Get the answers you're looking for about our doctorate program
Have questions about the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) at Indiana University? Browse the FAQs below to find answers to some of our most common questions.
General
We enroll 36–40 new students per year.
Students begin in the summer term. Typically, the first day is the second or third Monday in May.
The OTD program is 36 months. Students begin in May and graduate three years later in May.
No. The IU OTD program is an on-campus program.
Yes, you may work. However, flexibility in your work schedule is important as your school work must take priority. Some students find that they need to decrease their work schedules, especially during their first semester when they are taking Gross Anatomy.
Yes. Individual tours of the occupational therapy facilities can be requested by contacting Josh Halmi, Student Services Leader for Graduate and Professional at jhalmi@iu.edu. Additionally, you can also schedule a tour of the IUPUI campus at https://iupui.edu/admissions/visit.
For meeting opportunities about the OTD program, contact Josh Halmi, Student Services Leader for Graduate and Professional at jhalmi@iu.edu.
There are many advantages to choosing IU occupational therapy so we will name just a few. We are within walking distance to four of Indiana’s largest hospitals. We are a community-engaged department and you will have the opportunity to work with many surrounding community partners during your time within the program. We partner with over 400 sites throughout the country for fieldwork and capstone experiences. Our students have the opportunity to work with faculty on research projects. And, our program admits a smaller cohort of students allowing for more 1:1 time with faculty. Finally, you will have the opportunity to work in our Student Outreach Clinic which provides services to those who do not have insurance and live within the neighborhood.
Admissions
Applications are accepted until September 15.
No. The OTD admissions committee does not give preference to any applicant type.
Applicants that have completed coursework outside of the United States are required to have a course-by-course evaluation completed for all foreign coursework. Below are the evaluation services that have been approved by the OT admissions committee.
- International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: 310-258-9451
www.ierf.org - Josef Silny & Associates
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-273-1616
www.jsilny.com/index.htm - World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
PO Box 745
New York, NY 10113-0745
Phone: 212-966-6311
www.wes.org
The IU OTD admissions committee accepts an undergraduate degree in any major from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the prerequisite courses is also required. The most common undergraduate majors are exercise science, kinesiology, and psychology.
No. The GRE is not required and scores will not be reviewed.
Applicants are not eligible to apply if they do not meet our minimum requirements, which include a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a 3.2 math/science prerequisite GPA. We do not give special consideration to the last 60 credit hours. All college coursework is factored into the cumulative GPA.
Strive to do your best while in your undergraduate program. Have a clear and concise personal statement and references who would highly recommend you for the program. Spend time trying to observe and understand the field of occupational therapy. OT observation hours are recommended and encouraged. Currently, there is not a minimum number of shadowing hours required.
Interviews are held on the first Saturday of November.
The number of students invited to interview changes each cycle. The interview will include a program overview presentation, a tour of IUPUI, an interview with faculty.
Yes, you can reapply the next cycle. We offer one application cycle per year. It opens in July and the deadline is September 15.
You are welcome to request feedback by contacting shhsinfo@iupui.edu.
Prerequisite coursework
Yes. The OTD admissions committee accepts coursework from any regionally accredited institution.
Yes. Online courses and labs are being accepted for prerequisite requirements.
Yes. Students can retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite coursework. The higher grade will be used to compute the prerequisite GPA, but all grades will be used to calculate the cumulative GPA.
Please consult our prerequisite listing as a reference. If you would like admissions to review your coursework, please email shhsinfo@iupui.edu to request a meeting.
As an applicant, you can only have one outstanding prerequisite at the time you submit your application. A prerequisite course is considered outstanding if it is incomplete and ungraded. The outstanding prerequisite can be completed in either the fall or spring semester. It will need to be completed by the time the program begins in May.
No. Transfer credit is not accepted. As a potential student, you should be aware that all courses in the program curriculum are required. There is not an option for the curriculum to be accelerated.
Financial aid and tuition
There are no graduate assistantships for the IU OTD program. We do have admission-based scholarships that we award. Visit the cost and finance page to see our scholarships for incoming students.
For students looking for financial aid, we encourage you to fill out the FAFSA. Most students in our program utilize federal student loans.
Visit the cost and finance page to review the latest rates and fees.