Pre-Occupational Therapy

As an occupational therapist, you could help someone who is disabled cook or drive a car. Or you could help a person with permanent disabilities use special equipment. If that interests you, our program in occupational therapy may be just what you’re looking for. 

Our program is an entry-level program that leads to a master’s degree. First, you’ll complete a bachelor’s degree on our campus. You can choose any major. Most students who want to be occupational therapists pick biology, psychology or sports medicine. 

Then, you will apply to the University of Pittsburgh’s master of occupational therapy program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

We have a special arrangement with the University of Pittsburgh that we call a Freshman Guarantee. It means that if you meet certain criteria, you will automatically be accepted into the master’s degree program. You won’t have to compete for admission.

What you can do with a degree in Pre-Occupational Therapy .

Any bachelor's degree should include the following courses:

• HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
• HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II
• HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I LAB
• HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II LAB
• INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS I or CONCEPTS OF MODERN PHYSICS
• INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
• CHILD DEVELOPMENT
• ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
• STATISTICS PSYCHOLOGY
• INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE  or INTEGRATED BUSINESS MICROCOMPUTING or MICROCOMPUTING FOR MANAGEMENT

In addition to earning a bachelor's degree and completing the required courses listed above, you will need to earn a minimum overall and prerequisite 3.0 grade point average, take the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and complete a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer or paid work in occupational therapy in at least two different practice areas.

If you'd like to take advantage of the University of Pittsburgh Freshman Guarantee in Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, you will need to:

• Indicate PREOT Pre-occupational therapy on your admissions application.
• Have a minimum pre-2005 SAT score of 1200.
• Complete an undergraduate degree at Pitt with an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher, as well as a GPA of 3.3 or higher in the prerequisite courses.
• Achieve a combined score of 1000 or greater on the verbal and quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical section of the GRE.
• Complete 20 hours of volunteer experience.

Check with the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (admissions@shrs.pitt.edu) for its most current requirements for the Freshman Guarantee.