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Occupational Therapy Admissions

Update

We regretfully announce that admissions to the University of Washington’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program are being temporarily paused and we will not be accepting applicants for the Autumn 2027 admission cycle.  

We have made the difficult decision to adjust the program transition timeline and to temporarily pause OTD admissions to ensure we can provide an exceptional educational experience and a financially sustainable program well into the future.  

Please note that the Occupational Therapy program will continue to proceed with the Master of Occupational Therapy program through completion of the degree for currently enrolled students.  

We recognize that this announcement may be disappointing for prospective students and our clinical and community partners. We are committed to providing transparent communication as we determine when future OTD admissions will open. 

Occupational therapists play a vital role in healthcare, and educating the next generation of therapists is deeply important to the University. Thank you for both your interest in the OTD program and your understanding during this transition period. We will provide updates as they become available.

If you have any questions, please email ot@uw.edu.

FAQs

Are Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) applications being accepted? 

No. We are not accepting applications during this temporary pause, at least through Autumn 2027. Though a decision has not yet been made, we anticipate being able to accept applications for program entry in Autumn 2028 and will provide updates as they become available. 

What about students currently enrolled in a University of Washington occupational therapy degree program? 

The Occupational Therapy program will continue to proceed with the Master of Occupational Therapy program through completion of the degree for currently enrolled students.   

Will the OTD program return?  

The pause is intended to support updates to the program’s internal funding structure and operational model to ensure we provide an exceptional educational experience and a financially sustainable program well into the future. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.  

Are Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) applications being accepted? 

No. We are not accepting applications to the MOT program at this time.

Learn more about the program

Tour (In person)

These quarterly tours are led by current students and cover locations most frequented by OT students. The next tour will be held during Autumn Quarter.

Applicant Q&A Sessions (Virtual)

These sessions are an opportunity to meet with the academic counselor and ask questions about the OT Program and admissions.

Upcoming dates TBD

Curriculum

Graduates will achieve competence for occupational therapy practice through a combination of didactic, fieldwork, and capstone education. The program will be 11 quarters in total. The first 7 quarters of didactic work will be on campus. The final quarters are 2 full-time off campus clinical fieldwork placements and a full-time off campus Doctoral Capstone Experience which includes distance learning seminars. Level I Fieldwork is designed to integrate clinical experiences into the didactic curriculum and Level II Fieldwork consists of immersion in clinical practice to gain the skills needed for entry level competencies.

In the first year of the OTD curriculum, students will gain foundational knowledge in occupation, including impacts of body structures and contexts and environments. Students will spend an extended time learning about the OT process (observation, evaluation, intervention, and discharge) through case-based learning. The second-year curriculum will aim to apply that foundation to multiple different specialty populations and settings and support students to solidify their individual scholarship and Doctoral Capstone plans. Throughout, students will engage in professional development topics to shape them into ethical, evidence and occupation-based occupational therapists and develop scholarship and leadership skills through the Doctoral Capstone series.

As part of the Doctoral Capstone Experience, students complete an individual Doctoral Capstone Project that demonstrates their synthesis and application of in-depth knowledge in one or more of the following areas: clinical practice, research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, and education. Read our Technical Standards Policy for students. Technical standards can be met with or without accommodations. For more information about accommodations, visit the Disability Resources for Students office.

Eligibility Criteria

Before applying, applicants must meet all the requirements listed below. 

Technical Standards

English Language Requirements

  • Demonstration of English proficiency is required of all non-native English speakers by the UW Graduate School and Division of OT. Please visit the UW Graduate School website for more information. Applicants should submit their test scores directly to the UW Graduate School by the application deadline. The Division of OT requires applicants to meet the UW Graduate School’s recommended scores where ELP is satisfied.

Education

  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the US (or equivalent from a foreign institution). Degree conferral must occur before starting the OT program.
  • All majors are accepted.

Letters of Recommendation

  • Submit to OTCAS, not Graduate School Slate application
  • 3 electronic letters
    • Ask professors, supervisors, or OT practitioners

Grade Point Average (GPA)

  • Competitive applicants will have at least a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. We will consider applicants with less than a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 if their last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits average to at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Essays

  • Submit to OTCAS, not Graduate School Slate application
  • 1 OTCAS Personal Statement
  • 2 UW school specific questions
  • Prompts are in OTCAS with character limits

OT Exposure

  • Submit to OTCAS, not Graduate School Slate application
  • A minimum of 20 hours of exposure to OT is required. This exposure can be from the following list of options. It is important for applicants to understand the breadth and depth of occupational therapy therefore a variety of experiences is recommended.
    • Direct OT observations (i.e., caregiving, clinical site, shadowing, interviewing)
    • Intro to OT course at the college-level
    • Completion of online OT module designed by a university
    • Rehabilitation-related research participation
    • Work or volunteer with persons with disabilities

Prerequisite Coursework

  • Submit to OTCAS, not Graduate School Slate application
  • 7 required prerequisite courses:
    • Priority consideration will be given to applicants who submit grades for all seven required prerequisites at the time of application submission. Applicants missing one or more prerequisites will be considered for “conditional admission” and missing grades will be required to be submitted by August 1st prior to the start of the OT program.
    • Courses must be taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education which may include traditional or online courses at universities, community colleges, or AP scores/CLEP posted as earned college credit on an official college transcript.
    • Courses do not expire but we do expect applicants to be knowledgeable and comfortable with the material.
    • Download this prerequisite checklist to help organize your coursework.
      • Prerequisite courses must be graded 3.0 (B) or higher.
      • One prerequisite course can be graded as low as 2.7 (B-).

This handout outlines OTD application requirements.