low undergraduate GPA.

All prerequisite courses must be taken for a grade, and you must earn at least a grade of 2.0 in each course. However, in order to be competitive a grade of 3.0 or above is highly recommended. If your prerequisite courses have been completed more than 10 years prior to application, you should submit a petition letter describing how the prerequisite knowledge has been kept current. You will receive written notification of the decision on your petition.

Exposure to practice of occupational therapy (either volunteer or paid) under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist is required. There is no minimum number of hours, but the applicant must demonstrate knowledge across the spectrum of the profession in writing submitted for the application.”

Any undergraduate major may lead to the successful study of occupational therapy. In fact, the department seeks a diversity of educational backgrounds among its students. A liberal education is a vital component in the preparation of today's health care practitioner.

Specific prerequisite courses also must be completed before enrollment in the Occupational Therapy Program:

  • One semester introductory statistics
  • Two semesters human anatomy and physiology, preferably with lab 
  • A total of three (3) units in Human Behavioral Science/Human Development, distributed as follows:
    a.  Human Development through the life span:
         Developmental Psychology: Prenatal through Childhood or equivalent and Developmental Psychology:
         Adolescence through End of Life or equivalent. Note: It is sometimes possible to meet the Human
         Development prerequisite within a single course in which case an applicant must have completed 2 units in category
         (b) listed below. 
    b.  Human Behavioral Science courses (one or more units as needed to complete the three-unit Human Behavioral
         Science/Human Development requirement): Psychology, Anthropology or Sociology at the 200 level or above addressing
         at least one of the following content areas:
         (i)  Normal and abnormal behavior of individuals and/or groups;
         (ii) The analysis of behavior of individuals and/or groups and their interactions; or
         (iii) Culture and mental health.
  • Though not a prerequisite, it is strongly recommended that all applicants take a medical terminology course for a grade (i.e. not pass/fail).      

Although most students enter the Occupational Therapy Program having already earned a bachelor's degree, the MSOT can be completed as a 3-2 program. With careful planning, it is possible for a Puget Sound student to interlock the final year of an undergraduate program with the first year of the master's program. Students at Puget Sound who are planning a 3-2 program should work closely with an undergraduate adviser in their major as well as a graduate adviser in the Occupational Therapy Program. During their first year of study in the Occupational Therapy Program, such students retain their status as undergraduates for financial aid, housing, and other purposes. At the time of bestowal of the bachelor's degree they acquire graduate standing in the Occupational Therapy Program. The Puget Sound Occupational Therapy 3-2 Program is only for those who have been full-time, Puget Sound undergraduate students since at least the beginning of their sophomore year. (In practice, a student needs 3 years attendance at the University of Puget Sound, (freshman, sophomore, junior years) in order to fulfill the requirements for the 3-2 Program.

Please note that in most years more applications are received for the incoming class than there are spaces available, and that admission to the University of Puget Sound does not guarantee admission to the Occupational Therapy Program. Applicants who have been or will be granted an undergraduate degree from Puget Sound, however, and who are competitive within the applicant pool, are offered admission prior to transfer students.

For information concerning application procedures and acceptance to degree candidacy, see the Occupational Therapy Program presentation folder (available in the Office of Admission and from the School of Occupational Therapy). For information on completion of degree requirements for the graduate program in Occupational Therapy see the Graduate Programs Bulletin. The course sequence and course descriptions for the MSOT degree are contained in both publications.