Application Requirements & Admission Criteria

Applicants to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program are processed through St. Bonaventure's Free Occupational Therapy Program Application.

Application deadlines

Graduate applications to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program will be accepted on a rolling admissions basis. A complete application requires that the application be electronically submitted, and that all official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a personal essay that addresses how you chose occupational therapy as a career have been received.

Once you have created an account and submitted the SBU Graduate Health Professions Application, you can upload application documents directly.

Once we receive your final documents, we will process your application and provide you with an admission decision within 1-2 weeks. All offers of admission will be provisional should you submit unofficial transcripts. If provisionally admitted to SBU, you must submit official transcripts prior to entering the program.

We will continue to accept and process applications on a rolling-basis until we reach our class capacity. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Should you require assistance with your application or have questions about our requirements, please email Dr. Theresa A. Vallone, interim director of occupational therapy.

International and non-native English speaking applicants must contact Admissions for additional application requirements.

Prerequisite requirements

Students are welcome to apply to the MSOT program with pre-requisite courses in-progress or planned. Applicants with outstanding pre-requisites who otherwise meet our criteria will be offered provisional admission.

All outstanding coursework must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher prior to anticipated matriculation. All applicants must also submit an official college/university transcript from within the United States or Canada showing proof of degree completion (B.S. or B.A.) prior to anticipated matriculation.

Grades less than 2.0/C are not accepted for any pre-requisite (i.e., C- not accepted).
The cumulative GPA for the pre-requisite courses listed above must be 3.0 or higher.
All in-progress pre-requisites must be completed prior to matriculation.
All pre-requisite coursework must be completed at an accredited institution within the United States or Canada.
Advanced placement (AP) credit for required pre-requisite courses will be considered by the program director on a case-by-case basis.
Pre-requisite courses must have been completed within 10 years of application to the program.

Application process

Simply meeting the pre-requisites and submitting an application will not guarantee acceptance into the program. The Admissions Committee will decide which applicants are selected for admission.

If your application is not complete, you will be notified and your application process will halt until corrections or additions are made.

Once reviewed by an Admissions team member, the application will be either closed (and proceed no further) or recommended for St. Bonaventure OT Admissions Committee review. The committee will then make one of these final determinations:

the applicant is accepted
the applicant is placed on an “active” list for future consideration
the applicant is informed that he/she has not been selected

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended are required (regardless of whether or not a degree was earned), including proof of a baccalaureate degree. Transcripts from institutions outside the United States and Canada must receive a course-by-course credit evaluation through a recognized service. SBU accepts evaluations from all active members associated with NACES. For more information students will visit www.naces.org.
Submit three letters of recommendation.
In approximately 500 words, please describe your life experiences and educational journey that have led you to pursue a career in occupational therapy.

Transfer Student Policy

Students requesting the transfer of credits for occupational therapy coursework will have the course syllabi reviewed and approved by the program director. Only course credits that were earned at ACOTE-approved OT or OTA programs and that meet ACOTE standards for the course content will be considered.

The following guidelines apply to the transfer of credit to an SBU graduate program:

Requests to transfer credit into a St. Bonaventure University graduate program should be made directly to the program director, who will determine transferability of credit. The program director will notify the student of the credit transfer decision;
No more than six (6) credit hours may be transferred into an SBU graduate or certificate program. Some academic departments are more restrictive with regard to credit transfer. This information will be shown in the program specific portions of the catalog;
Transfer credit will not be granted for courses in which a grade lower than a B was earned. Similarly, no credit will be granted for courses showing a grade of Pass or Satisfactory. Courses taught as graduate-undergraduate offerings will normally not transfer;
Descriptions of the classes for which credit is sought should accompany a credit transfer request. The program director may request additional information (e.g., syllabus);
Students anticipating taking courses at another college for transfer back to SBU should first review the transferability of these classes with their SBU program director. If approved, the student must ensure that an official transcript for that work is sent to the SBU registrar;
All coursework, including transfer credit, must satisfy the time-to-degree requirement, as outlined in the degree requirements part of this catalog.

Undergraduate students requesting approval to take courses at other accredited institutions must:

Obtain a Transfer Credit Permission Form available online on registrar’s website.
Complete, attach a copy of the course description, and obtain necessary signatures.

The student will be notified whether the request has been approved or denied.

Credit for work experience will not be offered.

Technology requirements and assistance

Recommendations for technology needed for the classroom and distance-learning components of the occupational therapy program are listed on SBU’s Technology Services webpage. Technology Services makes no preferences as to the make or model of any computer coming on to our network. We offer the following general recommendations:

Windows Operating System: Windows 10
Macintosh OS 10.x
Minimum of 8 Gb of RAM for memory
Solid-state hard drive of at least 240 Gb
Microsoft Office — available to download free from your student Office 365 account (see instructions on your MySBU portal under Tech Assistance)
Virus protection

In addition, students are expected to have access to reliable internet access and a webcam.

In order to fully participate in online courses while enrolled in the MSOT program, students are expected to demonstrate proficient use of the following platforms to access and submit materials and assignments:

Moodle (campus Learning Management System)
Zoom

Students must also possess the ability to receive and send emails through their password-protected student email account.