NAU OTD Admissions

Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Academic achievement 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution 

• Minimum GPA of 3.0 * 

• Extracurricular and interpersonal life experiences 

• Experiences, academics and prerequisites that indicate a focus and intention of joining the field of occupational therapy 

• Demonstrated concern for individuals from diverse backgrounds and their surrounding community 

• Demonstrated use of good judgment, insight, empathy reasoning, ethical behavior and strong personal accountability 

In addition to the NAU OTD admissions requirements as listed above, the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies maintains their own set of requirements. Please review both and ensure you are meeting both standards.

*The candidates most likely to be successful will have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. However, because the NAU OTD program embraces a holistic approach to education, applicants whose overall undergraduate GPA is lower than 3.0 may be considered provided there are significant reasons behind the lower GPA and provided that they earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite course work for this curriculum. Other factors include a 3.0 GPA within the last two years of undergraduate study, indications of significant positive trends in the improvement of the GPA, and experiential components/qualifications. 

Before entering the program, you must complete the following semester course requirements: 

• 6 credits of human anatomy and physiology. 

• 3 credits of research methods or statistics.

• 3 credits of abnormal psychology. 

• 3 credits above the introductory level of human development, which must encompass the entire lifespan from birth to end-of-life. 

• 3 credits above the introductory level of sociology or social justice covering problems, development, structure and/or functions of society of the present day. 

Applicants do not need to have all prerequisite courses completed at the time of application. If applicants are on track to have all prerequisite courses completed by July 1 of the year of admission to the program, they will be considered for admission. Our recommendation is to have all prerequisite courses completed by June 1 of the year of admission.

The OTD program requires all prerequisite course work to be completed with a letter (A, B, C, D) or numerical (4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0) grade. Prerequisite courses completed with pass/fail or credit/no credit are not accepted. 

If you have questions about whether courses fulfill prerequisite course requirements, please complete the self-assessment form. Our admissions committee will review your responses and get back to you via email as soon as possible. 

A minimum of 80 total hours of observation and volunteer hours are required* (40 observation and 40 volunteer). While the program does not require a specific form for documenting hours, we do require evidence of hours. Any documentation can be sent to otadmissions@nau.edu

• Evidence of hours needs to be entered into or uploaded to the Graduate Application by July 1. Hours cannot be double-counted as both volunteer and observation hours. However, unpaid observation hours in excess of the 40 hour requirement can count for volunteer hours.
• Observation Hours: 40 hours observing at least one occupational therapist. The hours may be paid or unpaid hours. Telehealth hours are acceptable. Possible sources of referrals of observation hours include your state occupational therapy associations, your pre-health faculty in your undergraduate degree, medical professionals, and providers of occupational therapy services, e.g., assisted living, schools and medical facilities. You are encouraged to do this no later than two months before the application deadline. 
  •  Guidance on shadowing an occupational therapy professional
• Volunteer Hours: 40 hours in at least one different community settings (agencies, programs, camps, etc.) serving vulnerable, disabled or disadvantaged individuals or populations that address health, rehabilitation, disability, quality of life or community issues or sustainability initiatives. 

Alternatives for Observation and Volunteer Hours 

• Observation hours obtained over 40 can be applied to missing volunteer hours. 

• Caregiving hours may be applied to volunteer hours if they meet approval. Send these requests to otadmissions@nau.edu for review. 

• Alternative hours can be used in place of observation and or volunteer hours (see below for more details). 
  • Many applicants may have trouble finding placement for observation and/or volunteer hours. To accommodate for this, we have created an opportunity to complete these hours from your home using alternative hour products and modules. 
  • Deadline to complete all of your hours is July 31st, 2026. 
  • Please email otadmissions@nau.edu: 
  • Alternative hours products documentation. 
  • Total number of hours that you want to submit towards the observation and volunteer hours prerequisites. 
  • In the email subject line please write “Alternative Hours Submission”. 
  • If you have any questions about any of the information provided please email otadmissions@nau.edu. 

What undergraduate degrees can I earn in order to apply for the OTD program?  

• BS in Health Sciences in Allied Health (Gateway Community College OTA/OT Bridge Program)
• Exercise Physiology  
• Public Health 

For more information, please visit our Priority Admission Pathways webpage

Before students receive final admission for the first semester, the following prerequisite requirements must be met: 

• Evidence that a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution has been awarded 
• Successful completion of all prerequisite coursework with a C or better; No Pass/Fail Grades 

Conditionally Accepted Applicants

If you apply with an overall GPA of less than 3.0, you may be admitted on a conditional basis. Students admitted conditionally on basis of GPA must earn either A or B grades (C grades not permitted) in all classes during that first semester to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to move from conditional admission to regular admission. Students who fail to meet conditional admission requirements by the end of their first semester may be denied regular admission upon department and Office of Graduate & Professional Studies review and will not be allowed to progress in the degree. Additional conditions may also be required.

Conditionally accepted applicants must complete the following within the communicated timeframe to secure full admittance: 

• Fulfillment of any requirements as stipulated in your offer of conditional acceptance 

• Submission of a nonrefundable $500 security deposit applied to the first semester’s tuition within 2 weeks of receiving full acceptance 

Criminal Background Requirements

Successful candidates must have and maintain the statutory requirements that will be needed for licensure.  While requirements vary from state to state, NAU OTD requires that students meet background requirements of the State of Arizona.  This is because of the extensive fieldwork experiences in Arizona. 

 Arizona Revised Statutes states that in order to be licensed the individual must: “be of good moral character” and be eligible to legally work in the U.S. ‘Good Moral Character’ means “an applicant has not been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor within 5 years before application and never been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. ” 

 Facilities to which a student may be assigned may require additional background checks. 

Students with a criminal background should check with the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy before applying to the OTD program to see if they are eligible to be certified as an occupational therapist.  It is important to note that individuals with a felony conviction may not be able to sit for the national certification exam and will therefore not be credentialed. 

The NBCOT now offers Early Determination for candidates who have a background that may impact their ability to sit for the licensing exam. We encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to understand their eligibility. Additional information can be found on the NBCOT website.

TOEFL Scores

Students who present transcripts for courses or degrees earned from non-English-speaking universities or whose official native language is not English will need to present their results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). 

The University requires a minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the Internet-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 550 on the paper-based test. The TOEFL is waived for applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university. The minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score is 7.0. 

Time to Complete the Program

Students who are admitted to the OTD program with an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree have six years to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree, including all level II fieldwork rotations and capstone. The time limit starts with the student’s first semester of doctoral study at Northern Arizona University. If the student does not complete the degree in the established timeframe, the student may petition the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies for one extension of this time limit (NAU Policy 100815).

Good Academic Standing

All occupational therapy students are subject to the policies and regulations as identified in the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Policies and the NAU Student Handbook. Graduate students must maintain “Good Academic Standing” to be eligible to continue in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, which includes maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0, no course grades of “D” or “F”, and no more than 11 credit hours of “C” grades. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to enroll in Level II Fieldwork and capstone.

For students who transfer into the NAU Occupational Therapy program from another accredited doctoral level program, transfer of credits will be considered by the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Each of the requested courses for transfer credit will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as the department assumes responsibility to ensure courses demonstrate the core learning competencies, university expectations, and accreditation standards.

Per ACOTE Accreditation standard A.3.2., the program must have documented admission policies and procedures for admission, advanced placement, transfer of credit, and prerequisite educational or work experience requirements. These policies must be readily accessible to prospective students and the public and be applied consistently and equitably. The admissions process must align with the institutional mission and vision and reflect efforts to recruit and admit a diverse student population as defined by the program.

The Department of Occupational Therapy’s transfer policy is guided by both the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGPS) policy and ACOTE accreditation standards.

Graduate courses completed at other accredited colleges and universities may be applied as transfer credit toward a graduate degree at Northern Arizona University at the discretion of each graduate program. For transfer credit from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from a recognized foreign institution, the following criteria must be met:

• The Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator/Director or Academic Unit Chair/Director approve the acceptance of the transfer course(s) to the student’s Program of Study.
• The course earned graduate credit (500-level or higher) at the previous institution.
• The course is comparable to Northern Arizona University graduate-level coursework in that it meets and/or contains equivalent core learning competencies to a required or elective course within the student’s Academic Advisement Report or Program of Study.
• The student earned a grade of “A” or “B” (or the equivalent if another grading system was used). The OGPS will accept a “Pass” grade if the course is graded only on a pass-fail basis.
• Aligns with ABOR’s contact hour equivalency requirement adopted by NAU (Policy: Academic Credit; 45 contact hours per unit of credit).
• The credit was earned (a) within the six-year period required for completing the master’s degree or Graduate Certificate or (b) within the eight-year period required for completing a doctoral degree.
• The credits were not applied toward an undergraduate degree.
• For international transfer coursework, institutions must be recognized by their nation’s governing academic body (e.g., Ministry of Education).
• For doctoral degrees, up to 50% of the required units for the program may be transferred.

The Department Chair is charged with ensuring that transfer policy is upheld and that a course being recommended for transfer meets educational standards expected for the program. Students may apply to receive transfer credit for required courses with a maximum of 50% of the required units of the program. Course syllabi and transcripts must be submitted for consideration.

Transfer credit is not a guarantee. The levels of approval lie within the department and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. See the full OGPS transfer credit policy for details.

No, we are now using the NAU Graduate Application only in an effort to minimize costs and obstacles for our candidates.

For us, a change agent is someone who facilitates innovation to improve the health and well-being of individuals, groups, organizations, or population. A leader is a role model who listens empathetically and promotes the development and growth of others. And a practice scholar is someone who promotes scholarly endeavors that will describe and interpret the scope of the profession, establish new knowledge, and apply this knowledge to practice.

Graduates are eligible to take the NBCOT Examination

Students must complete all graduation, fieldwork, and capstone rotation requirements in a timely manner. Students must complete Level II fieldwork and experiential requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program and prior to engaging in the residency component of the curriculum. NAU’s graduates are eligible to sit for the examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice. However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.