Pre-Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are health care professionals trained to empower individuals to reach their own goals and to maximize their independence in personal care, work, school, play and leisure activities. They work with individuals of any age and in a variety of settings from neonatal intensive care units and other hospital settings, to community locations such as schools, work sites, and homes. Occupational therapists are uniquely qualified to identify and assess the functional limitations of individuals with disabilities and to develop strategies to compensate for those limitations. These strategies include ways to overcome attitudinal and environmental barriers and to identify and improve access to assistive technology and services.

The pre-occupational therapy curriculum is designed to prepare students for admission to USD’s program in Occupational Therapy. Students are free to major in the discipline of their choice and complete the prerequisite coursework as part of their Bachelor’s degree work at USD. All students must have a strong foundation in the biological and behavioral sciences, excellent communication skills, and knowledge of the field of occupational therapy.

Additional information regarding the USD Occupational Therapy program is available by contacting: Department of Occupational Therapy, 605-658-6356, (www.usd.edu/ot); Graduate School, 605-658-6140; Academic & Career Planning Center, 677-5381; or Health Professions Advisors, 605-658-6326 or 658-6334.

John Dudley
College of Arts & Sciences/Associate Dean for Academics
Arts & Sciences 110
605.677.5221
John.Dudley@usd.edu

Travis Ahlers, BSEd
Health Sciences/Pre-Professional Advisor
Lee Medical Room 221
605.658.6334
Travis.Ahlers@usd.edu

Audrey Ticknor, RDH, MA
Health Sciences Major Advisor/Instructor
Pre-Professional Advisor
Lee Medical Room 207
605.658.6326 Office
605.677.6745 Fax
Audrey.Ticknor@usd.edu

RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM

Pre-Occupational Therapy students must complete the following USD prerequisite coursework or their equivalent for enrollment in the USD Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. A minimum of 7 of the 9 required prerequisite courses including 2 of teh 3 required science courses must be completed prior to application. One course may not fulfill the requirement for multiple prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be completed by June 1 in the year of matriculation into the program.

Official scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are also required. Recommended GRE scores of 40% rank or above in the Verbal section, 45% rank or above in the Quantitative section, and 4.0 or above in the Written Analytic section are preferred. The results of the GRE may not be more than 5 years old.

Biology (4 hours):

Human Anatomy/Physiology (8 hours):

Psychology (9 hours):

Introductory Sociology or Anthropology (3 hours)

Statistics (3 hours):

Medical Terminology (3 hours)

Physics (4 hours)

Recommended but not required.
PHYS 111 - Introduction to Physics I (C) [SGR #6] 3 cr
PHYS 111L - Introduction to Physics I Laboratory (C) [SGR #6] 1 cr

Occupational Therapy (3 hours)

Recommended but not required.
OCTH 211 - Orientation to Occupational Therapy 3 cr

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