How to Apply

MS, Occupational Therapy (Professional)

You are required to upload a copy of your most recent résumé or curriculum vitae as part of your application.

• On your resume include a section for “ OT Related Experiences”. Indicate your OT experiences, including, but not limited to, the site you observed at, name of supervisor, dates of observation/volunteer experience and what you observed.

You are required to answer the required question and one supplemental question. Each question should have the following format:

• Maximum of three pages
• Double-spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• 1-inch margins on all sides

Required Question

How have your work and volunteer experiences influenced your decision to pursue the profession of occupational therapy? 

Supplemental Questions (choose one):

Reflect on a time/situation when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to take action. What influenced your decision?   

                         or

What do you identify as important social and cultural factors to consider as you enter a healthcare profession?

Submit two letters of recommendation. Be sure to request them well in advance of the deadline. Read detailed instructions.

• One letter of recommendation from an occupational therapist or health care professional indicating your preparedness to enter the healthcare profession is strongly recommended.
• Do not submit letters from family members or friends of the family.

Complete the “Prerequisite Course Requirement” section of the application. Prerequisite courses are as follows:

• Abnormal Psychology (covers the lifespan)
• Developmental Psychology (covers the lifespan)
• Behavioral Science (social science course)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with dissection lab (course must be completed within 10 yrs)  
• Elementary Statistics

Note(s):

• Grades of B- or above are required for the prerequisite courses. Three credits is required for each prerequisite course.
• Online courses are only acceptable for Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology and Statistics.  As a result of Covid-19, we will accept online or hybrid A&P courses for the following terms only: Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021 and Fall 2021.
• CLEP Exam and Regents College Exam will not be accepted unless credited and graded by a previously attended college or university
• Courses taken at non-accredited institutions will not be accepted.

For questions about prerequisite courses please contact the Occupational Therapy Department at occupational.therapy@nyu.edu

Upload one official copy of transcripts from every postsecondary institution (college/university) you have attended or are attending. Please note: This includes transcripts from institutions where you received transfer credits or did not complete a degree.  Make sure to request an official copy of the transcript(s) in advance of the deadline.

Transfer Credits

We understand accepted transfer credits may be clearly listed on your degree awarding institution’s transcript. The Office of Graduate Admissions still requires a transcript from the initial credit-granting institution where you took the course(s). Delay in listing and uploading these transcripts can significantly delay the application review process.

Institutions Outside the US or Canada

If you completed or are completing a degree at an institution outside of the US or Canada, you are required to provide a WES or ECE international credentials evaluation. Please review our requirements for translation and a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts.

See detailed instructions on submitting transcripts.

To accommodate the limited opportunities for OT observation/volunteer experiences due to the current pandemic, at least one of the experiences below can be included as OT observation/volunteer experiences: 

• Traditional (direct) occupational therapy volunteering and shadowing experiences.  You were able to observe an OT at a site. Include this information on your resume.
• Complete an Introduction to OT course at a college or university. Upload this transcript to your application.
• Supplemental Essay-What have you done on your own to learn about the occupational therapy profession? In your essay, be specific about where you obtained your knowledge about the OT Profession and what you have learned.  Provide links and references (2 pages (max), doubled space, Font: Times New Roman 12). Upload your supplemental essay to the Additional Upload section of your application

Please note:  

1. While completing all three of these experiences will not be required, we strongly recommend students have rich and diverse experiences learning about the OT Profession prior to applying to our program.

2. The Supplemental Essay should only address the following question: What have you done on your own to learn about the occupational therapy profession? Include references

Not required.

See testing requirements.

Start your application now

After you fill in and upload the required information, you can submit your completed application. Your application must be completed, dated, electronically signed, and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST of the stated deadline.

You will be prompted to pay a $75 application fee, payable by major credit card only. After submitting your payment, you will see your application status change from “saved” to “submitted.” Please print this screen for your records, as it confirms that your application has been successfully sent to our school. If you have problems submitting your payment, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. Learn more about our fee waiver policy.

If any application materials need to be mailed to our office, mail the materials to NYU Steinhardt, Office of Graduate Admissions, 82 Washington Square East, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-6680.  Please do not mail your materials in binders or folders. Any mailed materials must be received by, not postmarked by, the stated deadline. Only completed applications will be considered and reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of mailed materials.

You will be notified about your decision by email. Typically, decisions will start going out in late November for Spring semester enrollment and in late March or early April for Summer or Fall enrollment. You may learn of your decision before or after this timeline.