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
Dominican University 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 Dominican University New York Graduate Occupational Therapy Program requirements. Decisions about course equivalence for credit transfer are made by the OT Program Director.

• Minimum overall GPA 3.0 (B) for all post-secondary coursework
• No grade lower than a B- in any prerequisite physical science course.
• No grade lower than a C in any prerequisite liberal arts or social sciences course.
• No grade lower than a B in OT532 (Kinesiology in OT), OT521 (Intro to OT) – only taken after acceptance to the OT program.
• Minimum TOEFL scores, if required, per subtest:
  Reading – 22; Listening – 18; Speaking – 21; Writing – 24

NOTE – Limit of one retake of any prerequisite course. A withdrawal counts as having taken the course.
In addition to the academic standards noted above, all applicants for admission are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Writing skills (two separate essays)
• Observation or volunteer hours are encouraged but continue to not be required for the 2024-2025 application cycle.  A special video observation and essay are used in place of in-person hours for all applicants.
• Three letters of reference – one academic, one professional (e.g., supervisor), and a third that can be either academic or professional. References provided by family members, friends, friends of the family, clergy, family physician, etc. will not be accepted, without exception. If you can submit one from an occupational therapist who knows you well and can speak to your potential, it will be a bonus.
• Holistic Interview – upon invitation after application verified as complete

IMPORTANT NOTE – All accepted candidates must undergo a criminal background check, at their expense, before being admitted to the program.  Additionally, all students in the program who are preparing to enter clinical fieldwork will need to undergo a new criminal background check before being cleared to begin those experiences.

Weekend Format Applicants Not Currently Dominican University New York Undergraduates:

• Applicants not currently Dominican University New York undergraduate degree students must first apply to the University as a transfer student
• Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary coursework to DUNY Graduate Admissions for evaluation of credits and prerequisites
• Based on GPA , number of qualifying transfer credits, and highest degree earned, prospective candidates will be assigned an advisor to assist with registration for remaining prerequisite courses, eligibility for, and the timeline to apply to the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program. Acceptance into Dominican University New York is not acceptance into the occupational therapy program.
• Complete all remaining undergraduate-level prerequisite courses
• When you only have Physics* and Neuroscience undergraduate prerequisites to complete, apply to the DUNY Weekend format via the Occupational Therapy Centralized
• Application Service (OTCAS) at https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login
• The OTCAS application opens on July 21, 2023, for the 2024 entering cohort.
• Offers of admission to the program occur on a rolling basis until filled or March 30, 2024, whichever comes first

* NOTE: Physics must be completed before May 1, 2024, as it is a prerequisite to OT 532 Kinesiology in OT Practice which begins in early May, the OT program’s summer trimester.

Dominican University New York Social Science and Health Science Students

• Contact the DUNY OT Program office to express interest in applying – the office will review the unofficial transcript to ascertain the student’s qualifications and readiness to apply.
• Qualified applicants submit the required two (2) essays, a current resume/CV, and three (3) letters of reference. Letters of reference must include one academic, one professional (e.g., supervisor), and a third that can be either academic or professional. If can submit one from an occupational therapist who knows the student well and can speak to their potential as a student and in the profession, it will be a bonus. References from family members, friends of the family, clergy, family physicians, etc. will not be accepted.

One-Weekday-Per-Week Format – in partnership with The New Seminary

• Contact and register with The New Seminary (TNS) as a prospective candidate for the DUNY OT program
• TNS will review your academic record and begin advising toward the completion of your Bachelor’s degree if needed, and all remaining OT prerequisite courses
• TNS communicates with DUNY Graduate Admissions and OT Program to provide names of qualified candidates for consideration
• Qualified candidates must also apply to DUNY as a transfer student and submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions, US and international; Acceptance into Dominican University New York is not acceptance into the occupational therapy program
• The OT program receives a credit evaluation from DUNY Graduate Admissions showing degrees and prerequisites completed, including grades and GPAs
• Students are jointly advised by TNS and DUNY toward readiness to submit the official OT Program application via the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) at https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login selecting the option for the “Weekday New Seminary Program”
• The OTCAS application opens on July 21, 2023, for the 2024 entering cohort.
• Offers of admission to the program occur on a rolling basis until filled or March 30, 2024, whichever comes first

* NOTE: Physics must be completed before May 1, 2024, as it is a prerequisite to OT 532 Kinesiology in OT Practice which begins in early May, the OT program’s summer trimester.

All Applicants

• Applicants who complete all application requirements and meet all standards will be invited to an interview with OT Faculty – The interview may be in-person or virtual.
• Accepted students are required to attend a mandatory orientation session of two full days – if unable to attend any portion of the orientation, you will need to postpone your admission to the OT program for one year.
• Once accepted, all remaining degree and prerequisite requirements MUST be completed before the start of the Graduate OT Program professional curriculum in the Fall term.
• The inability to satisfactorily complete any pre-program requirement results in rescinding your acceptance to the program.

For questions about the DUNY application process, please contact:

Janet Barron
Assistant Director for Graduate Admissions
Phone:  845-848-7908
Email: janet.barron@duny.edu

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.  An individual who has been charged or convicted of a felony is advised to contact The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) for an early determination review. The review process should be done prior to entering an educational program as prior approval is needed before an individual can sit for the certification exam. Once NBCOT has completed its review, the individual will be notified of the results in writing. For further information on these limitations, contact NBCOT at: National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy One Bank Street, Suite 300 Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150 301-990-7979

NBCOT® Character Review

NBCOT® Early Determination

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements
Dominican University New York has been approved by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of post-secondary distance education.