Health Professions

Currently, a master’s degree in occupational therapy is the minimum degree that is required to practice as an occupational therapist. There has been talk about making future changes to require a doctoral degree for OTs, similar to the changes made with physical therapy, but this has not been implemented yet. Most occupational therapy programs require that you earn a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the program. Other programs are available for occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) which work under the supervision of OTs. We will focus on Masters in Occupational Therapy (MOT) programs here. There are a few common requirements for most MOT program applications:

  • Prerequisite courses finished
  • GRE test scores
  • Observational hours
  • Recommendation letters
  • Resume
  • Personal statement
  • **NOTE that many schools require applications are to be submitted through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). Schools may require that your OTCAS application is VERIFIED by the application service by the deadline, which can take up to 6 weeks after all documents have been submitted. There are fees starting at $140 attached to the OTCAS application to keep in mind. The price increases depending on the number of schools you apply to using the service.

    For more information on fees click here

    * MAKE SURE TO CHECK PROGRAM WEBSITE FOR UPDATED DATES AND REQUIREMENTS EACH YEAR, THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED MARCH 2016



    What MOT programs can I apply to in Florida?

    University of Florida - Public

    Florida Gulf Coast University - Public

    Florida International University - Public

    NOVA Southeastern University - Private

    Barry University - Private

    Additional Accredited Occupational Therapy Programs in Florida

  • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) - public - ranked 126
  • University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences - private - ranked 126
  • Adventist University of Health Sciences - private - ranked 142
  • AOTA Accrediting Website