Admissions

Requirements for admission to the MSOT Program

To be considered for admission to the CMU MSOT program, applicants must meet the following criteria.

1. GPA  

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for their most recent 60 credits.

2. Prerequisites 

All Prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited US university, college, or community college. A grade of C or better is required in each course. 

• Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
• Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
• Statistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Medical Terminology 
  • **NOTE- Human Anatomy and Human Physiology must be taken within the last 5 years by the time applicants begin submitting an application to the program. Medical Terminology can be a certificate. 

At the time of application, prerequisites may be in progress and any pending must be completed before the  first day of when classes begin in the first semester. Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites may be taken at any U.S. accredited university or college (including community colleges and accredited online programs).
Note: All transcripts must be uploaded directly to OTCAS*

3. Observation Hours Applicants must complete 40 hours of professional observation/shadowing in at least two different practice settings (e.g., hospitals, pediatric clinics, outpatient rehab, skilled nursing facilities). We encourage experience in both adult and pediatric settings when possible.

4. Professional References (Evaluations)  Applicants must submit at least three evaluations (references) as part of the OTCAS application. This documentation will go into the Supporting Information section of the OTCAS application under the section labeled "Evaluations". Evaluations are submitted electronically to OTCAS. It is recommended that applicants request at least one evaluation from a professor, supervisor, and any non-relative who can attest to your character.

5. Experiences Complete the Experiences with an emphasis on: 

• Health-related experiences
• Employment
• Internships & Clinical Experiences
• Leadership
• Teaching experiences
• Research
• Volunteer/Community Enrichment

6. Connection to Colorado Preference will be given to applicants that attended Colorado Mesa University, live in the state of Colorado, and those interested in staying in Western Colorado. 

Any questions related to the submission of transcripts should be directed to OTCAS at [email protected] or calling (617) 612-2860. Any questions specific to the CMU OT program may be submitted to [email protected].

Interviewees will be notified of the admissions decisions via email within a month of the interview. Applicants that interview with the CMU MSOT program will be placed in one of three categories: Accept, Waitlist, and Not Accepted.

A $750 non-refundable payment is required to reserve the seat in the program at the time the offer is accepted. Instructions for payment will be provided with the acceptance letter. 

The Occupational Therapy Selection Committee will notify all applicants of their final status. If an applicant commits to another program, we request the professional courtesy of notifying the CMU OT program. 

Candidates offered a position will be required to complete the following prior to enrollment:

1. Immunization and Health Information documentation 
2. Current BLS for Health Care Providers or CPR/AED that includes Pediatric Certification & First Aid Certification
3. Valid Driver's License
4. Certified Background Check and Drug Screen
5. Official Transcripts submitted to CMU for all coursework
6. AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) Learner Membership 
7. OTAC (Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado) Student Membership
8. Learner Liability Insurance 

• A minimum GPA of 2.0 (letter grade of C) is required for each prerequisite course.  
• Applicants may have prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of submission; but all prerequisites must be completed before classes start at the beginning of the first semester. Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites may be taken at any U.S. accredited university or college (including community colleges and accredited online programs).
• Evidence of completion of a Bachelor's degree and all prerequisites must be submitted prior to the start of the program.
• Post-Baccalaureate prerequisite credits must be approved by the MSOT program in OTCAS.
• The MSOT program does not accept Advanced Placement, experiential learning, or work experience as credit for any required course. Post baccalaureate prerequisite credits must be approved by the MSOT program in OTCAS.

A minimum of 3.0 cumulative grade point average of the last 60 credits may be considered for a holistic approach.  If under a minimum of 2.7, there may be special considerations based on experience. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for each prerequisite course. 

Your official GPA will come from Official Transcripts and through the OTCAS calculations.

Applicants must complete a minimum of 40 hours of occupational therapy observation/shadowing and at least 20 of those hours must be completed with an Occupational Therapist (OT).Hours must be completed in at least two different clinical or community-based settings (e.g., school, early intervention program, skilled nursing facility, community health center). Experiences should ideally include both adult and pediatric populations and the observation hours must be conducted outside of paid employment. 

The MSOT Program does not provide a template for tracking observation hours. We recommend that you track your hours by recording the location, supervisor, contact information, your position, and a short description and the number of hours you completed at each location. All hours much be documented and signed by a licensed OT or OTA. 

Use this form provided by the program to log observation hours - CMU OT PROGRAM OBSERVATION HOURS

Applicants must consider program deadlines carefully and start the application process early. Once an applicant has completed and submitted the OTCAS application, OTCAS will verify all information, which can take up to four weeks. Only after it is verified by OTCAS will the CMU MSOT Program evaluate an application for consideration of interview and/or admission to the program. This process may take an additional two weeks beyond the verification date. The OTCAS application cycle closes June 20th for our program. 

More information on OTCAS and the verification process can be found at: OTCAS Applicant Help Center

Yes, a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university must be completed by the end of the Fall Semester prior to matriculation. Degrees earned outside of the U.S. must be evaluated and accepted by a U.S. equivalency reporting agency as an equivalent degree from a foreign institution. 

All prerequisite courses must be from a Regionally Accredited US College or University. 

We highly recommend that all prerequisites are completed within the last five years. All prerequisites must be successfully completed and transcripts for outstanding prerequisite coursework must be received by CMU before classes start in August for the first semester. 

A certificate for Medical Terminology course will be accepted and can be taken online. 

International applicants with a degree earned outside the U.S. must meet the following criteria:

• Submit your foreign degree coursework to a U.S. based evaluation service for a course-by-course US equivalency report. This report should then be sent directly to OTCAS from the evaluation service. Click here to learn more about foreign evaluation vendors used by OTCAS. 
• All required prerequisite courses must be taken at a regionally accredited U.S. higher education institution and be verifiable through official transcripts.
• Applicants must communicate well in English as all course work is conducted in English.
• TOEFL Exam Score: Minimum of 550 on the paper-based exam; minimum of 80 on the internet-based exam