Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is the use of assessment and treatment to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of people with a physical, mental, or cognitive disorder. Occupational therapists also focus much of their work on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities.

The demand for occupational therapy services is strong. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected employment of occupational therapists to increase by 26% and of occupational therapy assistants to increase by 30% or
more between 2008 and 2018. This projection is based on the Bureau’s assumptions that demographic trends and advances in medical technology will continue to fuel demand for therapy services.

Schedule an appointment with one of the advisors listed above at any point in your academic journey.

High Point University courses that are prerequisites for Occupational Therapy Schools:

• ANA/BIO 2060/2061 – Human Physiology
• PHS/BIO 2070/2071 – Human Anatomy
• PSY 2000 – Introduction to Psychology
• PSY 2250 – Abnormal Psychology
• PSY 2300 – Lifespan Development
• SOA 1010 – The Individual in Society OR SOA 1020 – Cultural Anthropology
• STS 2020 – Statistics
• ATR 1300 – Medical Terminology

Each OT program has its own unique set of prerequisite courses for application. This list was designed to assist student in translating the most common OT prerequisite requirements, BUT does not account for every OT program. The student should review the prerequisite course work required for their targeted OT programs to best understand application requirements.

1. A statistics course out of the Psychology department is open only to students who are doubling majoring or minoring in PSY.
2. Due to the heavy psychology influence in the OT pre-requisites, a minor in psychology is often recommended.

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View the full 4-year plan of study for exercise science majors at High Point University

Student interested in attending an occupational therapy school will need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Preparation for this test should begin in the summer prior to the junior year and the exam should be taken during junior year of undergraduate study.

View the resources available from the HPU Library to assist with GRE prep.

In order to be eligible to sit for the NBCOT certification examination, one must graduate from an ACOTE-accredited program.

View a list of all ACOTE-accredited master’s programs and doctoral programs.