Admissions
What type of student are you?
First-year Students and Early Assurance
Incoming first-year students who are interested in coming to UB for OT should apply to UB, and select "Occupational Therapy" as their intended major. First-year students are accepted as public health BS majors in the pre-OT track and spend their first two years completing courses that meet the BS program's general education requirements and occupational science prerequisites.
Some students who apply as first-year students may be offered an opportunity to enroll in our Early Assurance (EA) program. This program allows select high school students the advantage of securing their seat in the OT professional program if they maintain the required GPA during their two years of pre-OT coursework within the public health BS major.
Our Early Assurance (EA) program allows select high school students the advantage of securing a seat in the BS/MS in occupational therapy professional program after completing two years of prerequisite undergraduate course work within the Public Health major at UB.
EA Admission Requirements
Admission to the EA program is based on the university’s First-year Admission Criteria. There are no additional high school GPA or SAT/ACT requirements, and no separate application for the EA programs.
When you apply to UB, select "Occupational Therapy" as your intended major. If you meet the OT EA criteria, you will be contacted by UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions Office of Student Services (OASA) with an EA offer. Apply as early as possible for fullest consideration. Early Admission is offered on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.
OT early assurance criteria:
- Strong cumulative HS GPA (usually above a 93)
- Evidence of strong science HS grades (usually above a 90)
If you are eligible for the program, you will be notified and required to respond to your offer within two weeks of its receipt. You will receive more information directly if you are eligible.
EA is not the sole route into our BS/MS in occupational therapy professional program, and ineligibility for EA does not imply that you are not qualified for admission.
Be prepared
HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK
To best prepare for the pre-OT curriculum, high school students should take math courses and science courses including pre-calculus or calculus, biology, chemistry and physics.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
You should have the ability to communicate effectively using both the oral and written English language. Written communication skills will be assessed in a standardized manner.
GPA and prerequisite courses
GPA and prerequisite courses
Academic review will be conducted each semester that you are enrolled. You must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 in all prerequisite courses following the end of each of the second, third and fourth semesters (spring of first year, fall and spring of second year) to maintain your status in the EA program.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 in all prerequisite courses is required before you enter the BS/MS in OT professional program.
- All prerequisites are included in the EA GPA, including college courses completed outside UB.
- Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade equal to or greater than C. Repeat grades will not be used in computing the EA GPA.
- Do not resign from any enrolled course. An R grade on your transcript disqualifies you from EA.
- You must submit any grade changes within 10 business days after the university’s first official day of grades posted for the semester.
- Appeals may be considered.
Graduate application to the OT professional program
In their sophomore year at UB, regardless of EA status, all pre-OT students who are interested in continuing on the OT track must submit an application to the BS/MS OT professional program through the University at Buffalo Graduate School Application Manager. Applicants must complete all requirements for admission, including volunteer hours.
For questions, please contact sphhp-oasa@buffalo.edu or call (716) 829-5000.
All admissions requirements are subject to revision and review by the OT Professional Program Admissions Committee and may be revised without extensive notice. As a competitive program, admission can be based on the availability of space.
Non-discrimination Policy--UB BS/MS in OT is committed to a nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy.
Change of Major
Students who enter UB as a major other than OT can change their major to Public Health Major with Pre-OT track. Courses in the first two years of the BS program meet the general education requirements and occupational science prerequisite courses.
Current UB students interested in changing their major to occupational therapy should fill out the Undergraduate Plan Change Form.
Transfer
Students can join UB as transfer students from other institutions by indicating “occupational therapy” on their application. If accepted, these students would be enrolled in the Public Health BS major in the pre-OT track. Courses completed at other colleges or universities are not automatically accepted by the program or University as fulfilling the prerequisite requirements. Determination is made by an evaluation of the student's transcripts, descriptions of courses that he/she has taken, and credit hours completed.
It is recommended that prospective transfer students contact the SPHHP Office for Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) at 716-829-5000 or by email at sphhp-oasa@buffalo.edu to determine the suitability of prior coursework.
Subsequent Degree
Students can join the BS/MS program for a subsequent BS degree and an MS degree. You do not need to retake UB bachelor’s curriculum for a subsequent degree! Once you have completed all prerequisites, and have been accepted to both the University and the OT professional program, you will complete three years of the OT professional program. The first year will be an undergraduate year and will be charged at the undergraduate tuition rate. The last two years will be graduate years and will be charged at the graduate tuition rate. You will earn a BS in occupational science and an MS in occupational therapy.
Coming to UBOT for a subsequent degree ensures you will have a comprehensive occupational therapy education, will be well-prepared for a variety of settings, will be learning from instructors in one of the top three OT programs in NY State, and will have a lower total cost of tuition than most other programs.
Please contact the SPHHP Office for Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) at 716-829-5000 or by email at sphhp-oasa@buffalo.edu to determine which of your previous courses satisfy UBOT prerequisites and make arrangements to complete any additional work and apply to the program.
Additional Information on Admissions
Undergraduate Pre-Professional Sequence
You must apply to the University at Buffalo as an undergraduate and complete the courses in the first two years of the program, known as the pre-professional sequence. If you are a transfer student, you must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at UB and have all transfer coursework approved. All students must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at UB when applying to the program. Students must complete 8 out of 12 prerequisites and have a minimum GPA of 2.8 in prerequisite courses before applying to the professional program in January of the year they plan to begin the professional sequence. Read details about the prerequisite requirements.
Volunteer Hours
Applicants to the professional program are typically required to complete 70 volunteer/observation hours prior to applying, though this has been modified for 2023 applicants due to COVID-19.
We recognize that COVID-19 has made it difficult for students to ascertain volunteer hours over the past few years. Therefore, we are modifying our requirements to 35 hours of volunteer or observation (this includes telehealth) with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant. This could have taken place at any point within the last three years (not two years), and must be signed by an OTR or COTA.
Students are responsible for securing volunteer hours. Many find volunteer offices at hospitals, nursing homes, agencies for individuals with disabilities, public schools, or private practices to be helpful.
Students who have completed volunteer or observation hours can complete the Volunteer Experience Form, have it signed, and scan it to upload to your professional program application.
We strongly recommend students obtain as many volunteer hours or telehealth observation hours as possible before applying to the program to develop a true understanding of the profession. We understand this may not be possible during the pandemic and we have developed an online observation and volunteer hour option that utilizes videos, podcasts, and some interviews and interactions.
Volunteer Hours
January 2024 and January 2025 Applicants – Must complete 35 hours in total; 10 of these hours must be with an OTR or COTA (in person or telehealth). Students may complete up to 25 hours of online observation of recorded materials through a UB online observation course by applying here
If you are a transfer student, you must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at UB and have completed the prerequisites or approved equivalent coursework, and the volunteer/observation hours prior to applying to the professional sequence.
Questions about the admissions process?
Contact the Office for Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) via sphhp-oasa@buffalo.edu or (716) 829-5000.
Applying to the Professional Program
All students must apply to the professional program through Graduate School Application Manager by Jan. 13, prior to the summer they expect to begin the professional program. That includes those students who are reapplying to the program.
Students must complete the prerequisite and the UB Curriculum requirements. Students may not take prerequisite courses more than twice and may not repeat more than two prerequisite courses.
Questions about applying to the professional program?
Read the step-by-step application instructions.
University at Buffalo students can watch this accompanying video. Applicants who are not UB students can request access to the video.
For questions regarding the Occupational Therapy program, contact MaryAnn Venezia, program coordinator, at (716) 829-6742 or venezia3@buffalo.edu.
For questions regarding how to complete the application, contact Jaclyn Levesque at jl388@buffalo.edu.
The University at Buffalo is committed to ensuring equal access to its programs and activities. The entire notice of non-discrimination can be viewed at buffalo.edu/equity
