2024-2025
Pre-Occupational Therapy (minor)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Associate degree
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The pre-occupational therapy minor provides foundational courses for students that are preparing to be competitive applicants for Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.) programs after completing their bachelor’s degree at VCU. The pre-occupational therapy minor can be completed as a part of any undergraduate degree. Completing this minor does not guarantee admission into any occupational therapy program. This minor is structured to academically prepare students to apply for occupational therapy programs broadly. Clinical and non-clinical experiences are a requirement of application to most occupational therapy programs. In addition to this minor, students will still need to participate in clinical and non-clinical experiences to develop a competitive application for occupational therapy. Visit the VCU Career Services - Pre-Professional Health Career Advising website for more information and to schedule an appointment with a pre-professional health and STEM career counselor.
Career opportunities
Occupational therapy programs across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission. The list below shows courses that may be required by various schools including the VCU O.T.D. program. It is always recommended that you visit each program’s webpage and/or attend an information session to obtain requirements for specific programs. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to integrate these courses into their academic plan. In addition, students are encouraged to discuss career plans with their pre-professional health academic minor adviser and career counselor for additional guidance.
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Healthcare Researcher
- Occupational Therapist
- Professor
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
No guaranteed admission.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
-
n/a
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 200
- STAT 314
Science required
- 3-4 additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 3.0+
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2024-2025
Pre-Occupational Therapy (minor)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Occupational Therapy Advising Guide.
- Explore RBC financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Review admission requirements for the VCU OTD program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Explore possible career opportunities for pre-occupational therapy students.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities to find healthcare volunteering and information about shadowing.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring resources to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Select a VCU major.
- Participate in the VCU STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
- Consider applying for the summer Allied Health Career Exploration (AHCE) program.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language.
- Volunteer with a vulnerable, under-represented and/or underserved community. Reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their healthcare.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
- Find healthcare experience that’s paid, volunteer or shadowing experience - answer the question, "is this really what I want to do?"
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
2024-2025
Pre-Occupational Therapy (minor)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| Fine Arts | Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| U.S. & World Cultures | Select 3: ECON 201, 202, GEO 101, GEO 103, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254 (at least one must be history). | VCU equivalent | 9 | General education |
| MATH 121 | Pre-calculus I | MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
| MATH 217 | Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Elective (Pre-OT minor) |
| BIOL 101 + Lab | General Biology I + Lab | BIOL/Z 101 | 4 | General education (Pre-OT minor) |
| BIOL 205 + BIOL 206 | Human Anatomy and Physiology (both courses must be taken to be equivalent to VCU’s courses) | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 8 | Elective (Pre-OT minor) |
| PHIL 203 | Introduction to Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | General education (Pre-OT recommendation) |
| PSYC 210 | Survey of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-OT minor) |
| ANTH 103 or SOC 201 | Cultural Anthropology or General Sociology | ANTH 103 or SOCY 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-OT minor) |
| COMM | Select one: COMM 101, COMM 102, or COMM 201 | SPCH | 3 | General education (Pre-OT recommendation) |
| Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 12 | Elective | |
| Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| In addition to completing the required courses, applicants must also demonstrate evidence of a minimum of 30 observation hours under the supervision of a licensed O.T. practitioner, an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant, prior to the time of application. | ||||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| The courses listed below are required for the minor in pre-occupational therapy. Students must complete at least 9 credits of upper-level course requirements at VCU to be eligible for the minor. Students must also select a VCU major and complete the major requirements. The minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree at VCU is 120 credits. | |||
| PSYC 304 | Life Span Developmental Psychology | 3 | Elective (Pre-OT requirement) |
| PSYC 407 | Psychology of the Abnormal | 3 | Elective (Pre-OT requirement) |
| STAT 314 | Applications of Statistics | 4 | Elective (Pre-OT requirement) |
| Upper-level social sciences electives (from PSYC, ANTH and/or SOCY) | 6 | Elective (Pre-OT requirement) | |
| Courses required for VCU major and electives | 44 | Major | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Minimum number of credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree | 120 | ||