Pre-Occupational Therapy

A solid foundation for your OT degree

If you're driven by helping others live life to the fullest, occupational therapy (OT) could be the profession for you. An Occupational Therapist helps clients develop and enhance activities of daily living so they can achieve success in motor, social, personal, academic, or vocational pursuits. To practice as an occupational therapist, you must first earn a graduate degree (MOT or OTD). UIndy's pre-occupational therapy concentration gives you the classroom and hands-on experiences to prepare you for the graduate years. Pre-occupational therapy is a concentration that will add to your chosen major, setting you on a path to a satisfying career.

  • Median salary: $81k (bls.gov)
  • Projected job growth 2014-2024: 27% (bls.gov)
  • ranked as a national university by u.s. news and world report

ADVANTAGES

  • Early Entry and Early Assurance programs available for high-achieving incoming students (see below)
  • Prepares you for UIndy’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) or Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) programs
  • Both classroom and hands-on learning opportunities

Watch Amy Ragle: The UIndy Effect connects students, faculty and community through a common thread of service, mission and tradition – all focused on contributing to a better world. Video highlights: Amy Ragle was mentored by Dr. Roger Sweets, Professor of Biology. She visited Costa Rica for a Spring Term trip. She also took the 3+3 Occupational Therapy course.

Watch Kristen Dyson

COMMON MAJORS

Pre-occupational therapy is an area of concentration, which you can add to many majors. Following are some of the most beneficial majors for someone who wants to become an occupational therapist.

Amy Ragle headshot
Amy Ragle
Pre-Occupational Therapy, Class of 2018

The course work at UIndy not only included the rigor and the preparation I needed to apply to grad school, but also gave me the foundational concepts I needed to be a successful graduate student.

Early Entry

This option allows you to be granted permission to start occupational therapy coursework in your fourth year after the completion of all undergraduate core and major requirements, excluding those that overlap with the OT curriculum. Students are not officially accepted to the OTD program until they have received their bachelor’s degree and completed two semesters of OT coursework. To qualify for this option, you must:

  • Be enrolled in the University of Indianapolis undergraduate programs
  • Declare a major with a concentration in Pre-OT
  • Submit a letter from your undergraduate advisor approving that all designated university core, major, and occupational therapy prerequisite courses will be completed prior to your fourth year of college
  • Apply during your junior year, requesting permission to take courses in the occupational therapy department

Early Assurance Admission Program

This unique option is for incoming freshmen who have declared pre-occupational therapy as a concentration in conjunction with any undergraduate major. With acceptance into the Early Assurance Admission program and fulfillment of all program criteria, you will be guaranteed admission into our entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. To be considered for the Early Assurance Admission Program, candidates must be admitted into any undergraduate degree program by the University of Indianapolis and meet the following:

  • High school minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
  • Proficiency in high school math and science courses
  • Declare pre-occupational therapy as a concentration by February 1
  • Optional: Qualified standardized test scores. Visit our Test-Optional Policy for more information.

Students will be reviewed for early assurance to the OTD three times per year in December, January, and February. Students will be notified by mail if they are awarded an early assurance offer and will need to return the intent form by the date noted in the letter in order to secure the early assurance offer. Once admitted to the Early Assurance Admission Program, students must maintain specific academic standards to keep their guaranteed status into the graduate program. These standards include:

  • If following the Early Entry option, all undergraduate major requirements must be met before entering the graduate program; if following the bachelor's degree option, the bachelor's degree must be completed before entering the graduate program
  • Students must complete and maintain a 3.5 GPA in all occupational therapy prerequisite courses before entering the graduate program
  • A grade of "C" or higher is required in all occupational therapy prerequisite coursework
  • Maintain a cumulative and prerequisite GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Attend a yearly, scheduled advising session with an assigned occupational therapy advisor and provide required documentation
  • Participate in an interview for the program

Curriculum Guides

These curriculum guides outline the different classes you will need to take as a Pre-Occupational Therapy major. The general education guide provides a list of all the classes you need in order to fulfill UIndy’s general education requirements. The Pre-Occupational Therapy guide lists all of the classes you will need to take in order to fulfill the major’s requirements. Be sure to take a look at both guides in order to get a complete picture of what classes you'll take at UIndy.