ADMISSION AND TUITION

Students accepted into the OTD Program must meet the following criteria:

• Complete a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to classes beginning. Admission may be granted pending completion of the degree. 
• Complete all required prerequisite courses with a minimum cumulative prerequisite grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or greater on a 4.00 scale. Admission may be granted pending completion of prerequisite coursework.  
  • Grades must be a 2.0 (C) or higher in prerequisite courses to be accepted. 
  • Five prerequisite courses must be completed to determine an initial cumulative prerequisite GPA for the application process to be initiated.
  • A cumulative prerequisite GPA may be improved as completed prerequisite course GPAs are added. 
  • The highest grade in a repeated prerequisite course will be applied. 
  • Coursework in which the grade is applied to the GPA must be from a regionally accredited institution.
• Complete a virtual interview. Applicants are invited for an interview based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting materials.   
• Submit two (2) letters of commendation of applicant’s choice with intent to demonstrate readiness for an accelerated hybrid program and fit for a career in occupational therapy.  References must come from persons other than family, friends, clergy, or politicians.  
• Complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours observing occupational therapy practice with clients in work settings. These hours may be obtained through virtual training or direct shadowing. Ten (10) of the thirty (30) hours must be on-site face-to-face with a licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant and observing clients. If all thirty hours are completed in person, arrange observations from a variety of OT practice settings. Documentation should show exposure to the scope of occupational therapy practice. 
• Complete a personal statement answering one or more question(s). Character or word count guidelines will be provided. 
• 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) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the last 5 years. The minimum preferred TOEFL scores are internet based > or = 80, computer based > or = 213, paper-based test > or = 550. The minimum preferred IELTS is 6.5. (Note: The NBCOT Exam is administered in English.)

• Human or Lifespan Development (3 semester hours/ 4 quarter hours) 
• Kinesiology or Biomechanics (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 
• Human Anatomy/Physiology including at least one laboratory (8 semester hours/12 quarter hours)* 
• Statistics (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours)  
• Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours)  
• Abnormal Psychology (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 
• English Composition or Writing (3 semester hours/4 quarter hours) 
• Medical Terminology (1 semester credit) 

*Applicants must complete anatomy/physiology courses within the last five (5) years prior to the date of entry into the program. If an applicant can demonstrate work experience which has kept anatomy/physiology knowledge current and verify eight semester/12 quarter hours in anatomy/physiology completed from a regionally accredited institution, then a refresher course equivalent to three (3) semester/four (4) quarter credits may be taken from a non-accredited institution. The refresher course must be completed and passed. The grade from a non-accredited institution is not applied to the cumulative prerequisite GPA. 

All courses required for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree, didactic, lab, and experiential must be completed within the Hanover College OTD Program. The Hanover College OTD Program does not grant advanced placement, credit for experiential learning, credit for work experience, or transfer credits from another program or institution. However, advanced placement credit and course credit transfers are reviewed and may be approved for the prerequisite requirements. 

Complete an approved criminal background check and drug testing. 

• • Criminal background checks and drug testing are mandatory at medical institutions required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  This is a common policy/requirement by occupational therapy corporate entities and individual clinics prior to a student or clinician having access to clients. 
  • The Hanover OTD Program requires all students to complete a criminal background check and drug test. An additional background check and/or drug test may be required prior to beginning Level II fieldwork experiences in year two of the program.
  • A criminal background may affect a student’s eligibility to be placed in fieldwork and capstone experiences, to register for the high stakes National Board for the Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination, and to obtain a state license required to practice as an occupational therapist. In an instance where a student has a criminal background, enrollment in or completion of Hanover’s OTD program alone does not imply or guarantee eligibility for NBCOT examination or state licensure. To determine eligibility, each applicant or student is responsible to contact NBCOT and their state’s licensure board to verify whether their criminal background allows for occupational therapist certification and a state occupational therapist license. 

Students can expect to receive class assignments electronically and will be required to submit assignments electronically. Computer specifications are provided below. 

Students are required to have a laptop computer and a mobile device that meet the following specifications. 

Mobile Device

Android and Apple products are acceptable and must have mobile broadband capabilities. Please see below for example products. 

• Android – Example products include phones and tablets from Acer, ASUS, Google, HTC, and Samsung. Android operating system version 6.0 or newer required. 
• Apple – Example products include the iPhone and iPad of various generations.  Apple operating system version 9.0 or newer required. 

 Notes

• Students are required to have the laptop computer and mobile device in their possession at the time of the OTD Program Orientation. 
• 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. All assessments, with the exception of certain lab exams, contributing to >5% of the final course grade will be administered via a secure-testing computer software. Students will download and register secure-testing software to their personal laptop computers during the onsite orientation. Tablets and mobile devices cannot be used for computer-based testing.
• 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. 

Laptop Computer

Laptop computers, with Windows or Apple/Macintosh operating systems, are acceptable. Laptop recommendations can be found here.  The following is a list of minimum requirements: 

• Navigate the features of a laptop and mobile device
• Navigate the features of Microsoft 365 Office  (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Determine and establish usernames and passwords
• Learn new software programs
• Upload documents and photos to webpages
• Use videoconferencing software for chat functions, turning camera/mic on and off, and screen sharing
• Access video conferencing from both a laptop and mobile device