Admissions FAQ for the Baylor Entry-level OTD Program

To complete and submit your application in the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) you will be required to submit the following items:  

• official transcripts  

• a writing sample  

• three letters of recommendation 

The deadline for submitting your application and all supporting materials is listed on the Baylor Entry-level OTD Admissions website. All applications received by the deadline will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The Baylor OTD program will make offers of admission on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply early in the application cycle. 

The fee for the OTCAS Application depends on the number of schools you apply to as well as your application submission date. 

All official transcripts should be sent to OTCAS.  After sending this item to OTCAS you will NOT need to submit it to Baylor as well. 

The Baylor Entry-level OTD program requires three letters of recommendation. It's required that one be from a licensed occupational therapist. The other two may be from someone of the applicant's choosing (e.g., professor, occupational therapist, employer/supervisor, advisor, mentor). Applicants must arrange for references to be submitted electronically through OTCAS. Each evaluator providing a reference will be contacted using the email address provided in OTCAS by the applicant. 

Yes. Selected applicants will be invited to complete a virtual interview as part of the admissions process. All interviews are conducted using a video-based platform called Kira Talent. 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. 

Please click here for a full and detailed list of admissions requirements for the Entry-level OTD program. 

No. The Baylor Entry-level OTD program requires a minimum of 30 hours of observation of an occupational therapy practitioner for admission but recommends 50 hours. 

Please click here for a full and detailed list of program prerequisites. 

Applicants may submit an application that includes in-progress courses and still be considered by the Admissions Committee for the current admission cycle. However, it is strongly recommended that you complete 19 credits of prerequisite coursework before submitting your application. All prerequisites must be completed prior to the program start date.  

The OTD Admissions Committee may consider requests for course substitutions on a case-by-case basis. The applicant must submit the course description and syllabus for review to Robbins_Grad@baylor.edu. 

The Baylor Entry-level OTD program does not accept AP credits in lieu of a letter grade to fulfill prerequisite coursework. 

Applicants must complete Anatomy and Physiology courses within the last 5 years before application or demonstrate ongoing work experience that has kept this knowledge current (e.g., occupational therapy assistant, athletic trainer). All remaining letter-graded prerequisite coursework is acceptable no matter when the coursework was completed. However, we strongly recommend that applicants take refresher courses as needed to fully prepare themselves for our accelerated Entry-level OTD program.  

No, the Baylor OTD program does not accept transfer credits or advanced placement for experiential learning. 

Yes. A $500 non-refundable tuition deposit is required to guarantee your spot in the program. The deposit is due within 10-days of your offer of admission. The entirety of this deposit will be applied to your tuition in the first trimester of the program.  

At this time, we can only accept U.S. Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens. We cannot accept international students due to the hybrid nature of our program and the many restrictions placed on student visas.