Application Information and Qualifications

Professional Master of Science (MS) OT Program - Fall 2009

For Students with an Undergraduate Degree in a Discipline other than OT

 

Thank you for your interest in our Master of Science Occupational Therapy program at Colorado State University. Please note this information takes precedence over the instructions on the CSU Graduate School Application web site.

Application Information:

Admission is governed by the standards of the Graduate School and the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University. Applicants are encouraged to apply up to 12 months prior to the fall semester they anticipate entering the program. Applications are reviewed after October 31 for early acceptance and February 2 for regular acceptance (see below for details). Applicants who submit their applications one month prior to acceptance deadlines will be notified if their materials are complete or if additional information is required. Students whose application packages are not complete by the February 2 deadline will not be considered for admission. Final admission is contingent upon successful completion of prerequisites and an undergraduate degree.

• Specialization: The Occupational Therapy program does not offer specializations. The program prepares students as generalists per national accreditation standards.

• The MSOT program accepts only full-time students.

Application Deadlines (See Below for Qualifications):

• Early Acceptance - October 31
  • Notification of Acceptance - December 1

Approximately 50% of the class (20 students) are admitted in the early acceptance proess. Applicants must apply by October 31 and if accepted, will be guaranteed a position in the next incoming class as long as all prerequisite requirements can be met. Qualified applicants not admitted in November will be automatically considered in the regular acceptance process.

• Regular Acceptance - February 2
  • Notification of Acceptance - March 2

Regular acceptance will fill the remaining positions (20 students) in the next incoming class.

 

Minimum Qualifications, Fall 2009:

• Complete application packet
• All applicants must have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be considered for graduate school enrollment at Colorado State University.
• GRE Analytical Writing Measure score minimum of 4.0 (other sections of the GRE General Test are not required.
• Written plan to complete all prerequisites and undergraduate degree prior to fall semester 2009 (High grades in prerequisites are encouraged; the minimum grade for each prerequisite course is C).

International Acceptance Qualifications, Fall 2009: (Requirements for international applicants whose official native language is not English)

• Meet early or traditional acceptance qualifications and
• Minimum TOEFL score of 240 on computer-based exam or
• Minimum TOEFL score of 94 on internet-based exam or
• Minimum IELTS score of 7.0

Evaluation of Application:

Applications that meet the minimum qualifications are reviewed by the admissions committee. Acceptance decisions are based on multiple factors including:

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA
• GRE Analytical Writing score
• Prerequisites completed
• Grades obtained in prerequisite courses
• Personal statement
• Resume

Prerequisite Courses & Descriptions: 

Completion of the following courses can be accomplished through enrollment (on campus or online) at an accredited college, university, or community college. The number of credits is not indicated here as the courses are offered for various credits at the different institutions. Pass/fail courses or grades below a C are not accepted as prerequisite coursework.
*Brain and Behavior	Course must include functional systems and circuits of the human brain and include content on the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological basis of behavior.  CSU equivalent courses: BMS 345 or PSY 454. Course must appear on your transcript as taken in the year 1999 or later.
Human Disease	Students will be required to take a comprehensive multiple choice Human Disease/Conditions Challenge Exam based on independent preparation using Atchison (3rd edition). Conditions in Occupational Therapy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A minimum exam score of 80% is required for students to continue in the program. Students are allowed two exam attempts within the first month of the fall semester. Students may elect to take formal coursework in this content area; however, it is not required. Completion of a formal course will not substitue for passing the challenge exam. (CSU courses: MIP 101 or MIP 315)
Anatomy	Anatomy may be taken by itself or in combination with an anatomy and physiology course. A gross human anatomy course is also acceptable. The course must include gross anatomical structure of the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems and weekly labs on human gross anatomy using cadavers, CD ROM material, skeletons or three dimensional models. (CSU equivalent course: BMS 301 Human Gross Anatomy.) Courses must appear on your transcript as taken in the year 1999 or later. Note to students applying for 2010: In addition to the A&P requirements listed here, you will complete an online CSU course that will address human occupation and movement during summer 2010. Details will become available January 2009.
Physiology	Physiology may be taken by itself or in combination with anatomy in an anatomy and physiology course. The course must include all human body systems. If physiology is taken as a component of A&P in a two-semester sequenced course, both semesters must be completed. (CSU equivalent course: BMS 300 Principles of Human Physiology) Courses must appear on your transcript as taken in the year 1999 or later. Note to students applying for 2010: In addition to the A&P requirements listed here, you will complete an online CSU course that will address human occupation and movement during summer 2010. Details will become available January 2009.
Abnormal Psychology	(CSU equivalent course: PSY 320; also available via video at http://www.learn.colostate.edu/)
Sociology or Anthropology	Courses that address how culture affects one's thinking and behavior (e.g. ethics and cultural diversity courses also meet this requirement). (CSU equivalent courses: ANTH 100, ANTH 200, ANTH 340, ETST 316, IE 270, IE 550, PHIL 204, PHIL 205, SOC 100, SOC 205)
Lifespan Development	Courses in human development or developmental psychology that cover the entire lifespan. Available on-campus or online at http://www.learn.colostate.edu/ (CSU equivalent course: HDFS 101, HDFS 175/PSY 175)
Introduction to Occupational Therapy	Available on-campus or on-line at http://www.learn.colostate.edu (CSU equivalent course: OT 110)
Medical Terminology	Available on-campus or on-line at http://www.learn.colostate.edu (CSU equivalent course: OT 215). A certificate of completion form from a hospital-based medical terminology course is acceptable. Alternatively, students may take the comprehensive multiple choice Medical Terminology Challenge Exam given in the Department following independent preparation using Brooks (5th or 6th edition). Exploring Medical Language. Mosby. A minimum score of 80% is required for students to continue in the program. Students are allowed two exam attempts within the first month of the fall semester.
Statistics	Any basic statistics course that includes graphs, descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, correlation and simple regression and tests of association. (CSU equivalent course: STAT 201, STAT 204, STAT 301, STAT/ERHS 307, STAT 311) Course must appear on your transcript as taken in the year 1999 or later.

*A distance course that meets our requirements is Biological Psychology 1, PSYC 2012 (Section 640) at CU-Boulder.  Other similar courses would also meet our requirements.