Admissions

Welcome! We are pleased that you are considering Tennessee State University for your occupational therapy education.

Admissions Process

Please note:   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.

The TSU M.OT Program does not offer credit for prior experiential learning or work experience. Decisions about transferring credit from another accredited occupational therapy program are made on a case-by-case basis and review of the student’s transcripts/courses.

Becoming a TSU M.OT student involves three stages. Please read the following information to help you understand the expectations for each stage. If you need clarification about anything, please email the admissions team at OTAdmissions@tnstate.edu . We look forward to hearing from you!

Important Dates:

Deadline in OTCAS to be considered for the following fall admission: September 30th annually

Deadline to have all admissions requirements complete (e.g., documentation of shadowing hours, final transcripts received) for following fall admission: June 30th annually

STAGE ONE: Applying for Admission

Program admission is made through the Graduate School of Tennessee State University and the  OTCAS  application system. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission due to the competitive nature of the MOT program. In addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School, documentation of the following is required:

1 . GPA and UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE: Completion of a cumulative undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  This requires sending official transcripts from all colleges you have attended to OTCAS with TSU ETS Code: 1893. Degree may be in progress at time of application but must be conferred by June 1 prior to the fall start.

PREREQUISITE COURSES: Credit for advanced placement pre-requisite courses will be accepted if accepted by the undergraduate institution. Completion of the following prerequisite courses within the last 10 years with a minimum grade of "C" (C- cannot be accepted).   Six of the nine courses must be completed  by September 30th, to apply for the following fall class. Please complete the Academic Update in OTCAS during the availability time. Acceptable TSU courses are listed here; non-TSU courses that are   not listed per class name will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis- email questions to OTAdmissions@tnstate.edu.
OBSERVATION HOURS: Completion of a minimum of 30 hours of observation, volunteer, or work with an occupational therapy practitioner in a minimum of  two practice settings  and populations. Examples of practice settings include inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, school systems, long-term care facilities, home health, and community settings. Examples of client populations include pediatrics, adults, geriatrics, mental health, and hand therapy.  Observation hours may be completed with an occupational therapist (OT) or an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). Observation hours must be documented with the signatures of the licensed OT/COTA being shadowed (must provide “wet” signatures – not electronic). You may use any form that captures the required elements; however, here is an optional form to document observation hours to upload into OTCAS:  Observation Hours Form . At least 15 of the total 30 hours must be completed and documented in OTCAS by September 30 th to apply for the following fall class; all remaining hours will be due by June 30 th .

4.  REFERENCES : Submission of a minimum of 3 professional and/or academic references or letters of recommendation are required by September 30 th .  Family members or personal friends will not be accepted.

5.  TSU APPLICATION FEE : Payment of TSU Graduate School's $35 fee is completed through OTCAS by September 30 th .  The payment can be made through the following link and you may "check yes" for graduate school payment in OTCAS.  Graduate Application Fee

STAGE TWO: Interviews and Writing Samples

All students who meet the criteria listed in stage one will be invited to interview and provide a writing sample. The interview process is meant to identify applicants who have appropriate social interaction skills and layman’s knowledge of occupational therapy. The writing sample process provides insight into applicants’ written communication skills and basic understanding of occupational therapy.

The interview and writing samples will be completed in October-November of the year prior to starting the program. Typically, we host an in-person day during which time applicants complete a small group interview and a proctored electronic writing sample. A limited number of electronic interviews/writing samples are completed on a different day. Applicants also can meet with current students during this time for informal question and answer sessions. If students wish to come to campus for a tour of facilities at other times, please click here to schedule a department visit.

STAGE THREE: Joining a Cohort

Based on the results of stages one and two, a holistic formula is used to identify the top thirty applicants who will be invited to join the upcoming cohort. Invitations will be sent in late November-December of the year prior to starting the program. At this time, students are asked to review the OT student essential functions document and confirm their ability to succeed as an occupational therapy student.

Once the invited applicant accepts their invitation to join the cohort, they will be assigned a T number by the TSU Graduate School and asked to pay a $250 non-refundable seat fee to hold their seat in the upcoming cohort. This seat fee will be applied to fall tuition but is lost if the applicant changes their mind about joining the cohort. Any remaining admissions requirements must be met by the dates listed above, and all holds removed by the Graduate School prior to enrollment.

A waitlist is also created from students who rank lower on the initial list. The department will invite students from the waitlist on a rolling basis as needed to achieve a cohort of 30 students. If the full 30 seats are not filled using the process described here, a late admissions drive may occur in January – February, but this is not guaranteed.