Course Requirements Overview
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This is a guide to common pre-occupational therapy course requirements.
Professional schools have a variety of prerequisites required for admission to their programs. On this page, we include information about timelines for pre-occupational therapy requirements and the options available.
- School requirements can change. See individual school websites and admissions guides under “Research Occupational Therapy Schools Before You Apply.” We always recommend checking for any updates.
- Individual schools may require or recommend additional courses.
- All prerequisites must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher.
- Some schools may require a higher minimum grade.
- Many programs prefer in-person coursework, and some programs may not allow online coursework. Check individual schools' websites for their policies.
- Schools vary on Credit-By-Exam (AP/IB/CLEP) policies and preferences for prerequisites. Please see our frequently asked questions page on “Can I Claim AP/IB Credit?”
Course Requirements
The following are general requirements based on Texas occupational therapy schools. School requirements can change. We always recommend checking for any updates before choosing your courses. Research occupational therapy schools online for specifics.
Most Texas occupational therapy schools require:
- Anatomy: 3 hours of lecture with 1 hour of lab
- Physiology: 3 hours of lecture with 1 hour of lab
- General Physics or Biomechanics: 3 hours of lecture
- Mathematics: 3 hours of statistics
- Psychology: 6 hours of lecture
- Social Sciences: 3-6 hours of lecture
- English / Composition: 3 hours of lecture
Some occupational therapy schools also require additional courses in humanities or social/behavioral sciences. Taking additional science courses can also improve your application. In addition to the requirements, we also strongly recommend taking courses in the following areas as well:
- General Biology
- Genetics
- Psychology, Sociology, and other behavioral sciences
- Philosophy and/or Ethics
- Foreign Languages or Culture Studies, relevant to your career goals
- Rhetoric, literature, and writing courses
- Analytical problem-solving skills
- Critical thinking skills
Course Timelines
Completing the pre-occupational therapy course requirements can generally require six semesters or longer, regardless of the student's age or classification in college. Your personal timeline may differ depending on your academic record, background, and other factors. Your timeline is your own.
Our general recommendation is enrollment in 14-16 hours a semester between your prerequisites, major coursework, and core curriculum. Work with your academic advisor to incorporate these into your degree plan.
Note: This timeline may not include all required classes. Please check your target schools' websites for their exact prerequisite requirements. Research these requirements early, so that you are not caught off guard in your application year!
UT Austin Course Recommendations
The following are the courses commonly taken to meet occupational therapy prerequisites at UT Austin. This not not an exhaustive list of the courses that can be taken to complete these requirements. If you have questions about a specific course, please reach out to your academic advisor or schedule an appointment with the Health Professions Office.
| Requirement | Courses to Fulfill the Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Sciences |
Lecture
OR
Lab
OR
|
|
| Anatomy |
|
|
| Physiology |
|
|
| Physics |
Lecture
Lab
|
|
| Statistics |
|
|
| English / Composition / Writing |
|
|
| Social & Behavioral Sciences |
|
Some programs may also accept sociology or anthropology in place of one psychology course. Check school admissions websites for more information about their exact requirements.
|
| Medical Terminology |
|
|
Researching Requirements for OT Programs
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has a directory of accredited OT programs in the country. Students may use this directory to research programs within their desired degree, location, program format, and more.
- ACOTE School Directory
- To search specifically for OTD programs, click on the filter for Degree Level and select “OT Doctorate.”
- To search for schools specifically in Texas, click on the filter for State and select “TX."
- To find out more about the program, click on “Visit Program's Website” and navigate to their Admissions page.
Other Course Recommendations
Course Sequencing at UT Austin
You may wonder why courses like biology and chemistry are recommended even if they are not required for some OT programs. In the Health Professions Office, we are dedicated to ensuring that you succeed in your endeavors to become a health care professional.
Taking introductory level courses at UT Austin helps to prepare you for your upper-division studies here, like anatomy and physiology. Without that foundational knowledge, a student may struggle to be successful in an upper-division course when they do not meet the prerequisite. Therefore, our recommendation is going to be that you set yourself up for the most successful outcome by meeting the posted prerequisites on the course schedule.
If you have questions about the sequencing of classes or questions about prerequisites for classes here at UT Austin, please reach out to that specific department for their recommendations.
AP, IB, Dual Credit, and Transfer Courses
Students should take care when deciding whether to claim AP or IB credit for prerequisite courses. Please see our FAQ with our full recommendations. If you are thinking about taking courses away from UT Austin after your first year at UT Austin, please see our recommendations for where to take courses.
What if I'm a transfer student who took prerequisites at my previous institution?
Our recommendations are different for students who transferred to UT Austin with previous prerequisite courses completed, especially science and math courses. Please see our FAQ for our full recommendations on advising transfer students.
Non-Science Pre-Health Courses at UT Austin
If you are interested in taking additional pre-health related courses to strengthen or diversify your application, we recommend reviewing the approved courses for the Pre-Health Certificate for Science Majors in your catalog.
It is not required for students to pursue the certificate to take these courses. Visit the Pre-Health Certificate website for more information.