Pre-Occupational Therapy Roadmap
Start your journey to becoming an occupational therapist.
Occupational therapy is a health care profession using purposeful activity (occupation) as a means of preventing, reducing, or overcoming physical, social, and emotional challenges in people of all ages. The occupational therapist utilizes practical activities to encourage the recovering patient's involvement in meaningful daily living. An occupational therapist works with individuals whose participation in life has been impaired by physical injury or illness, developmental or learning disabilities, psychological or emotional problems or the aging process. The occupational therapist carefully evaluates each person to determine physical and/or mental strengths and weaknesses. In conjunction with other health professionals, the occupational therapist develops a goal-oriented program using purposeful activities and adaptive equipment to correct identified problems, and to decrease limitations, build strengths, and ensure that life will be meaningful and productive.
Pre-Occupational Therapy Roadmap at UNL
Occupational Therapy Prerequisite Classes
Depending on the school you plan to attend, you may need additional prerequisite courses. Elective course requirements vary by school. Meet with an advisor for more information.
Typical Occupational Therapy School Requirements
Biology – 1 semester
Anatomy – 1 semester
Physiology with lab – 1 semester
Psychology – 2-3 courses
Lifespan/Growth & Development – 1 semester
Medical Terminology – 1 semester
Statistics – 1 semester
Research Methods – 1 semester
English – 1-2 courses
Electives – 3-4 courses
What to Take at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Some classes require prerequisites. Meet with an Explore Center advisor for help planning your prerequisite courses.
Biology – BIOS 101/101L, BIOS 110/110L, LIFE 120/120L, or LIFE 121/121L (some schools prefer LIFE courses)
Anatomy – BIOS 214
Physiology with lab – BIOS 213/213L
Psychology – PSYC 181, 289, or 380
Lifespan/Growth & Development – CYAF 160 or PSYC 289
Medical Terminology – CLAS 116
Statistics – STAT 218, EDPS 459, PSYC 350, ECON 215, or STAT 380
Research Methods – PSYC 350, SOCI 205, COMM 201, CRIM 251, SLPA 454, or ANTH 482
English – ENGL 150, 151, 254, or 354
Electives – Depending on the OT school, classes in these areas may be required: COMM, RELG, PHIL, ANTH, SOCI, HIST, ENGL, NUTR, WMNS. See a pre-health advisor for more specific information.
The above courses are the entrance requirements for Occupational Therapy programs at Creighton University, Nebraska Methodist College (NMC), College of St. Mary (CSM), and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Students who are considering occupational therapy schools outside of Nebraska are encouraged to contact those schools directly for a list of entrance requirements.
Other Notes:
- AP/CLEP credit: Creighton, CSM, and NMC will accept AP credit. For NMC, AP credit for science courses must demonstrate that a lab was taken where required. For CSM, AP courses only count if taken within 5 years of starting the OTD program. UNMC will accept AP scores of 3 or higher for prerequisites.
- Prerequisite GPA: Minimum “C” grade required for each prerequisite course.
- Electives: Commonly accepted areas include religion, philosophy, ethics, logic, sociology, anthropology, history, world literature, women’s studies. Talk to an advisor for more specific information.
Extracurricular Involvement and Activities:
Pursuing occupational therapy school requires more than just coursework. Your extracurricular activities, employment, and healthcare experiences like shadowing and volunteering will contribute greatly to your success in this field. See your pre-health advisor in the Explore Center to plan extracurricular activities that will prepare you for this program.
Application and Admission
Application: For admission to most occupational therapy programs, must apply through the centralized application process – OTCAS. Information on OTCAS can be found at: https://otcas.liaisoncas.com.
Entrance Exam: Some occupational therapy programs require the GRE. For information on the content and registration for the GRE, see www.ets.org/gre.
Additional admission requirements: Some schools may require service hours. Students applying to occupational therapy school will also be required to submit additional application materials, including letters of recommendation. Students considering UNMC will need to complete 15 hours of inquiry of the profession – ask UNMC for details.
Plan Your Path to Occupational Therapy School
View Health School Application Timeline
- Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to create a comprehensive academic and co-curricular plan
- Research application requirements
- See specific school websites for any specific application requirements which may vary by school
- Meet with a representative of the school for specific questions and guidance
- Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- Apply to occupational therapy schools
- Most schools use the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)
- Complete Bachelor's Degree (if required) and required prerequisite courses
- Attend Occupational Therapy school (3-4 years)
Suggested Academic Preparation
- Bachelor’s degree – required by most programs and any UNL major is a great option
- Completion of pre-requisite courses
- Competitive academic record
- GPA in both science and non-science courses
- GRE score
Current Students
Current students: Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to talk more about your Pre-Health goals.
Are you a non-UNL student looking for information about Pre-Health? Click here