Most occupational therapy schools require applicants to have a bachelor's degree in a related field with a final GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. The GPA requirement may differ according to the admission requirements for the school you wish to attend.
Occupational therapy programs require applicants to have taken and passed several prerequisite courses. Although the actual prerequisite course requirements may differ, the standards for this degree program include biology, chemistry, physics, English, psychology and art. The number of semester hours completed within each of these programs can range from four hours to 16 hours. Check the admission requirements for the school you are interested in.
Because an occupational therapy degree is a master's program, schools normally want applicants to be familiar with the field. To gain experience, students may be required to undergo a specified amount of observational training in which students observe an occupational therapist in a therapy firm. Through observation, aspiring occupational therapists are exposed to hands-on techniques and knowledge. Observational training must be documented using forms provided by the school you plan to attend. The number of observational hours required to be admitted into a program varies by school.