Sharon Holt, occupational therapy intent adviser, presented information Tuesday on Eastern’s occupational therapy major to a group of a dozen or so potential students.
“I will tell you this course is extremely rigorous,” said Holt.
The major, which starts at the beginning of the winter semester, has several degree programs. The combined occupational therapy major, for example, is for students with 70 to 75 credits in the fall and have 90 credits by the start of the semester.
The two-and-a-half-year-long program requires a 3.0 GPA and 100 credits of volunteer work. Within the five years before application, students will have had to complete 20 hours of volunteer work in “OT Assistance” and 20 hours of volunteer work in community justice. An additional 60 hours of volunteer work is needed in either respect.
Holt said winter is “foundational,” and fall is for “programming courses.” While a thesis is unnecessary, students who graduate will need to get a license from the state before they can practice. Like a medical license, they will have to get a different one if they move state to state. They will also have to continue seeking education throughout their career.
The program also requires three collegiate references, and each of these references needs to have been written in the last three years. As part of the application students are also required to take the Graduate Record Examination tests. GRE tests are what Holt described as SATs for college students.
Students can retake the tests up to five times per year. The cost is $200.
“We will take the highest from each section,” Holt said.
All of the application materials are to be put in a 1 to 1.5 inch binder and submitted to the department. To be considered, the applicant must have a car and health insurance.
The deadline for application is Aug. 31. More information can be found on theoccupational therapy website.
