Course Requirements Overview
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.
- Individual schools may require or recommend additional courses.
- All Prerequisites must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher.
- Schools vary on Credit-By-Exam (AP/IB/CLEP) policies and preferences for prerequisites.
- 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.
Recommended Pre-Occupational Therapy Courses
Some optometry schools require humanities and social/behavioral science courses. We strongly recommend taking courses in the following areas.
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Ethics
- Analytical problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Writing, interpersonal communications, and presentation skills
- Cultural studies
- Spanish and other language studies relevant to your career goals
UT Austin courses are typically taken to fulfill requirements.
| Subject | Lecture | Lab/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | BIO 311C + BIO 311D OR BIO 315H + BIO 325H | |
| Genetics | BIO 325 | |
| Anatomy | BIO 446L | |
| Physiology | BIO 365S | BIO 165U |
| Chemistry | CH 301 OR CH 301H | |
| Physics | PHY 302K OR PHY 317K OR PHY 303K OR PHY 301 | PHY 105M OR PHY 101L (only for PHY 301 sequence) |
| Kinesiology | KIN 320 OR KIN 326K | |
| Medical Terminology | CC 306M | |
| Statistics | SDS 302F OR SDS 320E | Note: Calculus or SDS 302F or SDS 320E will satisfy math prereq for BIO 446L & BIO 365S. Students with calculus credit have more statistics course options. Most Texas OT schools accept the following: SDS 302F, 320E, M 316, EDP 371, PSY 418, SOC 317L, STA 309, 309H. |
| Rhetoric (Composition) | RHE 306 | |
| Literature | E 316L, M, N, OR P | |
| Technical Writing | ENGL 2311 at Austin Community College | Technical Writing is not offered at UT Austin. Not all OT schools require; please look at schools you are interested in to determine if you need Technical Writing. |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | PSY 301 AND PSY 333D OR EDP 363M-6 OR EDP 350E AND PSY 352 AND SOC 302 |
Occupational Therapy School Prerequisite Course Timelines
See the Occupational Therapy Schools Prerequisite Courses Timelines below.
This timeline includes pre-occupational therapy course requirements for admission to most Texas and U. S. occupational therapy schools. Completing the pre-occupational therapy courses and extracurricular activities generally requires six semesters or longer, regardless of the student’s age or year in college. Your personal timeline may differ from this sample. Work with your academic advisor to incorporate these courses into your degree plan.
Important Note:
Timelines do not include all course options and details.
To be sure that you are fulfilling all requirements, see individual school websites. Research occupational therapy schools before you apply!
Additional Course Information
- Taking Courses Away from UT
- Are Extension Courses okay for health prereqs?
- Other Pre-Health non-science courses of interest