Pre-Occupational Therapy
Start your journey to becoming an occupational therapist.
Take Prerequisites Courses.
University of Nebraska Lincoln offers the classes you need to apply for an occupational therapy program while earning your bachelor’s degree. See the list below for a brief overview of required prerequisite courses.
Get Experience.
Start building your shadowing and volunteer hours to be a more competitive occupational therapy school applicant. Don’t forget to keep track of your hours!
Talk to an Advisor Each Semester.
There’s a lot of coordination and planning that needs to happen to make sure you do everything you need before graduate school. The Explore Center’s advisors are here to help you navigate this journey. Meet with an advisor today to get a personalized 4-year pre-occupational therapy plan!
Pre-Occupational Therapy Roadmap at UNL
Occupational Therapy Prerequisite Classes
Depending on the school you plan to attend, you may need additional prerequisite courses. 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 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. Elective course requirements vary by school.
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: RELG, PHIL, ANTH, SOCI, HIST, ENGL, 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.