Admissions

Application Procedure:
Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy

Thank you for your interest in the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.  We are a fully accredited program and we are very excited at the prospect of reviewing your application to the UW-L Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Degree.  We hope you find this website helpful as you prepare for submitting an application to our program.  Within this website, you will find links to the application materials required by the program, including a new application that can now be submitted online.  There is also detailed information on the admissions procedure.  We have also included helpful information on how to prepare a competitive portfolio, ways of finding job shadow opportunities, and detailed information on our pre-requisite coursework requirements.  Please feel free to contact the Occupational Therapy Program with any additional questions you might have regarding the application process, we are happy to assist you, at otprogram@uwlax.edu.

It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Occupational Therapy Program that all students who desire admission to the program must meet the requirements and complete the admission process. All applications will be carefully reviewed, adhering to the procedure detailed below.

The Occupational Therapy Program at UWL does not discriminate regarding gender, race or ability. All applicants are encouraged to apply.  If you have a special need/accommodation to aid your participation in our application process, please contact the Occupational Therapy program at otprogram@uwlax.edu to make appropriate arrangements.

Twenty-four students are admitted into the occupational therapy program each year.  The admissions process is competitive. Students with strong GPA’s and competitive portfolios will be stronger candidates for admission.  Some applicants may be placed on an alternate list, in which an admission decision will be made later in the spring semester - approximate mid March through mid April.  There will be notification of a final admission decision no later than May 1 of the admission year. 

Overview of Application Process

Application Requirements

FAQs About Pre-Requisite Courses

Pre-Requisite Approval Request Forms

Application Portfolio

Application Forms

General Directions

Admission Decision

Notification

How To Prepare a Competitive Portfolio

Overview of Application Process

  1. Twenty-four students will be admitted into the occupational therapy program each year.
  2. Candidates must submit their OT Program application electronically. All other required materials (shadowing, references, etc.) should be sent together in one mailing.  We no longer require applicants to submit their application in a binder.  A confirmation will be sent to the candidate within 2 working days of receiving all application materials.
    NOTE:  For 2010 we will still accept the binder/portfolio format used in previous years.
  3. Complete application file is due by January 15th in the Business Services office.
  4. Application fee of $35 must be included with application mailing.
  5. Application to UW-L Graduate Studies must be completed by January 15th (Online Application)
  6. Applications to the Occupational Therapy program and the Graduate Studies can be submitted prior to January 15th.  The application review process will be initiated for all of the received applications after the January 15th deadline.
  7. Candidates will be selected and notified about their admission status by the second week in March.
  8. Written acceptance and tuition deposit are due in mid-April.
  9. Students will be notified with summer schedule by May 1st.
  10. Orientation of the incoming class will be held the first week of summer school.
  11. Note: Graduate classes begin in the summer of admission year, approximately the 3rd week of May.

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Application Requirements

  1. Earned undergraduate degree or one of the two following exceptions:
    - degree will be completed by the end of the spring semester of application year
    - applicant is enrolled in the Psychology-Occupational Therapy Dual Degree Program.
  2. Completion of prerequisite coursework
    - (6-8 credits) Anatomy & Physiology with lab
    - (4 credits) Physics
    - (3 credits) Life Span Development
    - (3-4 credits) Statistics or Principles of Research
    - (3 credits) Sociology or Intro to Anthropology (effective for OT Admissions cycle 2011)
    - (3 credits) Abnormal Psychology (effective for OT Admissions cycle 2011)
  3. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 for undergraduate studies
  4. No prerequisite coursework with a grade below C
  5. No more than two pre-requisite courses with a grade of C
  6. Completed application for admission to UW-L graduate studies. Follow the link to the UW-La Crosse graduate application.
  7. A minimum of ten hours of job shadowing with an occupational therapist
  8. Payment of $35 for the UWL application fee and $56 for the graduate studies application fee.
  9. The UW-L Occupational Therapy program does not require the GRE scores.

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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Pre-Requisites

1.  Do all pre-requisite courses need to be completed before I apply to the program?

No.  Pre-requisites must be successfully completed prior to beginning the program in the summer.      

NOTE:

  Our program begins the 3rd week of May.  You may take pre-requisite courses the spring semester prior to the start of the program.  There is a section on the application to document the courses that are in progress during the spring.  Acceptance into the program is provisional until we confirm that the courses have been completed with the acceptable grade.

2.  What is an acceptable grade for pre-requisite courses?

You must receive at least a "C" or above in all pre-requisite courses, and there is a maximum of 2 "C's" in pre-requisite coursework.

3.  Which UW-La Crosse courses are acceptable as pre-requisites for the MSOT program?

Required Coursework UW-L Coursework
Anatomy and Physiology
with Lab
6-8 credits (2 semesters)		 BIO 312 and BIO 313
(Pre-reqs for these are BIO 103 or 105 & CHEM 103)
OR
ESS 205 and 206
(Pre-reqs for these are BIO 103 or 105 or MIC 100)
Physics
4 credits		 PHY 125 preferred
(PHY 103 or PHY 104 are acceptable)
Human Life-Span Development
3 credits		 PSY 210 or PSY 212
(Psych majors and Dual Degree Majors take PSY 210)
Statistics or Principles of Research
3-4 credits		 MTH 145

Starting with the 2011 admissions cycle, the following pre-requisites are also required:

Sociology and/or Anthropology
3 credits		 Several Choices including:
SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 202, SOC 225,
ANT 101, ANT 202, ANT 203
Abnormal Psychology
3 credits		 PSY 304


4.  Do you accept pre-requisites courses from other UW System campuses or colleges not associated with the UW System?

Yes, we welcome students from other campuses and we are very happy to help you determine how courses taken at other campuses will meet our requirements.  We will accept pre-requisite courses from all other accredited higher education programs that are equivalent to the pre-requisite courses here at UW-La Crosse.

5.  What content should be covered in the pre-requisite coursework?

   When selecting courses to fulfill our pre-requisites, they should include the following:
   

Anatomy and Physiology w/Lab:

    This is typically a combination of 2 courses equaling 6-8 credits.  Between the two courses the
    majority of the following should be covered:  a comprehensive study of physiological principles,
    membrane physiology, body fluid compartments, fluid and electrolyte balance and the skeletal,
    muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive and urinary
    systems of the human body.
   

Physics:

    An acceptable physics course is 4 credits including a lab.  It must be math based (studies physics
    concepts using algebra and trigonometry), and it must also cover the majority of the following topics:
    matter, motion, energy, thermodynamics, waves, light, and electricity.
   

Human Development Across the Lifespan:

    An acceptable course is 3 credits.  The course will emphasize the historical, theoretical, and
    methodological approaches to human development.  It should include psychological principles,
    concepts, historical and recent research for areas of prenatal, cognitive, language, social/emotional,
    and physical development.
   

Statistics or Principles of Research:

    An acceptable course is 3-4 credits.  The course should cover the majority of the following:
    descriptive statistics, binomial and normal distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, along with an
    introduction to z, t, F, chi-square test statistics, computer use, and statistics software.
   

Abnormal Psychology (beginning with the 2011 admissions cycle):

    An acceptable course is 3 credits.  The course needs to study the majority of the following:  clinical
    descriptions, biopsychosocial causes and the associated treatments of psychological disorders with
    special emphasis on mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and assessment and diagnosis.
   

Sociology (beginning with the 2011 admissions cycle):

    An acceptable course is 3 credits.  The course needs to cover the majority of the following:  the role
    of socio-cultural, socioeconomic, and diversity factors and lifestyle choices in contemporary society.

6.  How can I find out if the courses I took (or plan to take) at another university are equivalent to your pre-requisites:

    Step 1:  Closely review the table above that lists our pre-requisites and the UW-L courses that meet
                  these requirements.
    Step 2:  Review the courses you took - or plan to take and determine how these will meet our
                 requirements.
    Step 3:  If your courses were taken at a pubic institution in Wisconsin, access the UW System
                 Transfer Information System at University of Wisconsin Transfer Information System.
    Step 4:  Enter your courses and determine how they will transfer in at UW-L.  Please note you are not
                 "transferring" these courses in the traditional sense, but you are determining if your courses
                  are equivalent to the courses at UW-L.
    Step 5:  If your courses are equivalent to UW-L courses listed as fulfilling our pre-requisites, they will
                 be accepted by our program and you can rest assured that you have met our pre-requisite
                 requirements.

    Note:    If you would like help with this process, or you are from a school outside of Wisconsin, you
                may contact Assistant to the College of Science and Health Dean - Carla Burkhardt at
                burkhard.carl@uwlax.edu or 608-785-8156, and she would be more than happy to help you.

7.  My course does not transfer in as one of the courses you will accept.  I would like the course I took/plan to take to be considered as fulfilling one of the pre-requisites.  What do I do now?

If a course does not transfer in as a course we accept, but you would like this course considered as fulfilling a pre-requisite you may request a personal review of this course by submitting a completed "Pre-Requisite Approval Form".  The admissions coordinator will use this form to determine if a course you have completed or plan to complete will fulfill the pre-requisite requirements.  Click on the pre-requisites below to obtain the appropriate form.  Once the completed form has been received, the admission coordinator will review your request and respond to you with a decision.

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Pre-Requisite Approval Request Forms

All of these request forms can now be completed and sent electronically.

Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (6-8 credits)
This pre-requisite is typically fulfilled by completing a two course series in anatomy and physiology.  For your convenience, topics covered within the two course series have been included on one course equivalency request form. 
Obtain Form

Physics (4 credits)
Obtain Form

Human Development Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
This pre-requisite can be met by taking one course that covers the entire life span - infancy through older adults.  You can also take a series of human development courses that when combined covers infancy through older adults.  If this is the case, please document all of these courses on one form.
Obtain Form


Statistics or Principles of Research (3-4 credits)
Obtain Form


Sociology and/or Anthropology (3 credits)
Obtain Form
Note:  This course is required beginning with the 2011 admission cycle.


Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
Obtain Form
Note:  This course is required beginning with the 2011 admission cycle.

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Application Portfolio

Candidates will submit a portfolio that consists of the following sections:

  1. Completed Application to the Occupational Therapy Program, including personal narrative, submitted online
  2. $35 payment
  3. Occupational Therapy Job Shadow or Work Experience Reference (Non-Confidential)
  4. Disclosure Statement
  5. Letters of Reference (Confidential)
  6. Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (these need to go to UW-L Graduate Admissions office)
    Not to UWL students:  UWL will automatically include a copy of your transcript when you complete the Graduate School application
  7. Sample of best written work from undergraduate degree
  8. Application Checklist

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General Directions

The UWL OT Program is excited to announce a transition to a new application that can be submitted electronically. This move should increase efficiency and drastically decrease the time it takes the program to receive and process applications.  Also, the program no longer requires applicants to compile their materials in a 1/2" binder.  You may simply include all of your materials in a large envelope for mailing.

For the 2010 admission cycle we will still accept paper applications and the previously required binders.  Submission of your application using the past method will not adversely affect your application status or any admissions decisions.

  1. Application and Narrative

    High quality applications are complete and free of typing and grammatical errors.

    The personal narrative is your opportunity to share your experiences, perspectives, and insights. This narrative will be evaluated for depth of thought, conciseness, and written communication style. The first person point of view is acceptable in your response; however, keep in mind that this is not a casual paper. High quality narratives will demonstrate flawless writing mechanics, address all of the questions in detail, reflect depth of thought, and portray the student’s unique perspective.

  2. Reference: Occupational Therapy Job Shadow or Work Experience

    A minimum of 10 hours of job shadowing of an occupational therapist is required. This may be either volunteer or work experience but must include direct observation of an occupational therapist not a certified occupational therapist assistant. Students may choose to complete all job shadow hours in one facility or they may choose to job shadow in more than one facility. An Occupational Therapy Job Shadow or Work Experience (Non-Confidential) form must be completed by each therapist the student shadowed and included in the admission packet mailing.
    Form

  3. References: Confidential

    The confidential letters of reference must be submitted in sealed envelopes with the signature of the reference written across the sealed flap. A minimum of 3 letters of reference is required.  One of the references must be from someone with whom you've had a formal working relationship, and who can speak to your interpersonal skills and work ethic.  These letters may be returned to you in signed and sealed envelopes.  You can then include them in your admission packet mailing.
    Form

  4. Disclosure Statement

    Occupational therapy applications must disclose a criminal record or denial or revocation of licensure. While the existence of these does not constitute an automatic bar to admission, students should be advised that existence of a felony may have implications for fieldwork placement, authorization to sit for the NBCOT examination and ability to obtain a state license.  This form should be included with your application packet mailing.
    Form

  5. Transcripts

    Transcripts from all institutions attended as an undergraduate are required by the graduate school admission's office.  You do not need to submit UW-L transcripts to the graduate school admissions office; however you do need to submit all non-UW-L transcripts to the graduate school admissions office.  Original transcripts that were issued to the student are acceptable; photocopies of transcripts are not acceptable.  You do not need to include your transcripts with your portfolio; they will be supplied to the O. T. program by the graduate school admissions office.

  6. Sample of Best Work

    The sample of your best written work should be between 3-10 pages and is strictly limited to 10 pages.  It should be a formal, scholarly paper complete with references.  It is acceptable to submit a portion of a larger project or more than one project, however references should be included. Please note that the limit of 10 pages will be strictly enforced: only the first 10 pages, and the references, will be read.  Include your writing sample with your application packet mailing.

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Admission Decision

Weight
Characteristic
60 Points
G.P.A. (higher gets more points)
15 Points
Personal narrative
15 Points
References (OT job shadow & confidential references)
10 Points
Writing sample (best written work from undergraduate degree)
100 Points
TOTAL
5 Points
Exceptional Achievement (bonus)

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Notification

Students will be notified in writing of the action taken on their application for admission by mid March. Possible actions include:

  1. Admission:

    All pre-requisite requirements are met including earned undergraduate degree. Admitted to the program for the following summer class.

  2. Conditional Admission:

    Admission contingent on completion of prerequisite course work or other requirements as specified.

  3. Probational Admission:

    Admitted to the program for the following summer class on academic probation. Student has 9 credit hours to earn overall graduate GPA of 3.0 to remain enrolled in the program.

  4. Wait List:

    Qualified candidates will be placed on a wait list in the event that openings arise in the cohort. Notification of admission will be sent by May 1.

  5. Not Admitted:

    Student was not admitted to the program. Students are encouraged to contact their occupational therapy advisor for additional information.

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How To Prepare A Competitive Portfolio  

The admission decision is made by using a point system (please refer to admission decision section). Here are some suggestions for you when preparing your portfolio. Feel free to contact the Occupational Therapy Program at otprogram@uwlax.edu or (608) 785-8470 with questions you may have regarding your application.

    • GPA:  The minimum GPA for admission into the Occupational Therapy Program is 3.0. The higher the GPA, the more points that are awarded. It is recommended that students make academic success a priority. Particular emphasize on success in the pre requisite coursework is suggested.
       
    • Pre-requisite course work:  Make sure that all of your pre requisite course work will be completed by the end of the spring semester of the application year. Clearly document within the application how you have met or will meet the pre requisites. If you are unsure if a course you have taken or plan to take will meet our pre requisite requirement, please contact the Occupational Therapy Program at otprogram@uwlax.edu. It is very strongly recommended and typically necessary that any pre-requisite coursework taken from institutions other than UW-L will require a review by the Admissions Coordinator to determine the acceptability of the coursework to meet the content requirements of the pre-requisites courses.

    • Personal Narrative:  It is highly suggested applicants devote sufficient time in the preparation of their narrative. After completion of the narrative it is suggested applicants receive feedback from others regarding the quality of their work. The occupational therapy admissions committee will evaluate the depth of thought, conciseness, and written communication style of the narrative. High quality narratives are written in a professional not casual manner, demonstrate flawless writing mechanics, address all of the questions in detail, and portray the student’s unique perspective.

    • Occupational Therapy Job Shadowing:  a minimum of 10 hours of job shadowing of an occupational therapist is required. Admission committee members do not necessarily award additional points for additional job shadowing hours; however the admissions committee does consider the quality of job shadowing experiences. It is recommended applicants consider spending time in a variety of settings so they develop a comprehensive understanding of the occupational therapy profession.

    • Confidential References:  3 letters of reference are required. Choose your references carefully. These individuals should know you in a professional or work capacity and be able to address your potential for success in the occupational therapy program. Family members and friends are not appropriate. Applicants should review the confidential letter of reference form and be aware of the points their reference should address.  You may want to discuss these areas with the individuals you have chosen as a reference. This will help these individuals provide a good reference for you

    • Sample of your best written work:  This should be between 3-10 pages and is strictly limited to 10 pages.  It should be a formal, scholarly paper complete with references.  It is highly suggested applicants avoid submitting reflections, informal papers and other papers that are not scholarly in nature.

    • Application Checklist

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