Occupational Therapy

* FACT (the Freshman Admission Criteria Track) is a criterion-based early admission program for the graduate Occupational Therapy Program. The program is available for first-year students at The College of St. Scholastica. First-year students who declare their intent to pursue a Master's (M.S.) Degree in Occupational Therapy will be guaranteed admission to the program after three years of undergraduate work, if they meet the plan criteria.

 

FACT criteria:

1. Make application to the program by the end of fall semester of the freshmen year. The application
   form will be a working document as the student progresses through the three years preceding
   entry into the professional program. Initially, complete only pages 1 and 2.
2. Complete 96 semester credits prior to entry into the professional program; including a minimum
   16 upper division credits.
3. Complete all general education requirements.
4. Complete all prerequisite courses for the Occupational Therapy Program.
5. Maintain an overall and a prerequisite grade point average of 2.7 with a grade of 2.0 or better in all prerequisite courses.
6. Obtain a minimum grade of 2.7 on the first year English composition course.
7. Complete a minimum of two Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Observation forms detailing work/volunteer experiences (20 hours each) that contribute to the understanding of occupational therapy. One experience must be in a setting that allows observation of a Certified Occupational Therapist (COTA) or Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR).
8. Submit three Graduate Recommendation forms, one from one of the observation experiences required above and two from references of the student's choosing. References from family members will not be accepted.
9. Meet minimally one time per semester with an assigned member of the Occupational Therapy Program faculty.

Students who do not meet the criteria will be removed from the accelerated admission track, but may still apply to the Occupational Therapy Program through the standard application process. Benefits to the FACT applicant include exemption of the graduate application fee, continuous access and interaction with Occupational Therapy Program faculty member, exemption from the application essay, exemption from the application interview and guaranteed admission, if criteria are met.

The initial acceptance pool consists of up to 20 qualified FACT students and the remainder of qualified St. Scholastica and transfer students for a class of 32.

First-year students who have enough credits (when they arrive at college) to make them sophomores (or higher) may apply as early FACT applicants only if there are less than 20 FACT applicants in the class with whom they apply.

*Please note that the correct phone number for FACT is 1-866-478-9277.