OTD Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition for the 2028 (starts June 2025) cohort is $35,000 per academic year.
Breakdown: 105 semester hours at $1,000 per semester hour to be divided evenly over three years. View the complete cost breakdown here.
*Required textbooks, course subscriptions and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS) trainings are included in price of tuition (a $4,500 value).
Those interested must apply though OTCAS. A separate application through TCU is not required.
The application deadline dates can be found here.
June 2, 2025
The entry-level OTD program length is three years, a minimum of nine academic semesters.
The program is only offered in-person on TCU’s campus.
There is no preference on the background or type of bachelor’s degree, as long as the prerequisite courses are completed. You must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
The program is comprised of academic coursework and labs (didactic) across the first two years followed by a third experiential year comprised of two 12-week supervised fieldwork experiences and a 14-week doctoral capstone experience with project during the final semester.
The two 12-week supervised fieldwork experiences occur during the summer (May-July) and fall (Aug-Dec) of your third year.
The capstone experience with project is a 14-week experience with supporting project during the final semester; providing an in-depth professional experience in one or more of the following areas: clinical skills, research skills, advocacy, education, leadership, administration, policy development, program development and evaluation. This is tailored to fit each student’s professional development goals and to impact the profession of occupational therapy. Concluding in a dissemination event (TCU-OTD Scholarship Symposium).
The doctoral capstone experience with project is completed in the spring semester of your third year.
30 students are accepted to the program each year.
The admissions interview schedule can be found here.
Admission interviews are in-person. Remote interviews may be granted upon written request. As this is an on-campus program, prospective students are highly encouraged to visit TCU.
TCU’s entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
The decision for Candidacy Status is scheduled for April 2025.
There is no guarantee TCU’s entry-level OTD program will receive Candidacy Status. However, the accreditation process is designed to facilitate development, and substantial support is provided to the program during the process.
A minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for both cumulative and prerequisite GPAs. All prerequisite courses must be a C or higher.
No specific major is required. As long you have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have completed all the prerequisite courses required, you are encouraged to apply.
The only occupational therapy degrees granted at the undergraduate level (associate and bachelor) are for Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA).
Yes, however, no more than two (2) prerequisite course may remain outstanding by the chosen application deadline. In addition, these prerequisites must be completed prior to matriculation into the program.
International applicants must meet all TCU International Student Admission Criteria as outlined in the current catalog, including English Proficiency, TOEFL (minimum score of 650 for paper, 280 for computer and 114 if internet based), or IELTS requirement of 8.0 if your primary language is not English.
All applicants are required to have completed a minimum of 30 hours of observation/volunteer/work in at least two (2) different types of occupational therapy settings with an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant (not an OT aide).
Documentation of observation hours is collected and verified via the OTCAS system. Please complete the Observation Hours Form below.
Types of occupational therapy settings include a skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation center, hospital, school and mental health facility; with exposure to both pediatric and geriatric populations.
Undergraduate internship hours may be applied if they meet the criteria above.
Students are approved to retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite courses. The higher letter grade will be used to calculate the prerequisite GPA. Cumulative GPA will include all prerequisite courses completed.
This interview ranking will be determined at the time of application deadline and based on overall cumulative grade point average and prerequisite grade point average. All admissions materials will factor into the final admission ranking, e.g., overall cumulative grade point average, prerequisite grade point average, interview score, letters of reference, etc.
A list of the prerequisite courses can be found here.
To progress through the program, students must receive a grade letter of C or above in all courses and passing grades for all fieldwork and doctoral capstone experiences with culminating project.
In addition to the above requirements, to apply for graduation, students must have no outstanding debt to the Bursar, demonstrate professional behaviors and have the approval of the program faculty.
Yes, graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the NBCOT. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Any students who require an accommodation for a disability to successfully complete the program must register with Adaptive Education Services (AES) to receive the accommodation. Students may discuss general accommodations that may be possible with personnel in the AES office and may discuss specific accommodations that may be necessary in the professional curriculum with the admission officer for the program.
Professional practice competencies for occupational therapy may not be supported within the scope of educational accommodations by the University and are often dictated by state practice statutes and clinical/fieldwork sites’ minimal job requirements and technical standards.
Please communicate any anticipated needs with the Department of Occupational Therapy.