Admissions

PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

•  Complete a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale prior to starting the program. Admission may be granted pending completion of the degree.
  • If cumulative GPA is less than 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, an applicant may still be eligible for admission if a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater has been achieved over the last 60 semester hours or 90 quarter-hour credits of coursework.  

• Complete all required pre-requisite courses with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and pre-requisite course GPA of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale .  
  • Grades Below "C" in prerequisite courses will not be accepted  
  • All prerequisite courses are required to be completed at a regionally accredited higher education institution entering the program (AP credits are not accepted).  
  • The majority of prerequisite courses (over 50%), including at least one science, should be completed at time of application. Not all prerequisite courses are required to be completed at time of application.  
  • Applicants must complete Anatomy and Physiology courses within the last five years, prior to application, or demonstrate ongoing work experiences that have kept this knowledge current.
  • Prerequisite courses can be completed in an on-campus, hybrid, or online format.
• Recommend a minimum of 30 hours of observation in at least two different settings or exploration into occupational therapy as a profession.

  • Occupational therapy professional exploration activities examples can include attending in-services by occupational therapy professionals, actively reading journal articles, pre-occupational therapy student association club member, etc. 

• Ability to fulfill the Technical Standards for Admission  
• Submission of personal essay on OTCAS  
• Submission of two letters of recommendation.    
  • Letters of recommendation should reflect the potential for success in the program and/or commitment to Occupational Therapy.
  • Letters of recommendations from academic, volunteer, supervisor, occupational therapist, or other health care professional will be accepted.
  • Letters from family, friends or co-workers will not be accepted  

• Successful completion of an admission interview. Applicants are selected for interviews based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting materials.  
• Complete an approved Background Check before matriculation   
• At this time, we can only accept U.S. Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens. For all applicants for whom English is not their first language or those who have completed a degree and pre-requisite courses in a foreign country, demonstration of English language proficiency is required through completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam or its equivalent.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with Laboratory (8 semester hours/12 quarter hours) 
• Statistics (3 semester hours/ 4 quarter hours) 

• Child Development or Lifespan Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 
• Abnormal Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours)  
• Biology with Laboratory - recommended
• Medical Terminology - recommended

Completion of the listed prerequisites does not guarantee admission into the program. If you have questions about a course satisfying the above prerequisites, please reach out to your HPU OTD admissions for a free transcript review.

OTDAdmissions-HI@hpu.edu

Program Admission Requirements 

• Complete 90 undergraduate semester hours (or 135 quarter hours credits) or bachelorʻs degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale prior to starting the program.  
  • Applicants with a cumulative GPA lower than 3.00 will be evaluated holistically.  
• Complete all required prerequisite courses with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and prerequisite course GPA of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale.  
  • Grades below “C” in prerequisite courses will not be accepted. 
  • All prerequisite courses are required to be completed at a regionally accredited institution entering the program. 
  • The majority of prerequisite courses (over 50%) including at least one science, should be completed at the time of application. Not all prerequisite courses required to be completed at the time of application. 
  • Applications must complete Anatomy and Physiology courses within the last five years, prior to application, or demonstrate ongoing work experiences that have kept this knowledge current.  
  • Prerequisite courses can be completed in an on-campus, hybrid, or online format. 
• Ability to fulfill the Technical Standards for Admissions 
• Submission of personal essay on OTCAS 
• Submission of two letters of recommendation. 
  • Letters of recommendation should reflect the potential for success in the program and/or commitment to Occupational Therapy. 
  • Letters of recommendations from academic, volunteer, supervisor, occupational therapist, or other health care professional will be accepted. 
  • Letters from family, friends or coworkers will not be accepted.  
• Successful completion of an admission interview. Applicants are selected for interviews based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting materials.  
• Complete an approved Background Check prior to matriculation.  
• Recommend 30 hours of observation in at least two different different settings. 
  • Occupational therapy professional exploration activities examples can include attending in-services by occupational therapy professionals, actively reading journal articles, pre-occupational therapy student association club member, etc. 
• At this time, we can only accept U.S. Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens. For all applicants for whom English is not their first language or those who have completed a degree and prerequisite courses in a foreign country, demonstration of English language proficiency is required through completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam.

Program Prerequisites 

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with laboratory (8 semester hours/12 quarter hours) 

• Statistics (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 

• Child Development or Lifespan Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 

• Abnormal Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 

• Biology with Laboratory – recommended 

• Medical Terminology – recommended  

Completion of the listed prerequisites does not guarantee admission into the program. If you have questions about a course satisfying the above prerequisites, please reach out to your HPU OTD admissions for a free transcript review.  

OTDAdmissions-NV@hpu.edu  

Applicants will use the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application System (OTCAS) available at https://otcas.liaisoncas.com to apply. OTCAS allows OT applicants to use a single web-based application and one set of materials to apply to multiple OT programs. OTCAS is a service of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and is administered by Liaison International (LI), an education information technology company located in Watertown, Massachusetts. The current OTCAS application fees are $155 for the first program you apply to and $67 for each additional program.

OTCAS Application Fees and Fee Waivers - Liaison (liaisonedu.com)

Procedures

Applicants who apply through OTCAS submit a completed web-based application comprised of biographical data, colleges and universities attended, academic course history, physical therapy observation hours, list of reference providers, work experiences, extracurricular activities, honors, professional licenses, and school-specific questions or supplemental requirements. It is the applicant's responsibility to read and follow all OTCAS and program-specific instructions. Applicants should apply early as it can take up to 5 weeks for OTCAS to verify the file, once it is in “complete” status.

Applicants should follow these steps:

1. Review the OTCAS instructions and program admission requirements.
2. Create an OTCAS application account.
3. Complete the “Colleges Attended” section first by entering all institutions attended.
4. Print an OTCAS transcript matching form for each institution attended.
5. Arrange for all official transcripts to be sent to OTCAS with the “Transcript Matching” form enclosed.
6. Enter all United States and Canadian college courses using personal copies of their transcripts.
7. Complete the References section for three (3) references, so their evaluators have adequate time to respond.

Admissions Review

The OTD Admissions faculty and committee will review completed applications in the order of receipt on a rolling basis during the admissions cycle.

Applicants are evaluated based on cumulative and prerequisite GPA, references, and all supporting materials received. Additional factors considered include relevant work experience and/or observation hours. The OTD admissions committee will grant admission interviews by invitation only. An interview does not guarantee program admission.

• Interview process: The OTD Admissions coordinator will coordinate interviews for all selected applicants. All interviews will be conducted asynchronously using a web-based video platform. Applicants will video-record and upload their responses to interview questions in real-time for review by the OTD Admissions Committee. Written responses (essays) or standardized questionnaires may also be included in the interview process and occur through the web-based video platform.
• Selection Process. The OTD Admissions Committee and faculty will accept students into the program based on holistic evaluation of their application, supplemental material, and interview. All applicants will be notified by email regarding final selection decisions. The Director of Admissions will make a personal phone call to applicants accepted into the program.
• The OTD Admissions committee will use a combination of academic performance, personal references, video interviews, written responses (essays), and standardized measures to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all applicants.

CANDIDATE SELECTION FOR INTERVIEWS & ACCEPTANCE INTO PROGRAM

The purpose of the interview is to become better acquainted with the candidate to ascertain their professional potential and alignment with both the OTD Program and HPU’s College of Health and Society’s mission, vision, and values.

Applicants may be selected for interviews before fully completing their application file. Minimum requirements for interview consideration include verified application, official transcripts, two recommendation letters, and a minimum of 4 of 6 prerequisite courses completed.

HPU ‘Ohana Prioritized Application Process: Current HPU students who have achieved 90 undergraduate credits toward their bachelor’s degree / HPU Graduate students / HPU alumni who have fully completed their application file and meet the minimum program requirements, are guaranteed an interview.

Following the completion of the interview sessions, the top candidates will be offered acceptance into the program. Acceptance into one program does not guarentee acceptance into the other other program. At this point, candidates can follow one of the routes below:

1. The candidate accepts the offer and provides a non-refundable deposit to hold their spot in the program. Program seat deposits are due two weeks after after acceptance into the program.
2. The candidate accepts the offer and provides a deposit, but later withdraws their offer, forfeiting their deposit and position in the incoming class.
3. The candidate accepts the offer and provides a non-refundable deposit to hold their spot in the program but fails to register for program, thus forfeiting their position in the incoming class.
4. The candidate declines the offer.
5. The candidate accepts the offer and provides a deposit, but requests deferral to the following cohort. 

Applicants accepted in the program must maintain minimum standards through the completion of all outstanding pre-requisites and overall GPA course work.

• Applicants who fail to complete all pre-requisite courses, either through lack of registration or grade work below a C, will not be granted entrance into the These applicants will need to re-enter the general pool of applicants for the following year.

 TRANSFER OF CREDITS

Transfer credits are not accepted from outside of HPU’s OTD programs. The HPU OTD program does not accept credit for work experience, advanced placement or experiential learning. Applicants who were previously enrolled in an OTD program at another institution and who are offered admission to the HPU OTD Program, must start their degree from Year 1, Term 1, and meet all requirements to graduate.

WAITLIST

The remaining candidates will be notified that they are on the waitlist for our program. Candidates are provided the option of remaining on the waitlist or asking to be removed from consideration. This process will be ongoing until the admissions cycle is closed.

Waitlist candidates are accepted into the program based on the availability of spots, which is determined by the higher ranked candidates confirming or declining acceptance into the program. Waitlist candidates are offered spots until a complete class is created.

Technical Standards

The Technical Standards of Hawai`i Pacific University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program (non-academic prerequisites) define the essential functions that an applicant must be able to perform to be admitted to the OTD Program, to progress satisfactorily, and to graduate. Upon matriculation, students must attest to meeting the Technical Standards and Essential Functions of the occupational therapist student. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify the program in writing if the applicant is not able to meet one or more of the Technical Standards. Medical documentation describing the inability to meet one or more of the requirements must be provided.   

Essential functions of the occupational therapist student refer to all non-academic criteria that are necessary to participate in the educational program. These include basic motor and communication skills, intellectual abilities, behavioral and social attributes, and other requirements. Listed below are considered minimum abilities required in the educational process of an occupational therapist. The integrity of the curriculum must be maintained, and those elements deemed essential to the education of an occupational therapist must be required and completed. In developing these criteria, the OTD Program faculty affirm the following expectations of our admissions candidates:

Students are required to have a laptop computer, mobile device, web camera, and microphone. Students must have a laptop computer and mobile device at the time of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program Orientation. The following is a list of minimum requirements and specifications:

Laptop Computer

• Tablets can be good for taking notes and checking email; however, many cannot handle the required software for the program. Chromebooks are NOT recommended as they are incompatible with many applications required for classes.
• Software is required that enables viewing and editing frequently used file types including Microsoft files (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and portable document files (PDFs). Even while using the most compatible applications, some software and applications may not be fully compatible with all hardware and across all platforms. For example, Adobe Flash files may not run on some Apple and Android operating systems. In these situations where incompatibility results, it is the student’s responsibility to view any required files utilizing compatible hardware. Some assessments will be administered via a secure-testing computer software. Students will download and register secure-testing software to their personal laptop computers during orientation. Tablets and mobile devices cannot be used for computer-based testing.

Mobile Device. Android and Apple products are acceptable and must have mobile broadband capabilities.

• A variety of mobile device applications are required for use throughout the program.
• Mobile broadband capability for the mobile device is suggested to provide an internet connection when a local wireless network is not available.

IMMUNIZATIONS

The State of Hawai‘i law mandates that certain health requirements be cleared before students can enter into postsecondary institutions (Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 11, Department of Health, Chapter 157 Examination and Immunization). Students must submit proof of these requirements for enrollment at the university. There are additional requirements for participation in the OTD program as there are specific requirements for fieldwork education in healthcare and community facilities. Health and immunization forms are to be completed and signed by a licensed healthcare provider. Health requirements will be maintained and tracked in EXXAT, an education management software, for the duration of the program.

A one-time submission of certain health requirements is required. Deadlines for requirements are determined based on the University or Program requirements. Proof of the following must be provided:

• Personal health insurance throughout the entire program
• Satisfactory and current physical examination
• Tuberculosis Clearance via QuantiFERON-Gold Blood Test, Tuberculin Skin Test, or documentation from a healthcare provider assessing tuberculosis status with a copy of any diagnostic reports
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine (2 doses) OR immunity by titer
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, & Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine (at least 1 dose) within the last 10 years
• Varicella (Chickenpox) Immunization (2 doses) OR immunity by titer OR verification of a history of varicella disease or herpes zoster
• Hepatitis B vaccine series (3 doses) OR immunity by titer.
• Annual Influenza vaccine (to be given during influenza season: October through May)

Recurring submissions of the following health requirements will be required during the program. Proof of the following must be provided:

• Tdap vaccine if it expires during enrollment in the program
• Annual Influenza vaccine (to be given during influenza season: October through May)
• Any health insurance changes

Please note that individual fieldwork facilities may have specific health requirements. It will be the responsibility of the student to make sure these are met. Documentation from outside of the U.S. on these health requirements may need to be reviewed per the HPU Registrar: https://www.hpu.edu/registrar/health-clearance.html.  Information on medical and religious exemptions can also be found on this website. For more information about the immunization of Health Care Workers, refer to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers or Immunization of healthcare workers: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

The HPU OTD Program requires all students to complete a criminal background check before formal enrollment or matriculation in the OTD program. An additional background check and/or drug test may be required before beginning fieldwork experiences in year two of the program. Applicants should be aware that a prior criminal background could restrict the ability to obtain professional state licensure. Acceptance into the OTD program does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain such licensure.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Students are responsible for purchasing and maintaining health insurance coverage during their entire tenure in the OTD Program. Students must provide verification of personal health insurance to the OTD program to be kept on file.The health insurance marketplace provides information about available health insurance plans in the United States. To be eligible to enroll in health coverage through the Marketplace, you must live in the United States; must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present), and cannot be incarcerated. To see if you are eligible and what is available in your state, go to https://www.healthcare.gov/  or contact 1-800-318-2596.