Admissions
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Applications may be submitted by any licensed occupational therapist who has earned a master's degree from a college or university that is accredited by a United States Department of Education Regional Accreditation Agency. If you are completing your entry-level master's degree from a properly accredited OT program, you may also apply. If accepted into the OTD program, you must earn your NBCOT certification along with your state license by the end of your first semester of study in our program.
Our application is available on OTCAS and includes the following items:
- A completed OTCAS application form
- A resume/CV
- One essay, four to five pages in length, double spaced.
- Three completed reference forms, submitted electronically.
- Official transcript(s) from all colleges and universities from which you have received a degree sent electronically or in sealed envelope(s) if your college/university is not able to provide them electronically.
- Upon submission of the application online, contact the Admissions Office (see information below) to schedule a required interview. The review of your application will not commence until this step has been completed.
Applicants who have earned their MS degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University within 10 years of this application, or who are currently completing their MS degree in OT from Columbia, should apply outside of OTCAS, as they do not need to submit references, transcripts, or the application fee in order to apply. Columbia alumni applicants should complete a separate application form. (Please note: any non-Columbia graduates who apply using this form will not be reviewed.)
If you are an international student whose native language is not English and your post-secondary schooling was not completed in English (undergraduate or graduate), you will need to take and submit your results from either the TOEFL or the ITELTS. For the TOEFL, we require a minimum iBT score of 100. For the IELTS, we require a minimum score of 8.
The online application and additional materials will be considered on a rolling basis. Please note: your application will not be reviewed until it is complete. It is in your best interest to submit all materials as early as possible.
For inquiries about the Post-Professional OTD program, contact otadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu.