Admission to the Professional OTD Program
Applicants for admission to the OTD Program must complete the following minimum criteria by the end of the Spring semester that application is made: 1) have a baccalaureate degree in a field or major other than occupational therapy, from a regionally accredited college or university; 2) have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale and no less than a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours; 3) complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better; and 4) be admitted to the ULM Graduate School per the ULM Graduate School admission policies.
Prerequisite courses include Human Anatomy with Lab and Human Physiology with Lab (or Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with Labs), Statistics, Human Growth & Development, Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Introduction to Sociology or Introductory Anthropology.
Application requirements will be to the Occupational Therapy Department, located in Caldwell Hall 111, no later than March 1 by 12:00 noon. If March 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date will be 12:00 noon on the last school day prior to March 1. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Students must have official copies of their transcripts submitted to the ULM Graduate School by the application deadline date of March 1. Official transcripts of the current application semester must also be received by ULM Graduate School by May 25 of the application year.
Applications will be reviewed by the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. Questions regarding out-of-state candidates may be directed to the OT office at 318-342-1610.
Students accepted into OTD are required to fulfill the immunization requirements of ULM Student Health Services. Once accepted into the OTD Program, the student has two academic years to successfully complete the didactic coursework of the program followed by six months of full-time level II fieldwork and fourteen weeks of doctoral level capstone project and experience. A student who fails to do so will be required to appear before The University of Louisiana Monroe Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee for a hearing to determine continuation in the program.
To progress in the OTD Program, a student must complete all required didactic occupational therapy courses with a grade of “C” or better and a cumulative 3.000 on a 4.000 scale, and the student must not earn more than 2 courses/6 credit hours with a grade of “C”. The student must complete all courses in the sequence leading to an occupational therapy doctorate degree. All OTD professional program courses must be taken at ULM. Students who fail to successfully meet all requirements (due to not meeting competency or based on grade) will be dismissed from the program. Students may request to appear before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee to determine continuation in the program. Before going on Level II Fieldwork affiliations, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.000 (uncorrected). The Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee has the right and responsibility to impose sanctions on a student who does not comply with ethical, professional behavior, or patient welfare guidelines of the program after following due process guidelines of the program. Sanctions can include dismissal from a course with a grade of “F” and may result in permanent dismissal from the program. The Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee will determine the re-application status of any student who does not successfully complete the program. In lieu of comprehensive final examinations, the OTD degree requires a passing score on the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation.
A student who does not receive at least a grade of “C” on any Level II Fieldwork placement or the OTD Capstone experience shall be dismissed from the program. A dismissal may be appealed before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee to determine if repeated or additional coursework could justify readmission. All cases before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students must complete all Level II Fieldwork and Capstone requirements within 2 years following the completion of occupational therapy content courses.
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