Admission Application Deadlines
Dates and Deadlines
| Event | Dates and Deadlines |
|---|---|
| OTCAS opens | mid-July |
| Early admission deadline | November 15 |
| Early admission decision letters sent | mid-December through early January |
| Regular admission deadline (only applications submitted before the deadline will be reviewed) | January 15 |
| Regular admission decision letters sent | end of February through early March |
Applicants must meet the criteria for admission. They also must demonstrate a commitment to professional program study, complete all the prerequisite courses and meet other program specific admission criteria. The majority of the class is selected during Early Admission application reviews.
You will need to complete two applications
- one to the University of Florida Office of Admissions
- one to the Department of Occupational Therapy via OTCAS
(1) Online University Admission
Your application must be complete and application fee paid to the Office of Admissions before you can be admitted to the OTD Program.
International Students
Students who have graduated from non-US universities or colleges, must submit acceptable evidence of US degree equivalency. Applicants must have transcripts evaluated and translated by an education evaluation service. Please see the Foreign Evaluations section in OTCAS for instructions and services. International Students must also report TOEFL scores in OTCAS. A minimum of 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required.
(2) Departmental – OTD Program Admission via OTCAS
The UF OTD program uses the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). Help using OTCAS can be found on their Applicant Help Center.
OTCAS Contact Info
Phone: 617-612-2860
Email: otcasinfo@otcas.org
Website: https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login
Where to Send Your Application
OTCAS must receive the application, references, and transcripts by the application deadline. Once your application is complete, OTCAS will verify your documents before releasing them to the University of Florida. Please note that UF cannot access unverified applications. Applicants should confirm their status as verified with OTCAS.
- For any questions about the receipt, processing, and verification of your application, please contact OTCAS Customer Service, contact info above.
- For other questions, please contact the University of Florida OT Department.
Transcripts
All official transcripts should be sent directly to OTCAS:
OTCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9120
Watertown, MA 02471
Test Scores
Official GRE test scores must be reported to OTCAS directly by the Educational Testing Service. The code for University of Florida-OTCAS is 2317. NOTE: We are waiving the GRE requirement for the Fall 2021 admissions due to the difficulty finding testing sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommendations
The department will access your recommendations through OTCAS. Applicants must submit three (3) recommendations. One (1) of the recommendations must be from a professional level OT who is currently practicing. The other two (2) should be from professionals, such as a present or former faculty member, academic advisor, or employer. Names and addresses do not need to be entered on the University Office of Admissions online application, but must be provided to the appropriate section of the OTCAS application.
Personal Statement/Letter of Intent
Applicants must submit a personal statement that addresses why they selected OT as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to their immediate and long-term professional goals. They must describe how their personal, educational, and professional background will help achieve their goals. The department will access your personal statement through OTCAS. The personal statement is an important part of your application for admission and provides you with an opportunity to clearly and effectively express your ideas.
Resume
Include all academic, service, leadership, employment, and/or research activities on your resume. Upload to OTCAS.
Observation Hours
All applicants are required to complete a total of 30 hours of observational hours in at least two (2) diverse OT settings. Diverse settings are settings that service clientele are significantly different; inpatient, outpatient, long term care, school-based, elders, pediatrics, orthopedics, rehabilitation, etc. Upload documentation verifying your observation hours to OTCAS (ex: signed letter from a supervisor, signed form or log from an observation site or required by another program).
Computer Requirements
According to the University’s Student Computing Requirements policy, all UF students must have access to a computer that allows them to complete all coursework and general curriculum requirements. Students are responsible for knowing how to operate the computer systems and the software packages required, including the Canvas online course management system (UF e-Learning). Applicants should review the OTD Program Computer Requirements and Competency information prior to applying to the program.