Pre-Occupational Therapy Course Requirements
The coursework required for occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs vary widely. Therefore, UMW does not set a specific list of course requirements for Pre-OT. It is important that you contact the educational programs to which you are interested in applying to establish the courses you need to take to enter their programs.
The following courses are required by most OT programs. We recommend you include these course in your Pre-OT curriculum:
- Introductory Psychology (PSYC 100)
- Lifespan Development Psychology (PSYC 120)
- Pathopsychology (PSYC 211)
- Introductory Sociology (The Social World, SOCG 105)
- A second Sociology Course (Perhaps SOCG 155 or SOCG 334)
- Statistics / Research Methods (STAT 180 or BIOL 260 or PSYC 261)
- Human Anatomy (BIOL 384)
- Human Physiology (BIOL 413)
- Medical Terminology (HSCI 120)
Based on this list, a popular Major/Minor combination at UMW for Pre-OT is Psychology or Sociology Major / Biology Minor.
Note that the biology classes do have specific pre-requisites, including BIOL 121/132 or BIOL 125/126 and CHEM 111/112 as well as BIOL 340. It is important to discuss your course selection and major with the Pre-Health Advisor.
The Pre-Health Advisor
The Pre-Health Advisor can help you select the right classes and the major that you need. Use Handshake to make an appointment to discuss your specific requirements.