Pre-Occupational Therapy

About Our Pre-Occupational Therapy Program

Clarkson University offers a pre-occupational therapy program to highly qualified and motivated incoming high school students who wish to pursue a career in occupational therapy. Students accepted into the program will be invited to participate in activities in the Department of Occupational Therapy and will be granted preferential consideration for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program as long as they successfully complete the milestones and MSOT prerequisites.

Applicants will signify on their CU application for admission a request to be accepted into the pre-occupational therapy plan. The records/transcripts of those applicants will be forwarded to the occupational therapy department for review. The health professions graduate admissions coordinator will review the high school records and application and return an acceptance decision to Admissions. Those that matriculate at Clarkson and meet all requirements of this opportunity and formally apply will be granted an interview and given preferential consideration. Successful applicants will be granted a seat in the next cohort of the MSOT class following their May graduation from Clarkson University. Students that accelerate their graduation to December will be considered on a case-by-case basis for the cohort beginning the following fall semester. Ten seats will be reserved for Clarkson University graduates in each incoming class. Being a pre-occupational therapy student provides a significant advantage in gaining acceptance into Clarkson’s occupational therapy program.

Requirements and Milestones

  • Complete the application and essay (state your interest in the field of occupational therapy) for entry into the pre-occupational therapy plan.
  • At all times, remain in good standing with Clarkson University. 
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the end of each semester in all prerequisite courses, while maintaining an overall cumulative GPA of greater than or equal to 3.0.
  • In the first two years as a CU undergraduate, show satisfactory progress in completing occupational therapy prerequisite courses. A minimum of three prerequisite courses must be completed by that time.
  • Begin or continue gaining experience related to occupational therapy.
  • Meet at least once per academic year with the health professions graduate admissions coordinator to gauge progress.

After completion of your second year as a CU undergraduate, you will present yourself to the occupational therapy faculty for review of your progress. Upon approval, you will

  • Continue progress and complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.
  • Complete a minimum of 40 required hours of experience by the time of application.
  • Graduate in good standing from Clarkson University.
  • Formally apply to the Clarkson University occupational therapy program via the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) at the appropriate time while meeting all deadlines and requirements of the application.
    • Submit three letters of recommendation (letters from a faculty member and an occupational therapy professional are required)
  • Have a successful interview following application.

Ten seats are reserved in each class for CU graduates. CU graduates not selected for the reserved seats will remain in the applicant pool for any remaining seats in the cohort.

Clarkson undergraduates that are not part of the pre-occupational therapy plan are also welcome to apply via OTCAS at the appropriate time with the applicant pool for that cohort. These requirements are in addition to the major that the student has declared. Occupational therapy advising is not intended to replace advising by faculty in the student’s declared major.