Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

A student applying for admission to the OTD program at West Coast University must:

1. Submit a completed application for admission and pay application fee through WCU and OTCAS and submit transcripts by the deadline.  
2. Meet the program admissions requirements.
3. Submit a copy of official transcripts through OTCAS.
4. Participate in a qualitative admissions interview arranged by a University Admissions Advisor.  
5. Complete and enrollment agreement if accepted into the program.  

International students - Due to the fieldwork requirements of the OTD program, the program can only admit students who are US citizens or Permanent Residents.  

Program specific application requirements and prerequisites:

1. Have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Overall Last 60 unit requirement must meet a 3.0 minimum GPA
2. Application can be submitted during enrollment in an undergraduate degree program or during completion of prerequisite course work.  Note: In order to be considered for admissions all course work must be completed and final documentation must be submitted by the May 1^st  deadline.
3. Medical terminology course required. (1-2 credits)
4. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-English speaking country must have verification of the following scores within two years of intended enrollment:  
5. An Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90 with no less than 20 on each sub-score; or 

1. An IELTS of 6.5 with no less than 6 on each band score.  
2. Students whose native language is English and/or students with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university are exempted from this examination.  

6. Applicants must have obtained an overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of program prerequisite courses (from accredited universities) within the last ten years.  

1. Required prerequisite courses:

• Two (2) courses in the humanities or social sciences (Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Ethics; Cultural studies; Group dynamics) (3 credits each)
• One (1) Statistics course (3 credits)
• One (1) courses in Human Anatomy plus lab (3 credits)
• One (1) course in Physiology plus lab (3 credits)
• One (1) course in Human Development or Lifespan (3 credits)
• One (1) course in Abnormal or Behavioral Psychology (3 credits)

1. Student should have:

1. Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
2. Three (3) references: Two (2) occupational therapists;1 faculty member/advisor
3. A minimum of 40 volunteer or observation
   hours obtained from an occupational
   setting of choice

In order to be considered, all program specific admissions requirements & prerequisites must be met by following deadlines:

1. Fall class (OTD only begins in September): May 1st
2. The University reserves the right to deny admission to applicants if the admissions requirements are not successfully met.  The denial of admissions is final and may not be appealed. No reasons for denial will be provided to applicants.

Fulltime devotion to this program is highly recommended; any employment can interfere
with the successful completion of this program

• The University reserves the right to deny admission to applicants if the admissions requirements are not successfully met.  The denial of admissions is final and may not be appealed.
• Candidates - Once the applicant becomes an eligible candidate, a $500 deposit (Cashier’s Check or Money Order only) is required as part of the acceptance to the OTD program offered at WCU.  This requirement will also be mentioned in the acceptance letter from the Occupational Therapy Department. 

Health Insurance Requirement - Students enrolled in the OTD program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork.  Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program. 

OTD Candidate Deposit

Applicants that are conditionally accepted to the OTD program will be required to submit a $500.00 good faith payment for a Seat Deposit. The Seat Deposit will be credited to your program costs. The University will retain a maximum of $175.00 of this deposit should you cancel your enrollment within seven calendar days (excluding holidays) of enrollment or by the seventh calendar day of the first term, whichever is later. The seat deposit is fully refundable if you are not admitted as a result of your background check. Deposits may be paid by money order or cashier's check made out to West Coast University.