Pre-Occupational Therapy at Augustana

	More Information Dr. Lori Scott

Occupational therapists help patients regain control over important job-related or day-to-day functions that may have been impaired through accident, disease, or birth trauma. Augustana's pre-occupational therapy program is fantastic, and our students have had a 100% acceptance rate into graduate programs. Our Pre-OT program includes courses in biology, psychology, chemistry and physics. The flexibility of the Pre-OT curriculum allows a student to satisfy entrance requirements to any of the occupational therapy schools in the country, and it prepares students for success both in graduate school and in their career.

Augustana assists our pre-occupational therapy students in gaining clinical experience. This allows students to get valuable insight into the profession during their years at Augie. The clinical experience required for entrance into occupational therapy programs is made available through the college at a variety of clinics in the Quad-Cities area and beyond.

Augustana offers two program options in pre-occupational therapy:

1. 3+2 program in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis. In this program, students spend their first three years at Augustana and receive a B.A. degree with a major in either biology or psychology upon successful completion of the first year of the Washington University program. After a second year of graduate work, they receive an M.S. in occupational therapy.

2. Four-year B.A. program (nearly any major) at Augustana followed by graduate work in occupational therapy. Students who choose this option may apply to any graduate program in the country or take advantage of an articulation agreement with Washington University in St. Louis. Augustana graduates who have met established criteria have a significant admissions advantage over students from other schools. Augustana College is the only undergraduate institution in the country with an articulation agreement with Washington University's occupational therapy program.

Pre-Occupational Therapy Program Outline

Note: Pre-OT is not a major; the student can major in any field; biology and/or psychology are most common.

Prerequisites for the 3:2 or 4:2 OT program at the Washington University in St. Louis

The OT program with Washington University stipulates the following prerequisites with a grade of B- or better:

• One upper-level biology course (e.g., cell biology, human anatomy, neuroanatomy, zoology, genetics, ecology, botany), physiology (e.g., BI362 Human Physiology),
• One additional physical science course (e.g., physics, chemistry, or advanced biology course), 1 social science course (e.g., PS100, SO100, economics, political science, anthropology),
• One statistics course (e.g., PS240),
• and proficiency in medical terminology (CL111) and computer competency.

Our affiliation agreement with the Washington University states that an Augustana College student can gain early admission if she/her meets the following requirements: 1) cumulative GPA at the end of 7 terms of 3.5 or above; 2) completion of prerequisite courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above; 3) minimum GRE score of 500 VR, 550 Q and 600 A; 4) volunteer experience in occupational therapy for at least one summer or its equivalent; and 5) four letters of recommendation to include one from Dr. Scott as the pre-OT advisor.