Apply to the Sammons Rider Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Applications for Spring 2026 admission are due by 5 p.m. EST on September 15, 2025. 

Requirements:

• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in previous undergraduate academic coursework.
• You must pass all prerequisite courses with a minimum C (or 2.0) before the January start of the OTA program. You may be enrolled in no more than two prerequisite courses at the time of application. There is no time limit or expiration date on prerequisites. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits will be accepted.
  Required prerequisites courses include:
  • Human Anatomy
  • Human Physiology
  • General Psychology
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Lifespan Development
  • Information Literacy in the Health Sciences (HSV 2650) OR a passing score (75% or higher) on the Information Literacy in the Health Sciences Proficiency Exam. Register for the exam HERE.
  • Medical Terminology
  • Introduction to Occupational Therapy (OT 2020)
• An interview is part of the OTA application process. It is essential that you demonstrate your knowledge of the profession during this interview. Therefore, while not required to apply to the program, it is strongly encouraged that you seek out job shadowing, or other related experiences, within the OT field before you apply.

Other factors considered:

• Work/Volunteer Experience – Involving helping others from disabled, culturally diverse, vulnerable populations. You may also list any OT-related experiences (job shadowing, volunteering, etc.).
• Leadership/Teamwork – Paid or unpaid.
• Diversity Experience – Courses taken that included substantial study of other cultures. Non-English or sign language classes can also be included here.

How to apply:

• Download the Spring 2026 OTA application (you must download to your computer before you can fill out the document).
• Once completed, save the application as a PDF file.
• Email the application PDF, along with all unofficial non-WMU transcripts, to Sarah Anderson at sarah.anderson@wmich.edu
• Pay: $20 Supplemental Fee