Doctor of Occupational Therapy – Admission Application Procedures
The South College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program receives applications for admission exclusively through the Occupational Therapist Central Application Service (OTCAS), provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Application instructions can be found on the South College program page at https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/.
Applying for Admission
The South College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program application opens in July each year. It is strongly encouraged that all applicants thoroughly review the instructions for submitting an application through OTCAS as available for download through the OTCAS website before attempting to apply to the South College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program. It is important to note that students can apply to the program with prerequisite courses in-progress or planned for a future semester/quarter.
Supporting Materials
All of the following materials must be submitted through OTCAS:
- Official Transcripts: Applicants must arrange for OTCAS to receive an official transcript from each college and university attended in the United States and Canada. For transcripts from an international (foreign) institution, OTCAS will only accept foreign transcript evaluations from the World Education Services (WES). Original foreign transcripts should be sent directly to the program at the contact address provided within the OTCAS Program Profile.
- References: Applicants must arrange for references to be submitted electronically through OTCAS. Each evaluator providing a reference will be contacted using an email address provided in OTCAS by the applicant.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): If English is not an applicant’s first (primary) language, official TOEFL scores must be submitted to OTCAS.
Supplemental Application
In addition to the OTCAS application, the South College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program requires that a Supplemental Application and a $60 processing fee be submitted directly to the institution using the link provided in OTCAS.
Clicking on “Submit” after successfully completing the Supplemental Application will take the applicant to a page through which payment of the $60 Supplemental Fee can be made.
Submission of additional information and materials may be requested. The applicant is responsible for timely submission of additional information and materials that may be requested. If these requests cannot be fulfilled immediately, the applicant should contact the designated campus OTD program admissions representative.
Application Review
The OTD Admissions Committee and faculty will review all completed applications (i.e., application and all supporting materials received) in the order of receipt. Applicants are evaluated based on Cumulative GPA, Prerequisite GPA, References, Observation Hours, and Personal Essay. Other factors considered, but not required, may include Relevant Work Experience, Prior Military Experience, and work within the field as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. The OTD Admissions Committee will use this evaluative process to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all applicants. The OTD admissions committee will grant admission interviews by invitation only.
Interview Process
The OTD Admissions Coordinator will contact selected applicants and provide further instructions for completing the interview process. All interviews are conducted using a video-based platform called Kira. Students record and upload their responses to a series of standardized interview questions for review by program faculty and the Admissions Committee. Students must have a computer with webcam and internet service to complete this interview.
Selection Process
The OTD Admissions Committee and faculty will accept students into the program based on a holistic evaluation of their application, supporting documents, and interview. All applicants will be notified by email and/or mail regarding final selection decisions.
For questions related to admission to the Knoxville OTD program, please contact Dr. Robert J. Mullaney, OTD Program Director, by email at rmullaney@south.edu or by phone at 865-251-1710.
For questions related to admission to the Atlanta OTD program, please contact Dr. Candice Freeman, OTD Program Director, by email at cfreeman@south.edu or by phone at (470) 322-2832.
Please check the OTCAS program profile pages for more information by searching for South College.