Admissions Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree in any discipline from a college or university institutionally accredited and recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) such as: the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Higher Learning Commission, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. If you have any questions about whether a transfer course will be accepted, you should check with the Office of Admissions prior to enrolling in the course.

2. You must submit two letters of recommendation. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has moved toward exclusive use of electronic recommendation submissions. Letters should be written by a current/former College Science Professor or an employer/supervisor, or another college professor. Please visit the application instructions to learn more about the letter of recommendations requirement.
   • Interviewed candidates will take a proctored form of the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University as a part of their admissions criteria to the Occupational Therapy MS Program. Further Information on the assessment can be found through the following web link:
     https:// www.insightassessment.com/products/products-summary/criticial-thinking-skills-tests/health-sciences-reasoning-test-hsrt

3. A minimum letter grade of “C” or better in the following prerequisite courses:

   Subject	Credits
   Anatomy & Physiology 1 with lab and Anatomy & Physiology 2 with lab	8
   General Biology 1 with lab	4
   General Chemistry 1 with lab or Physiological Psychology or Behavioral Neuroscience or                                              Physics 1 with Lab/Kinesiology with Lab*	3–4
   Statistics	3
   Sociology or Anthropology	3
   General Psychology	3
   Abnormal Psychology	3
   Developmental/Life Span Psychology ** OR Child Psychology and Adult Development OR Child Psychology and Psychology of Aging	3–6

    

   *Beginning with the 2027 incoming class, Physics/Kinesiology course (with lab; 3-4 credits) will become a mandatory prerequisite                                                                  **More than one course may be required to fulfill this requirement. Course must cover from birth to aging.
4. Admissions preference will be given to applicants who have:
   1. Volunteer experience in a clinical setting related to occupational therapy. No specific number of hours is mandatory, but knowledge of the profession is required.
   2. Completed/plan to complete a Physics /Kinesiology course with Lab 3-4 credits prior to matriculation and who have completed the science prerequisites within the past 5 years.
   3. Engaged in interactive classroom and extra curricular activities during their undergraduate college experience. Applicants who have not been able to gain volunteering/shadowing experiences or have a limited number of volunteering/shadowing hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic & safety regulations can supplement their experiences by taking the optional online volunteering experience modules by the Occupational Therapy Program at SUNY Downstate through the URL below:

Blackboard

Note: The Occupational Therapy program strongly prefers science courses completed in a classroom setting with wet lab