Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Become the occupational therapist your community deserves through Brenau’s Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. As an entry-level doctoral student, you’ll explore different specializations through the Doctoral Capstone Experience and complete fieldwork in the community.
Student opportunities
- Pursue specialization in an area that interests you such as animal-assisted therapy, pediatrics, gerontology and more
- Complete an independent capstone project, which gives you more freedom to conduct research and gain experience in specific area of OT
- Take courses in a nationally-recognized facility with state-of-the-art labs
- Provide occupational therapy services to medically underserved adults and children at Brenau’s Center for Productive Living
- Work with the court system and/or local nonprofits as a part of fieldwork experience
- Learn from accomplished professors committed to helping you excel in practice, inquiry and advocacy
Potential OT careers
- Pediatrics (clinics, specialty hospital, vision center)
- Animal-assisted therapy
- Physical rehabilitation
- Mental health
- Gerontology
- School systems
Start your application today
To apply to Brenau’s School of Occupational Therapy, you must start your application in the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy programs (OTCAS). Create your account at otcas.liaisoncas.com. To learn more about OTCAS, visit help.liaisonedu.com/OTCAS_Applicant_Help_Center.
All program applications open in July. The deadline to apply for the ELOTD is Dec. 2.
Learn more about us
Brenau’s School of Occupational Therapy offers virtual info sessions from 5:30-7 p.m., on the first Tuesday of each month. Register for an info session.
Admissions requirements
To be considered for this program the applicant must meet all of the following requirements:
- Have a laptop with wireless connection to high-speed internet, and basic computer literacy skills including the ability to create and edit word processing documents, prepare presentation slides, and navigate the internet and research databases.
- GRE encouraged: Prefer GRE score of 285 or greater and an analytical writing score of 3.5 or higher (GRE Code: 4824).
- Written essay uploaded to OTCAS (500 words or less). You must share one challenging experience — academic, personal, or related to work — that has prepared you for the demands of an entry-level doctoral program in occupational therapy.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or receive a bachelor’s degree by June 1 of the admission year
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or greater as calculated by OTCAS
- Complete the nine prerequisite courses within the last eight years, from an accredited college or university, with a grade of “C” or better, no later than June 1st of the admission year. Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 is preferred.
- Recommend a total of 40 hours of observation in at least two different occupational therapy practice settings
- Three professional references (at least one from an OT practitioner) submitted through OTCAS using OTCAS form only.
- Attend an in-person or virtual group interview by invitation only.
- Any coursework completed internationally (except for official study abroad) requires a NACES- approved foreign evaluation sent directly to Brenau.
- If the applicant’s first language is not English, the following is required — TOEFL scores: Paper 550; Computer 213; Internet 79; IELTS Score: 6.5.
Prerequisite courses
Required prerequisites for the ELOTD program.
- PY 202 – Human Growth & Development (lifespan) (3 hrs.)
- PY 309 – Abnormal Psychology (3 hrs.)
- SY 101 – Intro to Sociology OR Social Issues OR AY 101 Intro to Anthropology OR Cultural Anthropology (3 hrs.)
- MS 205 – Introduction to Statistics (3 hrs.)
- BY 209 – Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4 hrs. with lab)
- BY 210 – Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4 hrs. with lab)
- PS 121 – General Physics OR EX 301 – Biomechanics OR EX 300/300 – Kinesiology + lab OR other movement sciences (3-4 hrs).
- HS 200 – Medical Terminology (1 hr.)
- PH 222 – Intro to Ethics OR PH 205 – Intro to Philosophy OR BA 203 – Critical/Creative Thinking (3hrs.)
Professional Certification
To be a practicing occupational therapist, graduates must take and pass the certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. After successfully completing the exam the graduate is certified as an Occupational Therapist, Registered. Most states require additional licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.
NBCOT and State Licensing Boards have the right to refuse to grant occupational therapy certification and/or license to any individuals regardless of their educational credentials under circumstances of:
- Falsification of application.
- Conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude.
- Other moral and legal violations specified in relevant state laws.
To view NBCOT Exam Results follow the attached link provided by NBCOT https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: 301-990-7979
Email: info@nbcot.org
Program Outcomes
Beginning in 2023, each academic year, the Brenau Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (ELOTD) program graduates in August.
| ELOTD GRADUATION YEAR | STUDENTS ENTERING/GRADUATING | GRADUATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25/24 | 96% |
| 2024 | 19/19 | 100% |
| Total | 44/43 | 98% |
Accreditation
The Brenau University entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).
Have questions?
Nancy L. Fowler, OTR/L, MSOT, PPOTD
Instructor of Occupational Therapy and Admissions Counselor