Master of Occupational Therapy

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

Click here for supplementary USM Graduate Admissions application information

Complete the online graduate application and submit the following materials:

1. A cover letter that introduces yourself, describes why you are interested in Occupational Therapy, and outlines the strengths and experiences you bring to the Occupational Therapy profession.

2. Transcripts from all institutions preciously attended. (Must demonstrate completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and meet all pre-requisites course requirements.

3. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or a “B” average is highly recommended. (If you have a graduate degree, your graduate cumulative GPA will be used). If your cumulative GPA is not 3.0 or better, the likelihood of your acceptance is significantly diminished.

4. A current resume.

5. Three letters of recommnedation which speak to your character, work ethic/professionalism and problem solving abilities. Please ask each person writing a reference on your behalf to include USM's recomendation form with their respective letters. Recommendations must be received either directly from the recommender or forwarded by the applciant in sealed envelopes with the recommender's signature over the seal. Providing addressed, stamped envelopes along with the recommendation forms facilitates prompt responses from recommenders.

6. Prerequisite courses: Either as part of your baccalaureate degree or subsequent to it, you must have completed all of the following courses with a grade of “B” (3.0 GPA) or better. In addition, all science prerequisite courses must have been taken within six years prior to the fall semester for which you are applying. If you received less than a “B” in any of these courses, you may do one of the following:

A) Use upper division courses in the discipline to satisfy the requirement (advanced PSY, SOC, ENG, SBS, HUM, etc…) These courses must be passed with a “B” or better.
B) Retake the course.
C) Take a CLEP or DANTES, or EXCELSIOR exam if one is available.
D) If you have any questions concerning previous course quivelancies, please contact: MOT Program Director, Dr. Roxie M. Black, at 753-6515.

MOT Prerequisite Courses (NEED NOT BE ENTIRELY COMPLETED PRIOR TO APPLYING)

You may complete your undergraduate degree and/or take your prerequisite courses at any ACCREDITED college/university. Recognized institutional accrediting bodies, which consider each institution as a whole, are the following: the six regional associations of schools and colleges (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern and Western), each of which is responsible for a specified portion of the United States and its territories.

For credit consideration of post-secondary work completed outside the U.S., the country must be represented by a publication of the AACRAO-NAFSA World Education Series. For countries not covered in the series of WES publications, an individual course- bycourse evaluation may be done. Acceptance of credits will be limited unless complete course descriptions are available. A “first” or “baccalaureate” degree from another country may not be viewed as the equivalent of a BA/BS degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.

All pre-requisite courses need not be entirely completed prior to finishing the application and progressing through the MOT admissions process.

7. All applicants must complete a total of 15 hours of job shadowing or work experience with an occupational therapy practitioner in one or more settings. An evaluation form for verification of this experience is available. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make arrangements for this experience at one or multiple facilities; you should print copies of the form and submit the evaluation(s) as part of your application materials.

8. After submission of all application materials, all applicants who meet the above requirements will be scheduled for a writing sample and interview. The writing sample will be evaluated on the basis of content, ability to address the issue, organization, spelling, grammar and punctuation. If you are an out of- state student and meet the minimum requirements, you will be contacted to provide us with the name and address of an occupational therapist in your area who can proctor the writing sample. It is also possible to arrange a telephone interview with the committee.

9. Completion of the application requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Admission will be based on a comparative evaluation of the applicants’ materials on a first come first served basis.

10. Upon being accepted into the program, students must submit documentation that they are in good health as evidenced by a physical examination, including specific immunizations, prior to beginning their fieldwork assignments.

11. Students admitted to the MOT Program acknowledge that:

A) Successful completion of the program requires a minimum of six months of full-time fieldwork which may necessitate temporary relocation outside the student’s local area.

B) Students will be expected to actively participate in the MOT student association which participates in various community projects throughout the Program.

C) Students may be obligated to provide a State of Maine criminal background check, and/or if the student has been convicted of a felony, certification and/or licensure may be denied.

12. If you are applying for financial aid, your financial aid form (FAFSA) should be mailed by February 1 to ensure the best possible financial aid package. Applicants should complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The University of Southern Maine’s federal id code is 009762.
Contact Student Financial Aid directly with any questions or concerns.

For further information or problems with this page, contact: Gradprograms@usm.maine.edu