Preprofessional Requirements for Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is a career requiring a professional degree. Students are required to complete certain undergraduate prerequisite courses in order to be eligible to apply to occupational therapy school. It is essential for students to research and know the requirements for admission to each of the occupational therapy schools to which they apply. Additional information including a complete list of all occupational therapy programs is available at www.aota.com.
Pre-Health Advising at The Career Center
Admission into occupational therapy programs is highly competitive. The Career Center provides pre-professional advising for students who are interested in pursuing occupational therapy as a career. This includes discussion of prerequisites and expectations of occupational therapy schools, preparation in and outside the classroom, details of the application process, and characteristics of competitive applicants. The Center also coordinates the visits of deans and admissions officers to the campus to provide information about various health professions.
Contact The Career Center at (217) 333-0820 or online at www.careercenter.illinois.edu.
Academic Advising
Since students who are interested in the health professions are expected to enter degree programs of their choice, their academic advising is provided by the departmental offices of the curricula or majors that they have selected. Academic Advisors can assist students in making sure they are making appropriate progress towards completing their degree at Illinois.
The following chart represents the MINIMUM course requirements to prepare for occupational therapy school. Occupational Therapy programs may require additional coursework and/or expect students to go beyond minimum preparation. Students are strongly encouraged to research their specific schools of interest!
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 10 | Anatomy & Physiology with laboratory
MCB 244-Human Anatomy and Physiology I MCB 245-Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab I MCB 246-Human Anatomy and Physiology II MCB 247-Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab I |
| 6 | Psychology
PSYC 238 - Abnormal Psychology PSYC 216 - Child Psychology |
| 3 | Statistics
STAT 100 - Statistics or equivalent |
| varied | Additional Social Sciences
PSYC, SOC, and/or ANTHRO |
| varied | Medical terminology
CLCV 102 OR Self-Study |