DOCTOR of OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Application: Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)
OTCAS 2025 - 2026 application cycle opens: July 2025
Deadline to submit OTCAS application: October 15, 2025
Classes begin: May 18, 2026

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Residency

Preference will be given to Louisiana residents. Information regarding establishing LA residency may be obtained by the Office of the Registrar or on the registrar's website. 

MINIMUM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

The following are the minimum admission requirements for application to the Occupational Therapy Program for the 2025-2026 application cycle: 

Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university by the first day of class in the OT Program. 

Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA (4.0 scale) by the application deadline. 

Minimum 3.2 GPA in required pre-requisite courses (4.0 scale) by the application deadline. 

Grade of “C” or better in required pre-requisite courses* from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university by the first day of class in the OT Program (see below). U.S. college or university by the first day of class in the OT Program. If you earned a C in a prerequisite course, it is strongly recommended that you repeat the course. See the Approved Pre-requisites Table for several Louisiana colleges and universities. 

Note : A&P I with lab + A&P II with lab (8 hours) will meet the anatomy and physiology requirements if all four components are completed. If courses are not completed at the same institution, it is up to the applicant to show that the combined courses covered all required material (by uploading course catalog descriptions document into OTCAS).

• Human Anatomy/Lab (4 credits)
• Human Physiology (3 credits)
  • A&P I and II (at least 7 credits) may be substituted for Human Anatomy and Human Physiology
• Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
• Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
• Inferential Statistics (3 credits)
• Developmental Psychology (lifespan human development) (3 credits)
• Neuroscience or Neuroanatomy (3 credits)
• Advanced or Technical Writing (3 credits)

Not required, but strongly recommended courses:

• Motor Development
• Advanced Statistics

*Additional Notes on Prerequisite Requirements: 

• In response to the COVID-19, pass/fail grades will be accepted for non-prerequisite courses for the Spring 2020 semester only. At this time, we are not accepting pass/fail grades for prerequisite courses.
• Due to the wide variety of experiential learning that can occur prior to admission, the LSU Health Shreveport OTD program does not waive prerequisite coursework. For the same reason, the LSU Health Shreveport OTD program does not award credit or advanced placement for previous coursework or experiential learning; all coursework must be completed within the OTD curriculum without exception.

Applicants must complete majority of the 25 credits prior to December 31st of the year of application (In other words, only one pre-requisite course may be taken in the spring semester prior to admission in May). 

Applicants must submit evidence of one by the application deadline:

A)  Complete a minimum of 40 observation hours and document it in the Experiences section on the OTCAS application. The occupational therapy areas of practice MUST include:

• 20 hours in a pediatric setting under one pediatric LOTR, and
• 20 hours in an adult inpatient rehabilitation setting under one adult rehabilitation LOTR. 

If completing observation hours, each LOTR you observed must submit an evaluation on your behalf via the OTCAS Evaluation Portal. 

OR

B)  Complete the Online Shadowing Program and upload the certificate of completion to the Documents section of the OTCAS application. 

Selected applicants, after the initial processing of applications, will be contacted to arrange an interview.

Accepted students must certify that they meet the technical standards established by the program with or without reasonable accommodations. 

Please note:

• Applicants to the OTD program are considered for admission on a competitive basis. Satisfaction of basic requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. The admissions committee considers overall grade-point average, pre-requisite grade-point average, interview scores, and quality of courses taken. The committee chooses those considered most qualified for the study and practice of occupational therapy. 
  • While admission offers may be extended conditionally, any incomplete prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed prior to matriculation. Failure to meet prerequisite requirements may impact final admission decisions.
• Accepted students are assigned a provisional admission status until meeting conditions outlined in the acceptance letter and completing pre-matriculation requirements set forth by the Office of the Registrar. As part of the pre-matriculation requirements, accepted students are required to pass a drug screen and criminal background check prior to matriculation. Offers of acceptance are contingent on passing both.

Other factors considered within the selection process:

Life experience, which consists of:

• Leadership – official leadership position in an organization or a company.
• Work experience – working at least half time (20 hours/week) while a full time student or working full-time after graduation
• Participation in LSU Health Shreveport activities such as AHEAD, AHEC, HBCU days, OT Program Information sessions, Junior Achievement activities on campus, etc.
• Participation in a sanctioned collegiate sport at the varsity level
• Military service

We recognize that overcoming adversity fosters resilience, empathy, and personal growth – qualities essential in healthcare. Special consideration is given to applicants who have faced significant challenges, as these experiences demonstrate perseverance and the ability to navigate difficult circumstances.

Other considerations :
Prior applicant or designated as an alternate the prior admissions cycle.