Admissions Requirements & Process
The Occupational Therapy Program at Maryville University is a post-baccalaureate program seeking candidates who are ready to step into a student-centered, technology-forward learning environment where they will be challenged by a rigorous curriculum and supported by passionate, mentoring-minded faculty.
A successful applicant will demonstrate a passion for the profession and for Maryville University’s program specifically; a drive for learning with an internal integrity for their own accountability in the learning process; and an informed, intersectional awareness of how personal factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, disability, etc. impact the experience and health equity of our clients and colleagues.
Maryville University uses the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). All application materials must be processed and verified by OTCAS no later than February 1st.
The following items are considered during application review:
■ OTCAS Application
■ Responses to FOUR Maryville-specific Admissions Questions
■ Cumulative GPA *
■ Prerequisite Course GPA *
■ Student Experiences and Achievements Entered Into OTCAS
*Considered without weighting of Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit courses for those courses completed during the 2020 year (spring, summer, and fall semesters).
Note: Maryville does not require a personal essay and will be reviewing the 4 short answer responses to Maryville-specific questions instead. Personal essays will not be considered during the application process.
Detailed Description of Requirements:
Baccalaureate Degree
Applicants should have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a discipline other than occupational therapy prior to entrance into the Maryville Occupational Therapy Program. Applicants may apply to the Program during their last year of their undergraduate program, but must submit a transcript indicating the earned degree prior to entrance into the Occupational Therapy Program.
In addition, the applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within the bachelor’s degree in order to qualify for admission.
Maryville-Specific Short Answer Questions
In lieu of a personal essay, Maryville requires that all applicants respond to the following four prompts in OTCAS:
Question 1:
What attracted you to Maryville University’s OT Program specifically?
Question 2:
Give an example of one time that you went above and beyond to learn about a topic or produce a quality project (does not have to be related to schoolwork).
Question 3:
Explain how you plan to use your education and career to promote inclusivity and equity within our world.
Question 4:
Please share 2 experiences which have supported your understanding of disability and/or occupational therapy. (This question replaces the observation hour criteria previously used and is your chance to demonstrate a true understanding of the profession and a proactive effort to explore what it will mean to be an occupational therapist)
The most successful applicants will put advanced consideration toward answering the above questions in a way that demonstrates a passion for Maryville and a personal commitment and integrity toward learning and inclusion. Remember that Maryville OT uses these responses instead of a personal essay. So include information that will allow reviewers to gain insight into you, your life experiences, and what you can bring to Maryville OT.
Cumulative GPA and Prerequisite Coursework
Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and must have completed (and submitted transcripts) for the following courses with the grade of “C” or better from an accredited educational institution. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester in which they submit their application.
■ Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II with lab
■ Introduction to Psychology
■ Abnormal Psychology
■ Human Development through the Lifespan or Lifespan Psychology
■ Psychology or Math statistics
■ Introduction to Sociology or Anthropology
■ Medical Terminology
Note: For those courses completed during the 2020 year (spring, summer, and fall semesters) pass/fail or credit/no credit courses from accredited educational institutions will be accepted. However, pre-requisite and cumulative GPA will still be weighed into acceptance decisions and all prerequisite courses must still meet the requirements outlined above.
Occupational Therapy Observation Hours
Applicants are not required to document shadowing hours with an occupational therapy practitioner. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of occupational therapy and the various settings in which they are employed.
Student Experiences and Achievements
Applicants should complete the Experiences and Achievement sections of the OTCAS application to reflect post-high school activities including education, work experiences, awards, community/social participation and leadership opportunities. This is an opportunity to demonstrate where the applicant has committed their time and energy. Use this space to illustrate individual interests, experiences, and the ability to create a healthy balance of schoolwork and engagement beyond the classroom, whether that is through employment, volunteering, or leadership opportunities.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is not a requirement for application into Maryville University’s Occupational Therapy Program.
International Applicants
International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 563. Applicants who take the revised TOEFL must achieve a speaking sub-score of 23, writing sub-score of 20 and reading and listening scores of 21 or higher, and a combined score of 85 or higher.
Technology Requirements
The Maryville Occupational Therapy Curriculum includes three courses that are offered online using the learning management system Canvas. Technology requirements for using Canvas are listed below.
Browser and Computer Requirements Please review the browser and computer requirements for Canvas. It is always recommended to use the most up-to-date versions and better connections when working online. Canvas will run with the minimum specifications, but you may experience slower response times. To review the most up-to-date requirements, please see Canvas Supported Browsers. You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled in the browser you are using. To verify that you have the appropriate hardware and software, check your browser by going to the Support Portal and selecting Check My Technology Requirements. This test opens in a new window and will take a few moments to verify that your computer and browser is set up properly. Be sure to address any critical concerns immediately.
Software
In addition to the requirements described on the Canvas tech and browser pages, you will also need the following. · Adobe Reader.
- Office 365 You are provided access to Office 365 by the University. If you are not currently versed in Office, please learn more about it on LinkedIn Learning.
- A backup device (Flash drive, CD/DVD RW) or cloud-based storage (OneDrive, GoogleDrive, Box, Dropbox, etc.) to copy, protect, and transfer important files.
- Your system must be configured to allow installation of browser plug-ins.
- Your system must be configured to allow for installation of software.
- 3-year extended warranty program on your computer
Maryville OT Application Review Process
Maryville’s OT program is committed to the ongoing process of removing bias from our admissions review process. To this end, we strive to create transparency in our systems and to support all applicants in navigating the process in an equitable and inclusive manner. We utilize a rubric-based, blinded admissions process that focuses on finding extremely qualified applicants who meet or exceed the requirements shared above.
Maryville’s admissions process is quite competitive. Our cohorts are composed of roughly 40 students annually. The actual number of slots for post-baccalaureate applicants varies depending on how many direct-entry students from Maryville’s undergraduate program enter the Maryville OT program in a given year.
Maryville University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity can be found here.
Application Deadline
Maryville’s Program in Occupational Therapy practices modified-rolling-admissions. Applications will be reviewed against our holistic admissions rubric as they are received, up until the final submission deadline of February 1st. Submitting an application earlier in the process does not affect the scoring of your application, nor does it guarantee an earlier decision, however, a select few applicants whose applications receive a score on the admissions rubric at or above the prior year’s top 10% scoring applications may receive early decision letters. Most applicants will be informed of their status of accepted, wait-listed, or declined by March prior to the Fall of enrollment. Applications received after the February 1st date will be reviewed only if space is available in the Program.