Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree

  1. Applicants must obtain a bachelor's degree before the first day of class in May.
  2. This degree must be from an accredited college or university.
  3. The undergraduate degree may be in any field of study.
  4. If coursework was completed at a non-US institution, students must obtain a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts by World Education Services:  www.wes.org.    The results of the evaluation must be sent to Wayne State University. Please see the  transcript evaluation guide  for more information about foreign transcript evaluation.

Last 60 credit hour undergraduate coursework  GPA

The minimum GPA acceptable for admission consideration is 3.0, the last 60 undergraduate credit hours will be used to calculate this GPA.

  1. Applicants with a last 60 credit hour  undergraduate GPA  lower than 3.31  may complete the Supplemental Essay by answering the questions in the "Program Questions Section" of the OTCAS application for additional  GPA  consideration. The essay is not required by the program for admission consideration. Please note that supplemental essays from applicants with a last 60 credit hour undergraduate  GPA  of 3.31 or higher will not be considered.

Any questions regarding undergraduate coursework may be directed to  cphsinfo@wayne.edu.

Prerequisite coursework  GPA

  1. The minimum science prerequisite coursework  GPA  average acceptable for admission consideration is 3.0.
  2. All grades in prerequisite requirements must be a minimum of "C" or better (2.0 on a 4.0 grade scale).  Due to the unique situation created by COVID-19, many institutions are allowing students to choose a Pass/No Pass option in lieu of a letter grade in certain semesters.  The program encourages applicants to receive letter grades in their prerequisite courses.  P/N will be accepted if the grading institution's policy is a C or better to receive a Pass. If the school accepts C- or below as a Pass, students will be required to submit a letter from the instructor documenting what the grade earned would have been (in the case of  WSU  courses, since we can view that grade in the system, such a letter will not be required). This policy applies to the following semesters: Winter 2020, Spring/Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring/Summer 2021.
  3. All science prerequisite coursework (BIO 2870 with lab, KIN 3580, OT 5650) must be completed within six  years of the time of application submission. The non-science prerequisite courses are not subject to the six-year completion requirement. They may be completed greater than six  years prior to the time of application submission and do not require a waiver.

*If any of the science courses were completed greater than six  years prior to the time of application submission, a Six-year Prerequisite Science Course Waiver Request from the  WSU  OT program must be requested prior to December 1 the year of application. Applicants for prerequisite science course waivers must have continuous experience in the content area in order to be eligible for the waiver  (such as teaching Biology dealing with anatomic joints covering the anatomy prerequisite). An applicant who does not have continuous experience in a health field or course content area  will not be considered for a waiver.  The waiver  request must include: a) the name, course number, institution, name of the course(s), semester/year course was taken; b) a detailed explanation of  how the continuous experience demonstrates mastery of the prerequisite course content. A detailed account of the principles and objectives and the prerequisite course content must be included, along with specific experiences. Attach to the email your transcripts showing the grade for the course. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for waiver reviews. Do not send transcripts by mail for waiver requests. Send the request and all supporting information to Regina Parnell:  ad9049@wayne.edu.

Please note that  a grade of "C" (2.0) or higher must have been earned in each science course to be considered for the Six-year Prerequisite Science Course Waiver Request. Courses with grades earned C minus or less are not acceptable.

Six-year Waivers are valid for one application cycle. Re-applicants must apply for a current waiver, as waivers do not roll over from one application cycle to the next.

Prerequisite coursework

Science prerequisites

The following prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of December the year before program start year, applicants may have one science prerequisite in progress for May completion:

  • BIO 2870 - Anatomy and Physiology with lab
  • OT 5650 - Pathophysiology**  
  • KIN 3580 - Biomechanics

**OT 5650 is offered in the Fall semester and the acceptable equivalent, RT 5650, is offered to a limited number of students in Winter semester. The OT 5650 override request form is in the menu on the left and RT 5650 override request form can be requested through  cphsinfo@wayne.edu

Non-science prerequisites

The following prerequisite courses must be completed by  the end of December the year before program start year, applicants may have one non-science prerequisite in progress for May completion:

  • PSY 1010 or 1020 - Introductory Psychology
  • PSY 2400 - Developmental Psychology
  • PSY 3310 - Abnormal Psychology
  • STA 1020 - Basic Statistics
  • COM 1010 - Oral Communication
  • Contemporary American Government/Political Science â€" cannot be History
  • One course of your choice from one of the following areas: sociology, public health, anthropology, or other WSU Social Inquiry equivalent

Questions about prerequisite course equivalencies?

Consult the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS) Office of Student Affairs transcript evaluation guide, and complete your transcript evaluation request.

Applicants are highly  encouraged to have their completed prerequisite courses evaluated by an EACPHS Office of Student Affairs advisor in order to have assurance of appropriate prerequisite coursework completion. Please use the  Request for Evaluation of Prerequisite  Admission Requirements  form.  Submit the completed electronic form, and attach all unofficial transcripts. The evaluation of transcripts should be done early in your application process, in order to have enough time to take additional courses if needed.

Questions about whether your prerequisite coursework meets the  WSU  OT requirements? Review the  EACPHS Equivalency Guides.  Email any questions regarding prerequisite coursework to the EACPHS Office of Student Affairs at  cphsinfo@wayne.edu.

Registered Occupational Therapist Observation Hours

A minimum of 20 hours within the last two years prior to program application.  
*Unable to meet this requirement due to COVID-19 restrictions?  Click here to view alternate option.  

  1. Acceptable to submit hours over two years old but the minimum of 20 must be within the last two years to be acceptable for admission.
  2. Hours must be with OTR. COTA and  PT  hours are not accepted.
  3. Online form must be completed by OTR.  Click here for form.
  4. Forms will be attached in OTCAS under Test Scores in the  WSU  Program Specific area.

Questions regarding the 20 required contact hours can be sent to Regina Parnell  at  ad9049@wayne.edu.