FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the occupational therapy program
Julia Varela
Assistant Director of Enrollment for the School of Graduate & Professional Studies
jvarela@messiah.edu
717-796-1800, ext. 2622
The Messiah University entry-level occupational therapy master's degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 301-652-AOTA (301-652-2682). www.acoteonline.org
Graduates of Messiah University's MOT program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).
In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Messiah University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is the highest accrediting authority recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for degree-granting colleges and universities located in Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several other locations internationally.
Either a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) or a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree is required to sit for the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam and become a licensed occupational therapist in the United States. To become a licensed occupational therapist, you must earn your MOT or OTD from an ACOTE-accredited program. In addition to completing the necessary coursework, you will need to complete fieldwork and pass the NBCOT exam.
Our program partners with more than 300 companies nationwide to provide fieldwork opportunities. Students will work with the academic fieldwork coordinator to determine placements based on student strengths, interest, and location. Placements are located in hospitals, rehabs, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, schools, and community-based organizations.
See our admissions requirements here.
Students who wish to apply for admission to the MOT program at Messiah College should submit an application and all required admission materials directly to the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). All required documents must be verified by OTCAS before an application will be reviewed. Verified applications will be reviewed and select students will be invited to campus to interview.
Applications for admission to the next cohort (starting in fall 2026) will be accepted beginning in July 2025 when OTCAS opens. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as long as space in the program is available.
Please note that the OTCAS verification process may take up to 4-6 weeks, so students are encouraged to submit all necessary materials as soon as they can.
Admissions decisions will be communicated to applicants on a rolling basis. Admitted students who wish to confirm their place in the program will be asked to submit a $500 non-refundable deposit. Deposits will be accepted until the incoming class is full. Each year, Messiah's MOT program maintains a waitlist of qualified, interested students who may be selected if a spot in the program becomes available.
We do not require the GRE for admission.
All prerequisites must have been completed within the previous 10 years.
No. All prerequisites must be completed prior to enrolling in the MOT program.
Students can have up to 4 outstanding prerequisite courses when applying. If you are accepted into the program while currently enrolled in one of the required prerequisite courses, you will be provisionally accepted. The provisional acceptance will be changed to full acceptance once official transcripts are received, confirming completion of outstanding courses with a grade of C or better and an overall minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the start of the program.
Consistent with OTCAS' procedures, grades in any repeated courses will be averaged. Cumulative undergraduate total GPA scores as calculated by OTCAS will be used by Messiah as your official GPA.
We aim to have 32 students for each cohort.
The MOT program starts one cohort every fall semester.
Information about cost of the program can be found here.
Information about financial aid for graduate students can be found here.
MOT graduate students are responsible for finding off-campus housing. Students commonly live in the greater Mechanicsburg, Dillsburg, Camp Hill, and Harrisburg areas.