M.S. in Occupational Therapy Admissions

1. Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. Students who are in their final semester may apply, but the degree will be required before matriculation and enrollment in the MSOT program. Applicants should submit transcripts from all colleges attended (community college, bachelor’s, and master’s transcripts). A bachelor’s degree in any field is accepted as long as the program prerequisites have been met.  
2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. A grade of “C” or higher in prerequisite courses: Prerequisites can be taken outside of McDaniel if they are from a regionally accredited institution. Outstanding credits must be “in progress” or “planned” and must be completed prior to matriculation into the program. Anatomy and Physiology must be taken within seven years of the application period.  
   • Prerequisite courses:
     • Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology
     • Developmental Psychology (infancy through lifespan - students may have taken more than one course to meet this content)
     • Anatomy and Physiology (8 credits with lab)
     • Medical Terminology (1 credit or more)
     • Statistics
       • Options include behavioral, educational, psychological, or mathematical statistics. Business statistics does not fulfill this requirement.
     • Social Science
       • Options include: sociology, anthropology, public health, epidemiology, gerontology, philosophy, cultural or gender studies
4. Two letters of recommendation. Personal references are not accepted.
   • A professor, teacher or academic advisor or a person of your choice, other than a relative or family friend who can speak objectively about your strengths. such as a work supervisor or employer.
   • A person who can speak to your clinical potential, such as someone who supervised you during an OT-related experience or worked with you in a setting related to health care or populations related to OT.
5. OT-related experience/observation hours. A minimum of 30 in-person hours of occupational therapy-related experience or observation is required. We encourage applicants to visit different sites to experience the diversity of the OT practice. Activities such as volunteering as a camp counselor for children with disabilities or working as an aide at an assisted living facility count toward this requirement as they provide exposure to populations that interface with occupational therapists. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that a portion of the hours include observation with one or more occupational therapists. We also encourage you to supplement these types of experiences with non-traditional OT-related hours, which could include written reflection on books, podcasts, movies, website and alumni interviews, etc.
6. Personal statement. Describing your understanding of Occupational Therapy and reasons for interest in the profession.  It is encouraged that all written personal statements be completed without the assistance of an IA tool since the statement should provide information related to the individual’s personal and professional goals and aspirations as an Occupational Therapist.
   • In your personal essay, explain why you have chosen occupational therapy as your career path and how obtaining this degree aligns with both your short-term and long-term professional goals. Be sure to discuss how your personal experiences, educational background, and professional development have prepared you to achieve these goals. This essay is a critical part of your application, offering an opportunity to express yourself clearly and effectively.
7. Life experience. Participation and leadership in extracurricular activities, work, research, or other pursuits is considered a positive attribute. Submit resume providing details of work and other related life experience.
8. Personal Interview. After submitting your application, qualified candidates may be invited for a personal interview. Please note that this program is competitive and not all qualified applicants are invited for an interview. McDaniel alumni who are academically qualified are guaranteed an admission interview if the application is completed by the deadline.
9. Drug, Criminal Background & Child Abuse: All students who are offered admission are required to have a criminal background check and child abuse clearance. Some clinical sites may require students to be fingerprinted and/or undergo a drug test or other health clearances.

In alignment with program admissions policies and to ensure readiness for graduate-level coursework, applicants must meet the following requirements regarding prerequisite course completion:

• Recommendation for Competitiveness: Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete as many prerequisite courses as possible prior to submitting an application. This allows the Admissions Committee to fully evaluate the applicant’s academic preparation and performance in foundational coursework.
• Early Decision Applicants: All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed, with final grades posted, by the end of the fall semester of the application year.
• Regular Decision Applicants: All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed by the end of the spring term immediately preceding matriculation.
  • No more than three prerequisite courses may remain outstanding at the time of application.
  • Any outstanding prerequisites must be in progress during the spring term and completed with a final grade posted no later than the institution’s spring term end date.
• Conditional Acceptance: Applicants admitted while prerequisite coursework is in progress will receive a conditional offer of admission. Final acceptance is contingent upon:
  • Successful completion of all remaining prerequisites with a grade of “C” or higher (or as otherwise specified in program policy).
  • Submission of official, final transcripts from all institutions verifying prerequisite completion to McDaniel College no later than May 25.

Failure to meet these conditions will result in revocation of the admission offer.

McDaniel’s Bachelor’s to Master’s 5-year accelerated program admission is designed for academically qualified first-year students or current McDaniel undergraduate students who are confident they want to become occupational therapists. The pathway program provides guaranteed admission to the master’s program to entering first-year students and current McDaniel students who are admitted to the pathway. Students admitted to the pathway will be required to meet progression criteria while an undergraduate student to matriculate to the master’s degree. Students who pursue this pathway will earn both a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree from McDaniel College. Students generally major in Kinesiology, Health Sciences, or Psychology when pursuing the B.A. to M.S. pathway, but other majors can be considered. 

First-year students who are interested in the Bachelor’s to Master’s (4+2) 5-Year Accelerated program admission pathway will apply to McDaniel as a first-year student and must meet the following admissions criteria: 

1. High school degree with a minimum 3.00 GPA or higher (unweighted) with the following recommended courses. Grade of B or better in all high school science and math courses.
   • 4 years of English
   • 3 years of math
   • 3 years of natural sciences – including a course in Biology
   • 3 years of social sciences
   • The following courses are not required but highly recommended: Biology, Psychology, Statistics, and Anatomy. AP courses are also considered favorably.
2. Two letters of recommendation.
   • A professor, teacher, counselor, academic advisor, or a person of your choice other than a relative or family friend, who can speak objectively about your strengths, such as a work supervisor or employer.
   • A person who can speak to your potential as an occupational therapist, such as someone who supervised you during an OT-related experience or worked with you in a setting related to health care or populations related to OT.
3. Evidence of strong leadership and/or strong leadership in school or community activities. Please submit a resume highlighting these activities and any work history.
4. Personal statement describing your understanding of occupational therapy and reasons for interest in the profession.  It is encouraged that all written personal statements be completed without the assistance of an IA tool since the statement should provide information related to the individual’s personal and professional goals and aspirations as an Occupational Therapist.
   • In your personal essay, explain why you have chosen occupational therapy as your career path and how obtaining this degree aligns with both your short-term and long-term professional goals. Be sure to discuss how your personal experiences, educational background, and professional development have prepared you to achieve these goals. This essay is a critical part of your application, offering an opportunity to express yourself clearly and effectively.
5. Personal Interview. After completion of the application, qualified candidates may be invited for an interview. Please note that this program is competitive and not all qualified applicants are invited for an interview.
6. Life experience. Participation and leadership in extracurricular. activities, work, research, or other pursuits is considered a positive attribute. Submit resume providing details of work and other related life experience.

Progression Criteria: Maintaining a 3.25 Cumulative GPA and a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses and a cumulative 3.25 GPA in prerequisites. Students may not repeat more than one prerequisite course. 

Prerequisite Courses:

• Abnormal Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Anatomy and Physiology (8 credits with lab)
  • Medical Terminology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics

Current McDaniel students who want to pursue the 5-year accelerated program must meet the pathway admission requirements outlined above. Students will be required to apply to the program according to the application deadlines. All current McDaniel students who are academically qualified will be guaranteed an admissions interview. 

In accordance with ACOTE Standard A.5.2 (2023), the McDaniel College Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MS in OT) degree is awarded only after the student has successfully completed all program requirements in no more than six full-time academic years. 

The Five-Year Accelerated BA/MS in Occupational Therapy Program fulfills this standard through a clearly defined sequence that includes: 

• Pre-professional phase: Three full-time academic years (six fall/spring semesters) at the undergraduate level.
• Professional phase: Two full-time academic years (eight - Summer/Fall/Jan term/Spring semesters over two full years) at the graduate level. 

This Five-year accelerated BA to MS in OT program sequence results in a total of 14 semesters inclusive of two Summer and two Jan terms, totaling no more than six full-time academic years and encompassing both the pre-professional and professional phases of the OT program.