Early Assurance: Occupational Therapy

The Early Assurance Program in Occupational Therapy is offered jointly by the Honors College and the Department of Occupational Therapy. Being an Early Assurance Scholar in Occupational Therapy guarantees your entrance into ECU’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and prepares you to sit for the national certification exam with National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Up to four of the slots per cohort will be reserved for Honors College students. These slots do not guarantee admission into the doctoral program.

The MSOT program is a 66-credit hour degree program that can be completed in 2 years and consists of four core areas: foundation, practice, fieldwork, and research.  Learn more by visiting the Occupational Therapy program website. Early Assurance will be open only to students currently enrolled and in good standing in ECU’s Honors College. First time Honors College applicants are not eligible to apply.

Applying & Eligibility

  1. Applications for Early Assurance for Occupational Therapy will be available in Spring semester of the student’s second year at ECU and after (if spots are available).
  2. The OT EA applications requires the following:
    • Health Sciences Reasoning Test must be completed (approximately 1 hour)
    • Written essay(s) on the application
    • List prequisite courses taken and course grades obtained (4 courses including BIOL 2140 and 2141 required)
    • Information about shadowing hours, location, and takeaways
    • Current involvement with the Pre-Professional Advising Center
    • In-person interview
  3. Students must complete all required application components and meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application submission.
    • Completion of Honors Seminar on Health Careers prior to application
    • Having a minimum overall GPA of 3.5
    • Completion of 4 or more prerequisite courses, including BIOL 2140 and 2141, with a grade with a B- or higher
    • Being in good standing with the Honors College
    • Having an established relationship with pre-professional advising center
    • Being an active member of the Pre-OT Student Association
    • Completion of 30 or more shadowing hours in occupational therapy (preferably in more than one setting)
  4. The Occupational Therapy Director of Admissions and Department Chair will make final decisions about students offered a seat through the Early Assurance in Occupational Therapy program.
  5. Honors College students who fail to meet/maintain the following eligibility criteria after being accepted to the Early Assurance in Occupational Therapy program will be discontinued from the Early Assurance in Occupational Therapy program. However, these students may apply for regular admission in the future. These requirements include:
  6. Having a minimum GPA (both overall and pre-requisite) of 3.5 at time of graduation
  7. Completion of all pre-requisites with a B- or above
  8. Completion of bachelor’s degree before beginning the MSOT program
  9. Participation in annual advising meetings with designated occupational therapy faculty members
  10. Demonstration of an acceptable level of maturity, personal development, and commitment to the occupational therapy profession
  11. Students who remain eligible and interested will follow all application procedures required for their cohort at the appropriate time.