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Change in Application Process

The UNC Master of Science program in Occupational Therapy is now using the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). OTCAS is a program of the American Occupational Therapy Association that allows prospective students to use one application system to apply to multiple participating OT programs (Centralized Application Service for OT & OTA Programs | AOTA). Each program customizes OTCAS to include application materials and requirements for their program,

Prospective students applying to the MSOT program must apply to and be accepted by both the UNC Graduate School and the MSOT program itself. Therefore, the UNC Graduate School will contact all applicants following the submission of the OTCAS Application in order to get some other BRIEF information. Applicants must pay the UNC Graduate School application fee ($95) as well as the OTCAS fee ($150 for the first program and $65 for each additional program).

All materials required by the UNC MSOT program are included in this OTCAS application. In addition to the information required for all schools in the OTCAS system, UNC MSOT admissions requirements include:

  • 7 academic prerequisite courses (do not all have to be completed at the time of application).
  • 1 prerequisite “Occupation” learning experience (does not have to be taken for a grade)
  • Submission of a resume or CV
  • Submission of a reflective essay (400 word limit) related to the “Occupation” prerequisite
  • Response to 4 short answer questions.
  • 3 letters of recommendation (1 must be from an OT or OTA practitioner)
  • Record of Experience with OT (This also is in the “Documents” section of Program Materials in OTCAS.)

For more details about the application requirements, please click here.

Admissions Timeline

  • Application system opens mid-summer of each year (around July 21)
  • Deadline for OTCAS Application to start the program in 2025 is TBA.
  • Deadline for the UNC Graduate School application is TBA.
  • You must FIRST submit your OTCAS application. Once that is complete, your OTCAS application is uploaded to the UNC Graduate School application platform (Slate ApplyNow) so that you can complete a few brief items in the Graduate School application system. The Graduate School will contact you directly by email with instructions about how to complete those few items, You are advised NOT to wait until the last day to submit either the OTCAS or the UNC Graduate School application!
  • Initial application review completed by mid-January; all applicants are notified, with 50-60 applicants being invited to interview.
  • Interviews are completed (in person or via Zoom, depending on circumstances) by mid-February.
  • Offers of admission and waitlist extended before March 1. All interviewees are notified at the same time.