College of Science and Health > Academics > Occupational Therapy > Graduate Program > Occupational Therapy (MS) > Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

​Fall 2025 cohort

The fall 2025 application is closed.  The fall 2025 application deadline was January 15, 2025.

Fall 2026 cohort

The fall 2026 application will open in OTCAS on July 18, 2025.  The fall 2026 application deadline will be January 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST. ​ ​

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​​​​​​​​How to apply

Online applications must be submitted through OTCAS. OTCAS is the online, centralized application service for Occupational Therapy graduate programs nationwide. Visit the OTCAS Applicant Help Center for detailed application instructions.  There is no supplemental application through DePaul's website- you will only apply via OTCAS​.

Application Deadline

The application deadline is January 15 annually. ​ ​  We recommend submitting your application via OTCAS 3-4 weeks ahead of the deadline to allow time to verify your application credentials. We will only review applications complete or verified by the deadline. After submitting in OTCAS if you do not receive a confirmation email from DePaul University, OTCAS has not yet verifie​d your credentials and should be contacted.​ 

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​Requirements

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program is designed as a full-time course of study. Students must complete and fulfill the following requirements upon application:

  • Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is preferred.  If your GPA is below 3.0, there is an additional personal statement question to address your academic history​.  You can apply while you are still enrolled in undergraduate degree program or while you are completing prerequisite coursework.​
  • Prerequisites:  See "Prerequisites" heading below for specific requirements.
  • Personal Statement/Essay (upload in the "Documents" section of OT​CAS): Please submit in ONE document the responses to the following personal statement prompts. Keep the response to each prompt around 2-pages double spaced.  Please do not submit a document with more than 8-10 pages.​
    • What aspects of the DePaul Occupational Therapy program resonate with you and make it a good fit for you? (Please limit to approximately 500 -750 words). 
    • Describe your understanding of the occupation​al therapy profession and the steps you have taken to learn about OT. (Please limit to approximately 500 -750 words). ​
    • ​It is essential that occupational therapists are prepared to provide culturally sensitive and relevant care. Describe experiences you have had or pursued to learn about what diversity, equity, inclusion mean to you. How would your understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion inform your work as an OT? (Please limit to approximately 500 -750 words). ​​
    • If your academic record does NOT accurately reflect your capabilities, please describe why it does not. Present any inform​ation that may assist the admissions committee in interpreting and evaluating your academic history or credentials.​
  • Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters of recommendation (e.g. professor, supervisor, or employer), on professional letterhead (recommended), who can comment on the academic, clinical and professional experiences of the applicant should be submitted via OTCAS.
  • Transcripts: Official transcripts of all undergraduate coursework will be submitted directly to OTCAS.
  • Observation Hours: A minimum of 25 observation hours completed with an OTR/L is required upon application. Observation hours may be fulfilled by taking Introduction to Occupational Therapy or by viewing online modules and submitting a reflection paper.

Prerequisites

  • All prerequisite courses must be completed for college credit with a grade of “C” or better and within 10 years before the start of the MS program.
  • Prerequisites must be completed at regionally-accredited colleges or universities. 
  • Applicants must have five prerequisite courses completed at the time of application. Of those five courses, at least one must be in anatomy/A&P I or physiology/A&P II.  The three outstanding prerequisites must be in progress or planned.  If you submit with less than 5 prerequisites complete, you must submit the Academic Update in OTCAS once your fall grades are posted.
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (or Human Anatomy) with lab
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology II (or Human Physiology) with lab
    • Intro to Sociology or Cultural Anthropology
    • General/Intro to Psychology
    • Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology
    • Lifespan Developmental Psychology/Human Development (covering birth to death; can be one course or a combination)
    • Statistics
    • Medical Terminology​
  • ​If you have questions about whether a course you have taken or plan to take will meet a prerequisite, please email CSHgrad@depaul.edu with the school and course number/name for review.​


Regarding transfer credit

The occupational therapy program at DePaul University does not accept transfer credits or experiential learning credits toward fulfillment of graduate-level coursework required to complete the MSOT degree.

International Students 

All instruction in the MSOT program is conducted in English. To be considered, a candidate must submit:
  • Course -by-course credential evaluation report (including transcripts). 
    • Applicants can send an official WES evaluation directly to OTCAS.  
    • DePaul also accepts evaluations from: One Earth, Educational Perspectives or ECE which would need to be sent directly to DePaul (not OTCAS). 
    • Please check with cshgrad@depaul.edu if you're interested in utilizing any other evaluation service to make sure it is acceptable.
  • Official English proficiency exam scores- TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test are accepted for applicants whose education was completed in a language other than English or their native language is not English.  The minimum required scores to review an application are below.  Applicants that do not meet these minimum scores will not be eligible for review.
    • TOEFL = 96
    • IELTS = 7.0
    • Duolingo = 125
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Health documentation, background check and drug screening​

Occupational therapy is a profession that interacts with patients, clients, and vulnerable populations within a variety of settings. The occupational therapy program requires that students participate in such interactions during clinical training and fieldwork as requirements for graduation. Therefore, students must be vaccinated against specific communicable diseases or have tests verifying immunity before enrollment. This includes documentation of the COVID-19 vacci​nation.

To begin the program and participate in the required course-related clinical experiences and fieldwork, ​students must satisfy criminal offense background checks. In addition, students must complete drug screening as required by fieldwork placements. Results of background checks and drug screening may affect a student’s ability to participate and progress through the program.



Take the next step

Learn more about Graduate Admission.

If you need assistance to complete your application and/or have q​uestions, contact the CSH Graduate Admission office at (773) 325-7315 or CSHgrad@depaul.edu.