Who Can Apply to the Graduate Occupational Therapy Program?
All candidates for either the Weekend or One-Weekday-Per-Week format must have minimum cumulative and prerequisite GPAs of 3.0. Additionally, individual grade requirements for the prerequisites must be met (see Prerequisites)
Weekend Format Candidate Pathways – 4 options
Ðǿմ«Ã½ New York (DUNY) Undergraduate Degree Programs
Health Sciences – Pre-Occupational Therapy Track
Successful candidates will complete the BS in Health Sciences – Pre-OT Track including all prerequisites with specified minimum individual course grades and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Application to the OT program occurs in the Fall of the Senior year. Interested students should contact the OT Program well before the Senior year for details and to be included in special information sessions and events for DUNY students.
Social Science with Psychology Emphasis – 2 pathways
- Traditional 4-year SS degree pathway – Successful candidates will complete the BA in Social Sciences, with an emphasis in Psychology, including all prerequisites with specified minimum individual course grades and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Application to the OT program occurs in the Fall of the Senior year. Interested students should contact the OT Program well before the Senior year for details and to be included in special information sessions and events for DUNY students.
- Accelerated BA Social Science to OT Pathway* (Before Fall 2023) – Successful candidates will complete all degree requirements for the BA in Social Sciences with Psychology Emphasis in 3 years, earning no less than 93 undergraduate credits which include the OT prerequisite courses by the end of the Spring semester of the Junior year. The designation of ‘accelerated track’ must be earned and declared no later than the first semester of the Sophomore year. To be eligible, students must earn and continuously maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 from the start of the Sophomore year through the end of the Junior year. Application to the OT program is made in the Fall semester of the Junior year. Interested students should contact the OT Program well at the start of the Sophomore year for a determination of eligibility for the accelerated pathway, details about the application process, and to be included in special information sessions and events for DUNY students.
- Accelerated BA Social Science to OT Pathway* (As of Fall 2023) – Successful candidates will complete all degree requirements for the BA in Social Sciences with Psychology Emphasis in just over 3 years, earning no less than 90 undergraduate credits which include the OT prerequisite courses by the end of the Spring semester of the Junior year. Accepted accelerated pathway SS students must take the final course that fulfills their selected Dominican Curriculum minor during the first Fall term in the Graduate OT Program. The designation of ‘accelerated track’ must be earned and declared no later than the first semester of the Sophomore year. To be eligible, students must earn and continuously maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 from the start of the Sophomore year through the end of the Junior year. Application to the OT program is made in the Fall semester of the Junior year. Interested students should contact the OT Program well at the start of the Sophomore year for a determination of eligibility for the accelerated pathway, details about the application process, and to be included in special information sessions and events for DUNY students.*The Social Science to OT Accelerated Pathway is only available to DUNY Social Science with Psychology Emphasis students who entered DUNY as a first- or second-semester Freshman and meet initial and ongoing minimum GPA requirements. Declaration and designation as an accelerated pathway student must be made no later than the start of the first semester of the Sophomore year.
DUNY undergraduate students interested in the pathways to the Graduate OT Program may stop by the OT program office on the first floor of the Prusmack Center during regular business hours, send an email to PreOT.Advisement@duny.edu, or call the OT Program office at 845-848-6000, to make an appointment.
Candidates with Bachelor’s Degree from Another U.S. Institution
Candidates with earned Bachelor’s degrees from outside of DUNY may qualify to apply to the OT Program upon successful completion of all admissions requirements and prerequisite coursework.
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) with and without a Baccalaureate Degree
- COTAs with a Bachelor’s Degree – may qualify to apply to the OT Program upon the successful completion of all admissions requirements and prerequisite coursework.
- COTAs without a Bachelor’s Degree – may qualify to apply to the OT Program upon the successful completion of specified general education requirements, the OT prerequisite courses, and all other admission requirements. In addition, COTAs must submit verification of passing the NBCOT Examination for OTAs plus a minimum of one full year of work experience as a COTA in any setting. Upon completion of the OT program, COTAs entering without an earned Baccalaureate degree will be awarded a BS/MS degree.
One-Weekday-Per-Week Format Candidate Pathway
This format is offered in partnership with The New Seminary as of Fall 2023. Fully qualified candidates that have been vetted and recommended by The New Seminary, with a completed or nearly completed (by August) Bachelor’s degree, are eligible to apply to enter this format. It is important to note that all admission requirements, prerequisite coursework, and in-progress degrees must be completed before entering the official professional curriculum in the Fall term, if accepted by DUNY OT. For more information, please contact The New Seminary at (718) 769-8160 or the Dominican OT program at PreOT.Advisement@duny.edu, or 845-848-6000.
NOTE: Transfers from other OT programs
Due to the wide variations in curricula, transfers from other graduate occupational therapy programs are generally not accepted. Individuals seeking special consideration to transfer must follow the same admission requirements as all candidates for admission. Additionally, per university policy, no more than 6 graduate credits earned from the prior program may be considered for transfer to meet the Ðǿմ«Ã½ New York Graduate Occupational Therapy Program requirements. Decisions about course equivalence for credit transfer are made by the OT Program Director.