Admission Requirements – Entry-level OTD

The Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy requires completion of four CORE prerequisites. Other recommended courses are listed below. Candidates may apply with two prerequisite courses completed and verification that enrollment and completion of all remaining courses will occur before the program start date.

Required

• Human Anatomy or Human Physiology (minimum 3 credit hours)
• Chemistry or Physics (minimum 3 credit hours)
• Statistics (minimum 3 credit hours)
• Psychology (minimum 3 credit hours)

Recommended

• Applied Math or higher (3 credit hours)
• Ethics (3 credit hours)
• Public Speaking (3 credit hours)
• Sociology or Anthropology (3 credit hours)

In addition to a completed online application, we require the following items:

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college: Candidates may apply in the final year of undergraduate study
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.2
• Minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.2
• We recommend 20 hours of human-service related experience or observation of two different settings or populations
  • NOTE: Due to current restrictions in healthcare facilities due to COVID-19, the hours are not required for application to the program. If you have previously completed observation hours, please submit them with your application. There is no minimum amount of hours required at this time.
• Selected candidates who advance will also complete an electronic interview

Please review our admission policy and procedures (PDF) before applying.

When applying through Spalding’s online application system, your applicant portal “My Account” page is the place to view, update and submit information to your application. You have access to:

• Update your profile
• Submit your application
• View your application
• Upload supplemental documents required for admission

Admissions Process & Application Confirmation

Upon submitting an application, candidates will receive an email acknowledgment with further instructions regarding all additional items required. Candidates can log into their application portal to upload transcripts, observation hours, and enter prerequisite credit hours and grades to complete their application. Once all items are received, candidates will receive an email confirmation that their application is complete.

All eligible candidates are invited to complete an online interview as the final step of the admissions process.

To be sure to receive all electronic communication from us, please add spalding.edu to your safe sender and/or contacts list. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folder.

Any applicant who has a felony conviction or record containing illegal, unethical, or incompetent behaviors may jeopardize their ability to obtain certification or licensure to practice occupational therapy.

If you would answer YES to any of the questions below, you must complete the NBCOT Early Determination Review process before applying to the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy:

1. Have you ever been charged and/or convicted of a felony? (NOTE: Applicants must answer affirmatively even if convictions have been pardoned, expunged, released, or sealed.)
2. Have you ever had any professional license, registration, or certification denied, revoked, suspended, or subject to probationary conditions by a regulatory authority or certification board?
3. Have you ever been found by any court, administrative, or disciplinary proceeding to have committed negligence, malpractice, recklessness, or willful or intentional misconduct which resulted in harm to another?
4. Have you ever been suspended and/or expelled from a college or university for non-academic reasons?

A copy of the NBCOT Early Review determination results must be included with the application to the OTD program.