Your Path to a Career in Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists are skilled professionals who work with people of all ages, helping them to live life to its fullest by preventing — or living better with — injury, illness or disability.
Admission to occupational therapy (OT) programs can be highly competitive, and schools review a candidate’s eligibility on multiple factors such as GPA, OT observation hours, GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores, and service and volunteer experience.
Pre-Occupational Therapy is considered an area of interest, in addition to your chosen major. Occupational therapy schools accept a variety of majors (for example, Kinesiology, Biology or Psychology), as long as a student fulfills all requirements for admission. St. Edward’s University also offers a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with a Pre-Occupational Therapy emphasis.
To prepare for an occupational therapy profession, you must attend a postgraduate program in occupational therapy. Upon completion, you are required to take a national examination to become licensed for practice in a particular state.
Career Opportunities
A postgraduate degree in occupational therapy prepares you to pursue a fulfilling career as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant. You can choose from a wide range of specialty areas in the field. Occupational therapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, medical offices and clients’ homes. They also work in policy and administration, as well as in research and academia.
Explore More Details About Pre-Occupational Therapy
GPA Requirements
Grades are important to gaining admission, but you could have a 4.0 and still not get into an OT program. Most OT programs have minimum GPA requirements, but they vary by institution and may be low compared to the average GPA of applicants actually offered admission. You should plan on earning a 3.5+ GPA to be considered.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites vary from program to program. Students enrolled in the BA in Kinesiology with a Pre-Occupational Therapy emphasis at St. Edward’s will complete the prerequisites for most postgraduate occupational therapy programs. Review the degree plan for our Pre-Occupational Therapy emphasis program.
Service and Volunteerism
Occupational therapists and other health care professionals are expected to perform community service while in school. Career and Professional Development can assist you in researching service and volunteer opportunities. Here’s a list of local opportunities.
- Austin State Supported Living Center
- Austin Volunteer Match
- Big Sky Pediatric
- Dell Children's Medical Center
- Easter Seals Central Texas
- HELP Center of Texas
- KidWorks Therapy Services
- Capital Area Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center
- Austin State School
- Hearthstone Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
- Wellness Matters Physical Therapy
- North Austin Medical Center
- OT Connection - Pediatric Therapy Services
- Little Tesoros Therapy Services
- Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT)
- AGE Central Texas
- Austin Child Guidance Center
- Cadence Therapy
- Ride On Center for Kids (R.O.C.K)
- Austin’s Communication Center
- Central Texas Veterans Affairs
- The Care Communities
- Austin Volunteer Match
Internships
As part of earning your BA in Kinesiology with a Pre-Occupational Therapy emphasis at St. Edward’s, you’ll be required to participate in at least one kinesiology internship or practicum. Students at St. Edward’s have gained hands-on experience interning at the following organizations, and more:
- Austin Independent School District Athletic Office
- KidTherapy pediatric physical therapy in Austin
- Texas Physical Therapy Specialists
- Lonestar Soccer
- YMCA
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE is the required entrance exam for physical therapy school. It assesses the following:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Analytical Writing
View the test centers, dates and seat availability.
What to Know About Taking the GRE
When selecting a test date, make sure your scores will be reported in time for your application deadlines (which vary from program to program). For computer-delivered tests, score reports are sent to your designated score recipients approximately 10–15 days after your test date. Please allow time for delivery of scores and processing by the institution.
You can take the computer-delivered GRE revised General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period. This applies even if you canceled your scores on a previous test. You may take the paper-delivered GRE revised General Test as often as it is offered.
Review the application help center presented by the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) for details.