Occupational Therapy (OTD) Admission Requirements
This program admits in Summer II 2025.
In addition to the University’s admissions requirements:
- BOTH the OTCAS application and the Kean University CAS Graduate Supplemental Application MUST be completed and "verified" by the deadline in order for the application to be fully reviewed.
● Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
● Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0
● Official transcripts from all institutions attended
● Three letters of recommendation; one letter must be from an occupational therapist. These can be uploaded to the electronic application. Letters must be dated within two years of applying
● Professional résumé/CV
● Personal statement
● Respond to a departmental question on the application
● In your electronic application, submit a document with a link to a 5-minute (or less) video of you answering the following questions. Question 1: Tell us a little about yourself, your life experiences, and how you became interested in occupational therapy. Question 2: Share your thoughts on how the feeling of "belonging" can act as a support (helps) or a barrier(hinders) to participation in life activities. Question 3. What leadership qualities do you have? Please share an example.
● Official TOEFL or IELTS score reports (International Students Only)
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee interview or admission to the program.
● Observation hours are highly recommended for admission to Kean's OT programs for the 2024-2025 admission cycle. Applicants should still explore the profession before applying to the OT program to ensure they understand the depth and scope of practice in occupational therapy.
Please submit a document describing how you explored the profession of occupational therapy to ensure a strong career fit. These learning activities may include but are not limited to: observation hours, watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, participating in blogs and speaking with occupational therapy practitioners.
As you explore the profession, ensure that you gain an understanding of various practice settings in which OT's can work, as well as how OT's serve individuals across the lifespan. Given the unforeseen circumstances impacting the settings and clients in which OT's serve, securing observation hours do not provide any advantage to your application at this time.
Prerequisite Coursework
Each prerequisite course must be completed with a grade of B or better. At the time of application, prospective students may have only three prerequisite courses outstanding/in progress and, if accepted, need to be completed by June 30. However, due to the competitive applicant pool, the Admissions Committee encourages the completion of all prerequisite courses prior to application.
General Psychology (three credits)
Abnormal Psychology (three credits)
Life Span Development (1) (three credits)
Intro to Sociology or Cultural Anthropology (three credits)
Psychological Statistics (three credits)
Introduction to OT (2) (three credits)
Anatomy and Physiology I and II (with lab) (1,3) (eight credits)
(1) These courses must be taken within five years of application to the program. (2) This course can only be taken at Kean University. (3) The lab portion of this course must be completed in person (cannot be completed online).
Note: With the exception of Intro to OT, students lacking the prerequisite courses can complete these courses at any accredited institution. If you wish to complete these prerequisites at Kean University, you may apply to the University as an undergraduate second-degree student. You cannot CLEP Anatomy and Physiology for this program.
Complete the Kean Supplemental Application
How-To-Guide For Kean Supplemental Application
BOTH the OTCAS application and the Kean University CAS supplemental application MUST be completed and "verified" by the deadline in order for the application to be fully reviewed.