Occupational Therapy Apply to O.T.D. Program

This class is scheduled to begin at the end of May 2023 and graduate in May 2026. Any COVID-19 related changes to the course of study will be shared here as they are available.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and Pass/Fail Coursework:
Courses marked Satisfactory or Pass will be allowed for all coursework taken during 2020-21 (spring, summer, and fall semesters), including prerequisites. Applicants will identify prerequisite courses marked Satisfactory or Pass on the CSU-OT Departmental Application. These will be reviewed to ensure that courses otherwise meet CSU prerequisite standards. Applicants are reminded that admission to the program remains competitive and considers GPA. Applicants are encouraged to weigh the benefits and risks of taking Satisfactory or Pass marks instead of letter grades. The impact will be different for each individual applicant.

NOTE: There are three (3) separate applications required for your application to be considered complete and reviewed for admission. Applications that do not include all items listed below by the FINAL application deadline date (November 3, 2022) are incomplete and will not be considered for admission.

Application #1: OT Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) application 
Opens for the 2022-2023 academic year on July 21, 2022
Apply by Thursday, Nov 3, 2022 at 9:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time

Additional Required Document: CV/Resume

Applicants must submit a resume or CV to OTCAS. This will be used as part of the admissions review process at CSU-OT. This document should include the following information as applicable:

• Education, other professional training and licenses
• Complete work history including internships and other major life experiences
• Research experience
• Volunteerism
• Leadership experience
• Extracurricular activities
• Honors and awards
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Exceptional individual experience or characteristics

Application #2: CSU Graduate School online application
Opens for the 2023 Summer semester on August 22, 2022
Apply by Friday, October 28, 2022 at 9:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time (this deadline is earlier than the final deadline in order to take into account the 24-48 hour turn around time for the creation of a NetID)

Statement of Purpose: Upload the same personal statement submitted to OTCAS

CSU Identification Number

• You will receive a CSU identification number after completing this CSU Graduate School Application. You should be able to see your CSU identification number on your CSU Graduate School application status page one to two days after submitting your CSU Graduate School application. After you receive this 9 digit code, go to the NetID Createwebsite, then you will be prompted to enter your CSU ID, authenticate your email address, and establish your username and password. Be aware that applications submitted over a weekend are not processed until Monday morning; this extends the two-day lag period to four days.
• Your ename (username) and password are needed to access the next step of the application – the OT Departmental Applications; therefore, you must complete the CSU Graduate School application before accessing these OT Departmental Application Materials. Please note: There is a 24-hour delay from when you create your NetID and password to when you will be able to login and complete the OT Departmental Application Materials.

Application #3: CSU-OT Departmental Application Materials
Apply by Thursday, Nov 3, 2022 at 9:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time

As stated previously, applicants will need a NetID (username) and password to access this application. Therefore, you must complete the CSU Graduate School application before accessing these OT Departmental application materials. To create this NetID and password:

• After 48 hours following the submission of your CSU Graduate School application, you should be able to see your CSU identification number on your CSU Graduate School application status page. After you receive this 9 digit code, go to the NetID Create You will be prompted to enter your CSU ID, authenticate your email address and establish your username and password.
• Please note: There is a 24 hour delay from when you create your NetID to when you will be able to login and complete the OT Departmental application materials. Submitting applications on a Friday extends this delay, as NetIDs are not generated over the weekend.

OT Departmental application materials include the following:

CSU OT Personal Statement:

• Applicants will respond to one essay prompt and upload the essay within this OT Departmental materials website. Directions for the essay response will be specified, including font size and word count.

Prerequisite information and course syllabi/course descriptions:

• Prerequisite courses: Include course title, institution, semester/quarter and year for all courses. Grade received in course is required if course has been completed.
• Course descriptions or website URLs for Brain Structure and Function and Anatomy and Physiology. Please note:
  • Course descriptions/syllabi for Colorado State University courses are not required.
  • The following course titles meet our Brain Structure and Function requirement; therefore, course descriptions/syllabi are not required for the following: Brain and Behavior, Neuroanatomy, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology, Neurobiology, Physiological Psychology, Biological Basis of Behavior and Biological Psychology.

In addition to the materials listed above, the score from the TOEFL must be submitted to Colorado State University:
• Self-report unofficial TOEFL score on the CSU Graduate School application
• Request official TOEFL score report to be sent directly to CSU (#4075)

The GRE is not required and will not be used in the application review process.

Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA): All applicants must have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be considered for enrollment per the rules established by the Graduate School at Colorado State University.

• • Feasible plan to complete your undergraduate degree in a discipline other than occupational therapy: For applicants currently completing their first undergraduate degree, satisfactory completion of that degree must occur prior to summer admission (May 31, 2023) into the doctoral program.
  • Feasible plan to complete all prerequisites: For applicants currently taking prerequisite courses, satisfactory completion must occur prior to beginning summer classes in the doctoral program. The minimum accepted grade for any prerequisite is a C; however, grades of A and B are recommended.
  • International Students: In addition to the previous qualifications, non-native English speakers must demonstrate
    • Minimum TOEFL score of 94 on internet-based exam or
    • Minimum TOEFL score of 587 on paper-based exam or
    • Minimum IELTS score of 7.0

International applicants must request their official TOEFL or IELTS score be sent to CSU (#4075) from the Testing Service and must report their score in the CSU Graduate School application by the application deadline. Although the official score is not required by the application deadline, the official score must be received by CSU shortly after the deadline and will be used to verify unofficial information reported in the CSU Graduate School application.

Official transcripts for completed semesters from all institutions are required.
Submission of transcripts:

• Request official transcripts to be sent only to OTCAS
• Do not request official transcripts to be sent to Colorado State University
• Do not request official transcripts to be sent to the Department of Occupational Therapy

Transcripts for college-level courses from US and Canadian institutions:

• Transcripts are required from every institution you have attended even if courses are listed on another transcript of an institution to which you have transferred.
• Transcripts are required from every institution you have attended even if courses do not apply to prerequisite requirements.
• College transcripts are required for all college level courses taken while in high school. The transcript of the credit-granting institution is required.

Transcripts for study abroad US institution coursework:

• If study abroad courses were sponsored by the institution in the US and the courses with credits and grades are listed on the US transcript, transcripts from the international institution are not required.
• If courses with credits and grades do not appear on the US transcript, unofficial transcripts are required from the international institution. These unofficial transcripts can be sent to the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University.

Transcripts for degrees received at international (non-U.S. and non-Canadian) institutions:

• Course-by-course equivalency report from an international transcript evaluation service must be received by the department by application deadline date.
• Official international transcripts are not required to be sent to the department.

If you have additional questions, please call (970) 491-6243 or contact us at otinfo@colostate.edu.

Prerequisite Courses and Descriptions

Prerequisite Course Equivalencies

In line with our Departmental mission and vision, applicants are evaluated based on their academic training, life experience, and personal perspectives.

CSU OT considers the following criteria:

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA. If a second bachelor’s degree or master’s degree is completed prior to applying, the GPA is used from the most recent and highest degree completed.
• GPA in prerequisite courses
• Number of credits completed in prerequisite courses
• Personal Statement
• CV/Resume (submitted to OTCAS)

The review process consists of calculating an admissions score for each applicant based on the factors identified above and then ranking applicants based on their admissions scores.

*CSU OT requires, but does NOT consider the following in the admissions review process:

• OTCAS personal statement
• Letters of reference

CSU OT does NOT consider the following:

• GRE scores or other academic testing
• Observation hours
• Interview/s

*Applicants’ references and personal statements submitted through OTCAS may be considered when making final decisions pertaining to scholarships, graduate teaching assistantships and graduate research assistantships.

Applications are reviewed after Nov 3, 2022. Admission is governed by the standards of the Graduate School and the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University.

After departmental review, selected applicants are recommended for admission to the CSU Graduate School. Final approval and admission by the CSU Graduate School requires verification that the undergraduate degree meets accreditation standards accepted by CSU. Final admission is contingent upon CSU Graduate School final approval, successful completion of prerequisites, and undergraduate degree completion prior to the beginning of summer classes (May 31, 2023).

All applicants are notified of admission status (admitted, waitlist, not selected) in January 2023.

If you have questions, please contact us by email at otinfo@colostate.edu.

We understand the stress and uncertainty that recent changes to curricula and grades have caused.  We encourage you to review the information on this page under COVID-19: Applying for Summer 2023.

We do not have interviews.

Prerequisites do not need to be completed by the time of application; however, applicants who are admitted to our program must have all prerequisites completed before the graduate program begins in summer (May 31, 2023).

The GRE is not required and will not be used in the application review process.

Request transcripts to be sent only to OTCAS. Do not request official transcripts to be sent to the Department of Occupational Therapy or Colorado State University.

Letters of recommendation are only to be sent to OTCAS. Do not request letters of recommendation to be sent to the Department of Occupational Therapy or Colorado State University.

Applications are reviewed after Nov 1, 2022. All applicants are notified in January 2023.

OTCAS application does not need to be verified by Nov 1, 2022; however, application and fee must be submitted by deadline. See above for other required application materials.