Admissions Policies

Admission Requirements for the Traditional OTD Program

To be considered for admission to the OTD Program, students must supply the following information. When this information is received, the Admissions Committee will act on the application.

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required, or a plan to complete one before enrollment. Students typically bring diverse academic experiences, often in health science, exercise science, psychology.  However, degrees in any field are accepted. 
• While a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is preferred, applicants are evaluated through a  holistic review process. 
• A minimum grade of C is required, although a B- or higher is preferred, for the prerequisite courses listed below.
• Considering our holistic review, we recommend that students participate in observational, volunteer, and/or work experience in occupational therapy practice. Gaining observation experience in a variety of settings and with diverse populations across the lifespan provides valuable insight into the scope and practice of occupational therapy. It deepens understanding of the profession, enhances clinical insight, and supports well-informed career decisions. 
• Applicants must complete an application through our HU website (fees waived) or through OTCAS. To start your application on OTCAS, follow the link below and search for Huntington University. OTCAS will charge service fees. 

  • HU OTD Application - Formstack 

  • OTCAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com)
     
• Applicants are encouraged to submit at least one letter of recommendation. Letters can be submitted either directly to graduate@huntington.edu or through OTCAS. It is preferred that one letter be from an occupational therapy practitioner (OTP).  
• Submission of a personal statement through our HU website application process or through OTCAS. Prompt will be provided during the application process. 
• Students will be required to pass a background and substance abuse checks at time of admission to the program in order to be eligible for fieldwork, experiential component and to take the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) exam. Eligibility requirements for the national exam for becoming an occupational therapist can be retrieved at www.nbcot.org.  NBCOT, One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; Phone: (301) 990-7979; E-mail: info@nbcot.org; Fax: (301) 869-8492
• Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

If students have questions, concerns, or difficulty accessing observation hours, please contact graduate@huntington.edu. It is our pleasure to support you and your success throughout this process! 

Prerequisite Courses 

Your undergraduate degree should include:

Admission Requirements for the OTD Bridge Program

• Graduate with an associate’s degree as an occupational or physical therapy assistant
• Initial certification as an occupational therapy assistant or successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination or a state-specific exam for physical therapy assistants
• One year of experience as an occupational therapy assistant or physical therapy assistant
• Completion of 90 undergraduate credits or a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate
• Attainment of a grade of B- or higher in all prerequisite courses, which may be met from the OTA or PTA associate’s degree programs

Admission Requirements for Huntington University Graduates with a Bachelor's Degree

Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Huntington University within the past 10 years with a GPA of 3.5 or higher are eligible for automatic admission into the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program (Fall and Spring Cohorts) provided they meet all other admission prerequisites. Additional review will be required for Huntington University graduates who earned their bachelor’s degrees 10 years or more prior to applying to the program.

Technology Requirement

Successful participation and completion of the doctoral program in occupational therapy will require students to be competent in using computer and internet technology. Specifics about required technology can be found at https://www.huntington.edu/information-and-technology-services/computer-recommendations.

Advanced Placement and Experiential Learning

Advanced Placement (AP) and experiential learning are not options in the Huntington University OTD program to align with the OTD curricular completion of all accreditation standards as outlined in the ACOTE Standards.

Transfer Students

Graduate credits earned at other regionally accredited institutions may be transferrable to Huntington University's Graduate Programs. Only graduate courses with a grade of B- (2.67) or above are transferable. Generally, such credits must be no older than 10 years and must represent courses that can reasonably substitute for courses in the Huntington University Graduate Programs. Individual program directors determine the suitability of such courses for transfer credit and may deny transfer credit. Students will be asked to provide relevant materials for their transfer courses.

Students in the Occupational Therapy Program may transfer in a maximum of 12 credit hours. Although credits may transfer, no transfer grades are recorded nor counted in the cumulative grade point average.