Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Application Requirements & Instructions

Those interested in the MSOT Entry Level program, but who have not completed all general education, prerequisite undergraduate courses, or who hold a Bachelor degree in a field other than occupational therapy, should contact the Office of Admissions for undergraduate application materials and credit evaluation.

Office of Admissions
Saginaw Valley State University
178 Wickes Hall
University Center, MI 48710-0001 USA
(989) 964-4200
(989) 790-0180 FAX
admissions@svsu.edu

For those who hold a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy and are interested in completing their master's degree in occupational therapy, please refer to the other admission requirements.

View Pre-OT Program Requirements

Official copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts from institutions other than SVSU.  

Completion of 30 hours of verifiable work and/or volunteer experience with people experiencing decreased participation in daily activities due to illness, disability, or decreased access to basic resources and opportunities.  (ex. photocopy of chart which includes location, number of hours signed by supervisor, letter from supervisor which includes location, number of hours, email correspondence from faculty member, OT department advisor if approval has been given for using work hours)

Provide results from the criminal background check and drug screening obtained through CastleBranch (Use Package Code “Ai96” for “SVSU-Occupational Therapy”). Both your criminal background check and drug screening results should be provided as part of your application. Please note the "Medical Records" portion is not required. 

Current SVSU applicants only:

Please provide a document outlining the OT courses you are currently enrolled (Winter 2023 semester). 

Current SVSU applicants only:

Visit mySVSU to obtain your degree audit. Save a copy to upload to your application.  DO NOT upload or send photos of your degree audit.

Current SVSU applicants only:

Please upload any course petition forms that relate to any OT prerequisite courses in the application.

Once available, please click here to access the online application. 

• Start New Application.  Please note that if you haven't applied to SVSU since August of 2021 you will need to create a new application account.
• Follow the instructions and complete your application.  Once complete, please submit your application.
• Log in to the application portal to review your checklist and upload all additional requirements. 

• • SVSU students do not need to request official SVSU transcripts; this will be automatically processed if SVSU is listed as an institution attended in the application.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Admissions at (989) 964-6096 or email gradadm@svsu.edu.

Once you complete the SVSU MSOT application you will be prompted to upload any necessary documents at the end of the application process.

There is no fee to apply for internal applicants (SVSU undergraduate students). If you are applying to several OT programs through OTCAS, there is a fee charged by OTCAS.

Castlebranch is the company that processes background services and drug testing for our department. If you have questions about the process, please use the Castlebranch support number to contact a representative at 888-723-4263. 

The SVSU MSOT program requires a "negative" drug screen result from applicants to the program. If you received a “dilute negative” result, you will need to complete a second drug screen and provide a "negative" result.

The MSOT program does not accept other drug screens and all screenings should be done either during the application window or within one month prior to the application opening. We only accept background checks and drug screens through Castlebranch to ensure the same variables are being looked at for every applicant. A background check completed for employment is not acceptable for the MSOT application. 

Students are not required to complete health requirements during the application process (vaccinations, TB testing etc). However, students admitted to the program will be required to fulfill specific requirements and or/verify certain requirements prior to attending any classes within the MSOT program. Copies of shot records or waivers will be required. These health requirements are outlined in the MSOT Program Manual which will be available to you upon admission to the program.

Verification of CPR training is not required in the application, but will be required upon admission to the program. If you are interested in obtaining CPR training in advance, you will need to have either the American Heart Association Professional Healthcare Provider training (recertification needed every 2 years) OR the American Red Cross Professional Rescuer Certification (recertification needed every 12 months).  

No, those who have been admitted as freshman direct students do not need to provide verification of Freshman Direct Admit status. The program director will provide a list of freshman direct admit students to the admissions committee.

The cost of the drug screen is combined with the background check and the total is approximately $100. Once you get to that section of the application, put in the code provided and you will be given options for where to go for the screening. A drug screen can be done at any point during the application process or even slightly in advance, for example, one month prior to the application cycle opening.

Having all prerequisite courses completed (Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, Introductory Psychology) before applying to the MSOT program is strongly recommended, but it is not required. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the start of MSOT coursework and verification will be required.

Students who have completed prerequisites, but have not completed their bachelor’s degree will be considered for admission as long as they complete their degree by the start of MSOT classes. Verification will be required.  

If the background check was completed through Castlebranch for another school and those results were submitted to OTCAS, we could potentially accept it as long as the results are provided to us and variables being looked at are consistent with our process. 

Students from SVSU with a bachelor’s degree can apply directly to SVSU. You are not required to apply through OTCAS, but it is an option if you wish to apply to other OT programs. More information regarding the SVSU application process can be found at Application Instructions - Occupational Therapy - SVSU.  For issues with the electronic portion of the SVSU MSOT application process please contact gradadm@svsu.edu or call 989-964-6098. 

If you are having technical issues that can’t be resolved through the graduate admissions office, you will need to contact IT Support at (989) 964-4225 or email support@svsu.edu.

After the SVSU admissions cycle opens, you will receive an invitation by email to create an SVSU account. The account provides a way for us to follow up with you in regard to your application.  Be sure to accept the SVSU invitation to create an account, otherwise we will not have any record to follow up with decision information.  

When you apply through OTCAS, all of your information will be electronically transferred to the SVSU application portal.  You may be asked to complete some additional information for SVSU, if so, you would be notified of this request during the SVSU application cycle.

There is no standard form for your observation hours, but the following examples have been used in the past to verify this requirement: a photocopy of a chart which includes location and number of hours signed by supervisor/s, letter from supervisor which includes location and number of hours, email correspondence from OT department advisor if approval has been given for using work hours. You could also submit a pay stub if observation hours were fulfilled through a paid position, however it would not be necessary if the above documentation is provided.