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The graduate education in occupational therapy is designed to build on an undergraduate course of study that includes some critical core content and a liberal arts course of study that has expanded the applicant's awareness in different fields.
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There are 8 total prerequisite courses, 4 of which are fixed (core body of knowledge) and 4 of which come from a flexible and diverse menu of categories. Each of these areas is outlined through the links given for Fixed and Flexible Requirements.
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If you have not completed all of the prerequisite courses by the application deadline, we still encourage you to submit your application with a plan for how you will complete all of the courses. In this instance, if you are admitted to our program, all 8 prerequisite courses must be completed and transcripts submitted, prior to the first day of class.
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FIXED CORE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:
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The curriculum in occupational therapy builds directly on basic understanding in certain academic content area. As a result prospective applicants will be expected to complete the following four courses:
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Course
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Comments
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Anatomy
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Must address HUMAN anatomy and have lab or applied computer program experiences
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Physiology
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Comprehensive review of all major body systems. (Courses in Kinesiology are too narrow.)
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Anatomy & Physiology (alternative)
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An acceptable alternative to taking the Anatomy and Physiology courses separately is the completion of a two semester sequence of combined instruction in Anatomy & Physiology, parts I & II
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Abnormal Psychology
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Also behavioral disorders or psychopathology
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Introductory statistics
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must include both descriptive & inferential techniques to analyze data
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Ideally the courses in the core body of knowledge should include both lecture and opportunities for applied or lab experiences. Since the curriculum in occupational therapy builds on these areas of basic knowledge current familiarity with this content is important to success. If, at the time of application, it has been over five years since receiving academic college credit for a required core course applicants will be asked how they will assure themselves that their knowledge in the content area is fresh and ready to be used in their graduate studies. Evidence of working knowledge in a content area where credit was earned over 5 years ago could be assured by:
- Repeating the course for credit or by auditing it,
- Evidence of ongoing application of a content area to work situation, (e.g., applied knowledge from a previous abnormal psychology course by working in mental health) or
- Identification of a self-paced workbook the applicant will complete if admitted.
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FLEXIBLE PREREQUISITE COURSES:
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Diverse area of study The curriculum leads to the preparation of occupational therapists to practice in a wide range of fields and with people from varied backgrounds. Thus four additional prerequisites should be selected to demonstrate the applicant's competence in mastering academic course work in a variety of areas related to occupational therapy. Applicants are
expected to select topical courses that are beyond the introductory, survey level course typically taught at the freshmen level.
As part of the supplemental application process, you will be asked to select one course from each of the four domains below and describe how it will contribute to their graduate studies in occupational therapy.
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Domain
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Course/Content Options
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Human/ individual behavior
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A course in this domain addresses individual development or functioning.
EXAMPLES:• Developmental Psychology • Child development • Adulthood and Aging • Cognitive psychology / cognitive science • Neuropsychology, physiological psychology, psychology of perception • Personality
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Modes of Reasoning
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A course in this domain involves higher-level problem-solving and conceptualization
EXAMPLES: • Philosophy and Ethics • Statistics or data analysis (this would move beyond the introductory course) • Religion (comparative religion) • Literature taught in a foreign language • Research design or method of inquiry in a social science
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Study of social relationships, institutions and systems
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A course in this domain involves the study of social entities at the level of group, population or culture.
EXAMPLES: • Linguistics • Cultural/Social Anthropology (not physical anthropology or archaeology) • Sociology (beyond the entry level) • Public Health • Public Policy • Leisure Studies • Social Work • Political Science • Minority Studies (e.g. Black studies, Women's studies)
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Occupation
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For this prerequisite you are asked to complete a course in either an academic or community-based setting that requires the skills of your body as well as your mind. We want you to learn an activity that is new to you and something that is hopefully also somewhat of a personal challenge. We ask that you do this in a class format, not by individual instruction, so that you experience the learning process with other people. The class must be of substantial length and time so that you delve into the topic in depth (minimum of 6 weeks meeting at least once a week), and it must require some physical skill as well as cognitive processing. You must complete this class prior to writing the reflective statement for your application. If you finish all other parts of the application and still have this statement outstanding, we will consider your application for admission but not make a final decision until this is also submitted. Examples: Studio art Pottery / ceramics / Sports classes / Creative Writing / Theatre (performance or set design and building) Music (performance)/ Dance / Various arts / crafts classes / Woodworking / Gardening / horticulture / Metalwork / jewelry making
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We have created a detailed document with prerequisite information to assist you in evaluating your coursework relative to meeting the prerequisite courses. We do not need to conduct a transcript review prior to your application to the program. Ensuring that your coursework meets the criteria outlined in the attached guide will suffice for being ready to apply from the standpoint of coursework. If you have further questions after reviewing this information, please don't hesitate to contact us at OSInfo@med.unc.edu .
Return to MS Program Admissions section
All prerequisites with the exception of the Occupation Prerequisite must be taken for credit at an academic institution.
