The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program at FMU aligns with the university’s mission to deliver high-quality, research-informed education that meets the healthcare needs of the Pee Dee region and beyond. Rooted in the liberal arts and grounded in competency-based education, the curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, real-world learning, and fieldwork tailored to local community needs.
The OTD program fosters inclusive, interdisciplinary, and occupation-centered learning experiences that promote health and well-being across diverse populations. It uses a holistic admissions process, considering each applicant’s unique strengths and potential to contribute to the profession. The holistic review process is a flexible, highly individualized process by which balanced consideration is given to the multiple ways in which an applicant may prepare for and demonstrate suitability as a doctoral student and future occupational therapy practitioner. Candidates are evaluated by criteria that are institution-specific, broad based, mission-driven, and applied equitably across the applicant pool to promote diversity. Diversity serves as a driver of educational excellence and a mechanism for graduating students that contribute to healthcare consistent with the program’s mission and vision. Admission to the OTD Program is open to all applicants regardless of race, disability, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, sex, sexual orientation/expression, marital status, veteran status, or genetic information.
The program enrolls up to 30 students annually, beginning each Fall.
Admissions Timeline
- Applications Open:
- June 1st via FMU Graduate Admissions Portal
- July 18th via OTCAS
- Application Close:
- Early Admission Timeline: November 15th (all applications submitted on or before this date are given priority)
- Regular Admission Timeline: rolling until April 15th (all documents DUE)
Provisional Offers of Acceptance
- Priority Admission Timeline: Provisional offers are extended in mid to late February for applicants who meet the priority deadline.
- Regular Admission Timeline: Provisional offers are extended on a rolling basis through May 6th for applicants applying under regular admission.
Offers of Acceptance
Acceptance into the program is confirmed at the end of Accepted Student Engagement Day, which is a required in-person event designed to support your transition and ensure readiness for entry into the OTD program.
- Priority Admission: Confirmed at the early January Engagement Day
- Regular Admission: Confirmed at the mid May Engagement Day
Early admission applications are accepted on a priority, first-come-first-qualified basis until the specified deadline. Afterwards, the program accepts applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to establish, as needed, a waiting list, ranked by the date and time received, for all applications received by April 15th. Documents received after April 15th may or may not be accepted for any given fall term.
Classes Start: August
Application Criteria
To apply for acceptance into the program, a prospective student must:
- Have earned or be in the process of earning a bachelor’s degree from a regionally, nationally, or internationally accredited institution with a 3.0 Minimum Cumulative GPA. Students who are expected to graduate in the Spring or Summer of the year the program starts, are eligible and encouraged to apply.
- Submit the following application materials:
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work from accredited institutions.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Verification forms for at least 15 hours of observation of occupational therapy services.
- Observation Hours MUST be of a Registered and Licensed Occupational Therapist AND/OR Occupational Therapy Assistant.
- Proof of completion of Observation Hours must be documented on the Program’s Verification of Observation Experience Form. Forms used by other health related programs will be accepted with the Program’s Reflection of Observation Experience Form.
- Resume.
- Personal Essay (required only by OTCAS) OR
- Personal statement/Statement of Purpose (required only by FMU’s application portal)
All applications to the program must be submitted online through either the FMU Graduate Admissions Portal OR the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) website for consideration. Applicants need only apply on ONE application portal and should research which application site best meets their needs.
Completed applications are reviewed holistically by the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee.
Accepted Student Engagement Day
Applicants who receive a provisional or full offer of admission to the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program are invited to participate in the Accepted Student Engagement Day.
This event provides provisionally or fully accepted students the opportunity to:
- Meet the OTD faculty and staff
- Tour the Occupational Therapy Department and School of Health Sciences
- Engage with members of the clinical community
- Participate in interactive learning activities alongside clinicians and peers
Accepted Student Engagement Day is intended to support students’ informed decision-making, orientation to the program, and transition into doctoral-level occupational therapy education. Activities are structured to introduce students to the program’s curriculum, learning environment, and expectations, while fostering early professional identity development and community connection.
Participation in the Accepted Student Engagement Day is not an evaluative review and does not impact admission status. Rather, the experience is designed to promote engagement, transparency, and student success as individuals prepare to begin the OTD program.
Please see our Application & Admissions Process for more information on our commitment to holistic admissions.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the FMU Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program must meet the following criteria:
Educational Background
- A bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally, nationally, or internationally accredited institution
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Preprofessional Coursework
Applicants must have completed (or be in progress of completing) the following prerequisite courses, each with a minimum grade of B:
- Psychology – At least 9 credit hours, including:
- Human or Lifespan Development
- Abnormal Psychology
- Biological Sciences – At least 8 credit hours, including:
- General Biology
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Statistics – At least 3 credit hours
- Must be a stand-alone, mathematically based course
- Introductory Sociology – At least 3 credit hours
- English Composition – At least 3 credit hours
- Medical Terminology – At least 1 credit hour
⚠️ Note: Not-for-credit or certification-based courses will not fulfill these requirements.