Department of Occupational Therapy Dear MOT Applicant: Thank you for requesting an application packet for the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is one of the leading academic medical centers in the United States. UTMB occupies 85 acres and has 77 major buildings on its main campus. The state-supported facility operates six hospitals, and an extensive network of community-based clinics that provide primary and specialty care to communities throughout the state. UTMB s clinical, research, and educational activities extend throughout the east and coastal regions of Texas. The Occupational Therapy Department is the first such program in Texas and is situated within an Academic Medical Center. The program is nationally recognized and is rated in the top 20% of occupational therapy programs in U.S. News and World Report. It is renowned for 4 Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecturers and interprofessional education experiences. The Masters of Occupational Therapy is a concentrated preparation with 4 semesters on campus and 6 months of clinical rotation. Total completion time 2 years. Enclosed you will find the following application materials: Instructions for online application (1 application is all you need to apply) Instructions Recommendation Form (3 1 from an OT or COTA where you did your observation hours and 2 professional ones) Volunteer/Observation Experience Form Instructions for transcripts The professional course of study for a masters in occupational therapy is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). For more information on accreditation, write to 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, or call (301) 652-AOTA. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to take the exam from the National Board for the Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) required for licensure in Texas. Note: A felony conviction may affect a graduate s ability to take the NBCOT exam. For more information, please contact: National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150. Please feel free to contact me at (409) 772-3062 or email smceache@utmb.edu if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your application. Sincerely, Sharon McEachern Program and Admissions Coordinator
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Application dates have changed Acceptance Application process opens July 1 st through October 1 st (Please be aware that it takes approximately 4 weeks to process transcripts) Invitations to interview will go out beginning October 15 th Interviews will take place in October, November, and December Acceptance notification date will be no later than December 23 rd REQUIREMENTS Complete online application https://www.utmb.edu/onlineapp/default_secure.asp?strpurpose=viewapplication Have baccalaureate degree completed by the end of spring semester before starting program in fall. A degree in any area of study will be accepted. Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale o All courses from all colleges/universities are used for this calculation. If a course was repeated both grades will be used in the GPA calculation. Have a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale o All grades from prerequisite courses are used even if courses were repeated. Have at least 3 prerequisite courses completed before applying including at least 1 Anatomy & Physiology course. All prerequisites must be completed by the spring semester before starting the program in the fall. Courses will not be able to be taken during the summer semester. Courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. o Abnormal Psychology 3 credits o Human Anatomy & Physiology with lab 8 credits o Human Movement or General College Physics I 3 credits o Lifespan Human Development 3 credits o Neurological Basis for Human Behavior 3 credits o Statistics 3 credits o Introduction to Sociology 3 credits The applicant must send in ALL official transcripts from each college/university that was attended. These must be sent electronically to Enrollment Services. If the college/university does not have electronic transcript capabilities please have that college/university send a hard copy directly to Enrollment Services. However this will prolong the time that it takes to process the application. UTMB Enrollment Services 301 University Blvd. Galveston, TX 77555-1305 The applicant must provide documentation of a least 20 clock hours of observation, volunteer or paid experience in one or more occupational therapy settings prior to the time of application. The applicant
must independently locate volunteer settings. You will bring this if you are invited to interview. (Do not send to Enrollment Services, as that would delay your application) The applicant must provide three professional references. At least one of these recommendations must be from a supervisor (either an OTR or COTA) during your observation, volunteer or work setting. Reference form is located on our website and instructions on how to send in reference is located on the form. No letters will be accepted. (Do not send to Enrollment Services, as that would delay your application) We do not require the GRE SELECTION PROCESS Once the application materials arrive eligible students will be invited to attend an on-campus interview in Galveston. During this time on campus, prospective students will have an individual interview with a faculty member, have a group interview with other prospective applicants along with the admissions committee, and write an essay on a given topic. Also applicants will have the opportunity to visit with current students in the program. The admissions committee will meet after the last interviews are held. Students are weighted equally on overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, 3 reference forms, individual interview, group interview, and written essay. Notification will be received by email. Please be sure to include a working email address in your application. If accepted into the MOT program proof of immunization record, proof of health insurance, and a background check will be required.
Department of Occupational Therapy SECTION 1 (to be completed by applicant) School of Health Professions Referral Name The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and its amendments guarantee students access to their educational records. Students, however, are entitled to waive their rights of access concerning recommendations. Please check the statement that indicates your wish in regard to this recommendation. I waive the right to inspect the contents of this recommendation. I do not waive the right to inspect the contents of this recommendation. SECTION 2 (to be completed by reference) Name How long have you known the applicant? In what capacity do you know the applicant? Please rate this applicant in each of the following categories below: Analytical capacity/problem solving Character/honesty/integrity Conflict resolution/deals with criticism Decision making/judgment/ foresight Industry/self-direction/organization/perseverance Interpersonal/team skills Learning ability Maturity/emotional stability/attitude Oral/written communication skills Personal appearance Reliability Respects others Technology/equipment manipulation Time/stress management Excellent Above Average Average Below Average Poor Unable to Assess
Please help share any additional information about this applicant that might help us assess potential for success in the Occupational Therapy Program. Requirements Include 1: Indicate your overall assessment of the applicant s ability to complete a professional education program. (Highly Recommend, Recommend, Recommend with Reservation, or Do Not Recommend) 2: Please give at least one example of something the applicant has done that you feel best highlights his or her strengths. This could be a particular task or project, an interaction, or a challenging life situation you feel the person handled particularly well. 3: If applicable, please include your Occupational Therapy License number. 4: You may copy and paste an existing Letter of Recommendation into this section. PLEASE SEND THIS FORM BACK TO - you can either mail at the address listed below or email smceache@utmb.edu or fax to (409) 747-1615 Sharon McEachern UTMB SHP/Occupational Therapy 301 University Blvd Galveston, TX 77555-1142
Department of Occupational Therapy School of Health Professions University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston OBSERVATION OR VOLUNTEER HOURS Student Name LOCATION DATE NUMBER OF HOURS