FAQ

All applications must be submitted through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

All applicants, regardless if they are currently serving, must first apply through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

No. Do not apply to Baylor University directly. All applications must be submitted through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). If selected for the program, you will be advised on all appropriate next steps. 

Each year the OTCAS application cycle opens in late July; and application to the Army-Baylor OTD Program closes late September. Please visit OTCAS for exact dates each cycle. Our goal is to review your application as soon as possible, but we can only review applications that are verified by OTCAS. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that their application becomes "verified" in OTCAS. If you have any questions regarding the status of your application, please contact OTCAS. The verification process may take up to 10 business days.

After an individual applies through OTCAS (Phase 1), if they are academically approved by the program, they will continue to Phase 2, requiring weekly communication with their local Army Medical Recruiting Office.

No. There is no upfront cost for the program. However, students incur a 90 months service obligation (30 months of training followed by 60 months of active duty service). Attendees can expect to pay for books (minus service provided stipend), supplies, school graduation fees, national certification fees and state licensure registration fees. Students are required to have personal laptop computer and mobile device.

Yes. If selected for this Active Duty Program, you will receive a direct commission in the Army Medical Specialist Corps. You will be serving on active duty status while completing the OTD program and during your service obligation.

The Entry-Level U.S. Army-Baylor Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) Program is now fully ACCREDITED by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD  20814-6519. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is: www.acoteonline.org.

The OTD Program is the first in the nation in which graduates will have advanced practice for upper extremity conditions, mental health, and holistic health and fitness within the federal system.

For the graduate to sit for the national certification examination for the Occupational Therapist administered by the NBCOT, the student must complete all academic fieldwork requirements of the OTD Program.

Please click here for a full and detailed list of admission requirements and prerequisite coursework.

Yes. Applicants must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within 5 years of the board. Minimum overall GRE score of 300; Minimum verbal GRE score of 145; Minimum quantitative GRE score of 149; Minimum analytical writing GRE score of 3.5.

Yes. Applicants must also complete a minimum of 24 observation hours in Occupational Therapy as a volunteer or employee. We recommend these be completed at a nearby Military Treatment Facility if possible.

Yes. You may apply with prerequisites in progress. You must be able to provide documentation showing that prerequisites will be completed prior to the deadline to arrive on station if accepted into the OTD program. You must also provide an updated set of transcripts documenting a passing grade in prerequisite courses which are in progress at the time of acceptance. Your acceptance to the OTD program will be contingent upon passing the remaining prerequisite(s) with a grade of C or better. 

The U.S. Army-Baylor OTD Admissions Committee may consider requests for course substitutions on a case-by-case basis. The applicant must submit the course description and syllabus for review.

Yes. All prerequisite coursework must have been completed no more than 10 years from the application deadline. Contact ArmyBaylorOTD@baylor.edu for more information if your prerequisite completion date exceeds the 10 year requirement by a few months.

The program consists of 18 months of in-residence academic graduate education located at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence in San Antonio, TX, followed by 12 months of clinical fieldwork and capstone experience located at various Military Treatment Facilities across the continental United States. 

Students in the Army-Baylor OTD program are provided the unique opportunity to complete a graduate level program while serving on active duty. Students are commissioned officers, and therefore receive a salary during the program in addition to paying no tuition. Also, this program offers exclusive experiences related to working with the military population while still preparing individuals for the National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy as fully qualified OTs.

Students are required to maintain an overall 3.00 GPA to successfully complete the program.

The phase II fieldwork training is performed at Military Treatment Facilities (hospitals) under the supervision of an internship director and clinical instructors. 

Fieldwork assignments are based on the programs affiliation with specific Military Treatment Facilities. Therefore, assignments will be specific to these locations and will require students to relocate on a permanent change of station during the 12 months of fieldwork. This travel is funded by the Army. 

No. Students will be on active duty status during the program and will receive a salary. They are not permitted to have additional civilian employment.