Apply to the MSOT Program

Admission Requirements

Students must apply to the MSOT Program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) and will be required to submit the following:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities (including MGA) indicating:
    • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
    • All prerequisite courses completed with a grade of "C" or higher as well as minimum average GPA of 3.0 in prerequisite courses
    • Minimum of 84 semester equivalent credits (includes OTA courses and prerequisite courses) from an institution that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency
  • Proof of a minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience as a fully licensed COTA (or a minimum of 1,500 hours as a fully licensed COTA)
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement as prompted by OTCAS
  • Three letters of recommendation (professional and/or academic)
  • Copy of current U.S. occupational therapy assistant license and NBCOT certification
  • An interview may be required at the discretion of the Admissions Committee

Application Process

**Application will open in OTCAS on September 1, 2027**

The MSOT Program admissions process is managed through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) . If you are using OTCAS to apply to other programs, please note that the MGA MSOT Program has specific requirements. Only those applications that follow the specific instructions will be considered complete in OTCAS and progress to being reviewed. Applicants are strongly encouraged to thoroughly review the instructions for submitting an application through OTCAS (available on the OTCAS website) before attempting to apply to the MSOT Program.

Note: Information about for OTCAS fee assistance program can be found at this link: OTCAS Application Fees and Fee Waivers

The deadline for applications to be submitted through OTCAS and for receipt of the Middle Georgia State University Graduate Application is February 1, 2027.

Each cohort will begin in August (Fall Semester). To be considered for acceptance to the MSOT Program, you must:

  1. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 overall and in prerequisites.
    • Applicants to the MSOT Program must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 calculated on all previously completed coursework. The cumulative GPA will be used as the primary metric for evaluating and prioritizing applicants for admission.
    • If the cohort is not filled after consideration of applicants meeting the 3.0 cumulative GPA standard, the admissions committee will consider applicants whose GPA calculated on the most recent 70 credit hours of undergraduate coursework is 3.0.
  2. Complete all pre-requisite courses listed below with a minimum grade of “C” or higher:

    MATH 1401

    Elementary Statistics

    3

    SOCI 1101

    Introduction to Sociology

    3

    PSYC 3265*

    Abnormal Psychology

    3

    RHAB 3010*

    Research Methods for Rehabilitation

    3

    *The Abnormal Psychology and Research Methods courses must be at a 3000 level or higher if completed at another institution.

  3. A minimum of eighty-four (84) semester credit hours must be completed, including OTA courses and all pre-requisite courses, from an institution accredited by a USDE recognized accrediting agency.
  4. At least 50% of the prerequisite courses (2 of the 4) must be completed by the application deadline of February 1. The remaining two courses must be completed by June 1 of the year in which applying. The GPA for prerequisite courses will be calculated on the courses completed as of the application deadline, and the GPA (regardless of number of courses completed) must be a minimum of 3.0.)
  5. If you are completing courses during the Spring 2027 semester, you may be offered admission contingent upon acceptable completion of the courses. An applicant who is accepted on the basis of coursework still in progress must satisfactorily complete all outstanding courses prior to enrollment. If taking courses outside MGA, a final transcript must be submitted to graduateadmissions@mga.edu by June 1st that indicates completion of all pre-requisite courses with a “C” or higher, as well as a 3.0 GPA in the four courses.
  6.  Pre-requisite courses may be completed at another institution if the courses are deemed equivalent to the same MGA courses. If there are any questions regarding substitution of a course other than the specific prerequisite, verify well before application submission. Any course taken at another institution to fulfill the Research Methods prerequisite must have involved content related to research principles and methods involved in planning, designing, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating research. A course in research methods from another department such as Psychology, Sociology, etc. may meet the requirement, however, verify beforehand if there are any questions.

Admissions Timeline

  • Application Deadline: February 1, 2027
    • OTCAS application must indicate “Verified” status within one week of application deadline, or February 8, 2027.
    • It is the applicant’s responsibility to know and understand the definition of each status in OTCAS. Any applications that are not in the “Verified” category within one week (by February 8) of the application deadline will NOT be considered.
    • Note that applications listed as “Complete” have not yet been verified, and it may take up to 10 business days to progress to “Verified” status (potentially longer if any issues are identified). Therefore, it is highly recommended that applications be submitted to OTCAS a minimum of 3-4 weeks prior to the deadline. No exceptions will be made for transcript-related issues or other application issues and no extensions given beyond the deadline.
  • Notifications: Decisions will be communicated through email by May 2027
  • Applicants accepted into the program will be required to notify the program of their intent by the date indicated.

If assistance is needed or you have any questions about the status of an application in OTCAS, more information can be found here: OTCAS Applicant Help Center. Transcript issues should be addressed to OTCAS and/or the Middle Georgia State University Office of the Registrar. Any other questions concerning the MSOT application process should be directed to Traci Swartz, OTD, OTR/L, MSOT Program Director ( )

MSOT Application Checklist

  1. Create an account with OTCAS and add the Middle Georgia State University MSOT Program to your list.
  2. Complete the OTCAS application in its entirety and submit fees to OTCAS.
  3. Prepare to submit the following through OTCAS:
    • Official academic transcripts from all institutions
    • Personal statement as required by OTCAS, along with 3 supplemental short essay questions
    • Three (3) professional letters of recommendation (forms are in OTCAS)
    • Copy of OTA state license
    • Copy of NBCOT certification
    • Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
    • Proof of one year or a minimum of 1500 hours of work experience as a fully licensed COTA—no exceptions (must have 1500 hours by application deadline of February 1)
  4. Complete the official Middle Georgia State Graduate Application including Certificate of Immunization Form and Documentation of Lawful Presence Form (links are in OTCAS) and pay the application fee.* 

    • *Note: Official transcripts, resume/CV, letters of recommendation, and personal statement only need to be submitted through OTCAS, and do not need to re-submit when completing the MGA graduate application. If any prerequisite courses are in progress at the time of the application deadline, however, a final transcript must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office by June 1 st.

  5. Ensure that the OTCAS Prerequisite Section is completed. Do not list a course other than the prerequisite required unless you have previously verified that the course will be acceptable.
  6. Please make use of the “Check Status” option at the top of the OTCAS dashboard. Confirm that all official transcripts and three letters of recommendation/references have been received by OTCAS. If this is not done, your application will not move forward. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the progress of application components.
  7. Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time in case of issues with your application. Your OTCAS application status must be listed as “Verified” (the final step in the OTCAS process) within one (1) week after the application deadline of February 1—no exceptions will be made.

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Bridge Program at Middle Georgia State University 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. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org . For more information, please visit the  ACOTE website .

Graduates of the program will be 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 individual 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. The NBCOT program data results can be found  at the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) . All graduating Occupational Therapists must pass the NBCOT exam in order to become licensed to practice. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® certification examination or attain state licensure.