All application materials must be uploaded and submitted to the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service. Applications will open mid-July every year.
Consistent with the University's mission, applicants from the Appalachian region are given preference in the admissions process. Students who are graduates (or who plan to graduate) from Lincoln Memorial University will be guaranteed an interview provided they have met all the admissions prerequisite criteria. Lincoln Memorial University students are not guaranteed acceptance into the program, but they are granted a preferred status which may be beneficial in a competitive admissions environment.
Pathways to Admission in Occupational Therapy
There are 3 options to enter into the occupational therapy program.
Applicants have received a bachelor’s degree and have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours of undergraduate education from a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) prior to anticipated enrollment. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are NOT required for application.
Students must achieve the following requirements prior to enrollment:
- 3.0 overall GPA on all college coursework
- 3.0 overall GPA on all prerequisites
- Minimum of 40 hours of shadowing occupational therapists
- Three professional letters of reference
- Personal Statement
- Applications are submitted at OTCAS.org
Prior to matriculation into the Program, applicants must have completed all prerequisite coursework with a C grade or better of the following prerequisite courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab (4 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab (4 credits)
- Kinesiology or Biomechanics (3 credits)
- Human Growth and Development OR Lifespan Development (3 credits)
- Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
- Sociology, Anthropology, OR Philosophy (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology (3 credits)
Substitution of requirement for any of the above prerequisite courses may be granted by the occupational therapy program admissions committee on an individual basis.
Applicants must complete a minimum of 90 semester hours of undergraduate education from a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) prior to anticipated enrollment. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are NOT required for application.
Students must achieve the following requirements prior to enrollment:
- 3.0 overall GPA on all college coursework
- 3.0 overall GPA on all prerequisites
- Minimum of 40 hours of shadowing occupational therapists
- Three professional letters of reference
- Personal Statement
- Applications are submitted at OTCAS.org
Prior to matriculation into the Program, applicants must have completed all prerequisite coursework with a C grade or better of the following prerequisite courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab (4 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab (4 credits)
- Kinesiology or Biomechanics (3 credits)
- Human Growth and Development OR Lifespan Development (3 credits)
- Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
- Sociology, Anthropology, OR Philosophy (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology (3 credits)
Substitution of requirement for any of the above prerequisite courses may be granted by the occupational therapy program admissions committee on an individual basis.
Please see below for our requirements for Undergraduate Freshman who elect the 3+3 pathway that results in a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science:
- High school graduate with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- Minimum Math ACT score of 21 or minimum Math SAT score of 530
- Students will be required to answer an occupational therapy-focused writing prompt/personal statement
- Two (2) character references from (choose two of the following)
- Guidance counselor/humanities teacher
- Science teacher
- Coach
- Employer
Freshmen admitted as BS/OTD students will be granted acceptance into the OTD program upon satisfactory completion of the above requirements. Full acceptance will be granted pending satisfactory completion of the criteria for progression to the Professional OTD Program. Students must also complete LMU's general education core curriculum requirements in addition to the BS requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree in General Exercise at the end of the second year of the OTD program.
Preference is given to applicants with permanent residence in the Appalachian region of the following states: TN, KY, VA, NC, OH, WV, PA, AL, and GA.