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  Application & Admissions: Master's Degree & Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Learn about how to apply:

Master's Degree Application Process:

All applications for admission with consideration for university-based financial aid, including scholarships and assistantships, must be submitted in a complete form by February 15 for fall entry and by October 15 for spring entry. Applications received after the above deadlines will be considered on a space available basis only. Credentials must include:

  • Graduate Record Examination scores are required for applicants who received baccalaureate degrees 2003 within five years of their application date. GRE scores are not required for Tufts undergraduates and alumni.
  • Completion of prerequisite course work with a grade of B- or better.
  • Three letters of reference appraising the candidate's potential for study in occupational therapy. Only 2 letters of reference are required for current Tufts University undergraduate and certificate students.
  • Official transcripts of all post-secondary education.
  • A personal statement stating interest in the field, including employment, volunteer, and internship experiences.
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for international students whose native language is not English. The minimal TOEFL for the Department of Occupational Therapy is 230 CBT. Applications are processed when all material is received.

After matriculating in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, eligible students may apply for transfer of credit for graduate-level courses taken at Tufts or at other institutions not used toward another degree. A maximum of two relevant courses may be transferred towards an entry level or post-professional masters degree.

Tufts certificate students may request to transfer in up to two additional courses from the College of Special Studies.

Send Master's Degree program application materials to:
Graduate and Professional Studies
Tufts University
Ballou Hall, first floor
Medford, MA 02155

For more information and on-line application assistance, please visit the application page on the graduate web site or call the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies at (617) 627-3395.

All interested potential applicants are encouraged to visit Tufts for one of the upcoming Information Sessions where they can tour the facilities and speak directly with faculty, staff, and other students considering Tufts for graduate study. Light refreshments will be served. All Information Sessions are held at the Department of Occupational Therapy, 26 Winthrop Street, Medford, MA 02155. Please call 617-627-5720 or send an email to request more information about upcoming Information Sessions.


Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program (OTD) Application Process:

All applications for admission with consideration for university-based financial aid, including scholarships and assistantships, must be submitted in a complete form by February 15 for fall entry and by October 15 for spring entry. Applications received after the above deadlines will be considered on a space available basis only.

Credentials for all applicants* must include:

  • A personal statement (see guidelines below).
  • An official transcript of all post-secondary education showing successful completion of an ACOTE or WFOT approved occupational therapy Bachelor's or Masters degree program.
  • An official transcript showing current enrollment in or completion of a Masters degree program.
  • Satisfactory completion (B or better) of prerequisite courses in Introductory Statistics and a graduate-level Research Methods course.
  • A Curriculum Vitae.
  • Three letters of reference appraising the candidate's potential for study in the OTD program.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores are required for applicants who received baccalaureate degrees within five years of their application date. GRE scores are not required for Tufts undergraduates and alumni.
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students whose native language is not English. The minimal accepted TOEFL for the Department of Occupational Therapy is 230CBT.

For Tufts Master's degree alumni and current students in 2nd year (entry-level professional program) or in 2nd semester (post-professional program):
Only two letters of reference appraising the candidate's potential for study in the OTD program are required. GRE scores are not required for current or former Tufts students.

* NBCOT credentialing before entry in the OTD is strongly recommended. Those not credentialed in occupational therapy at entry will be given provisional acceptance.

Guidelines for Personal Statement (limit 4 pages double-spaced)

  1. What are your plans for graduate study as related to your future career as a leader in occupational therapy? Please address your specialty focus.
  2. The Leadership Project is an important part of the OTD program (see program description). Please indicate your current ideas about your project.
  3. In what ways do your academic background and recent professional experience point to your potential for success as a doctoral student and as a leader in occupational therapy? Please give specific examples of relevant coursework and/or experience.
  4. Is there any further information we should consider in assessing your candidacy?

Application deadlines:
October 15 for Spring Admission
February 15 for Fall Admission

Applications will be considered past deadline on a space-available basis.


General Admissions Information:

Office of Graduate Studies
The Office of Graduate Studies serves the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).  From the offices website, visitors can find information about applying to graduate programs, expenses and financial aid, application requirements and deadlines, and much more.   Links to some of the information on the site are provided below:

How to Apply

Application Requirements and Deadlines

TuftsPlus Program
The TuftsPlus program offers tuition scholarships (maximum 50%) to Tufts undergraduates who are admitted to a participating master's program. It also offers a streamlined application process in which the GRE requirement is waived and only two letters of recommendation are required. 

Request a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Catalog

Graduate Student Handbook
Published annually, the Graduate Student Handbook contains important dates, policies and procedures, requirements, and graduation information concerning current Arts, Sciences, and Engineering graduate students.

Funding Opportunities
There are a variety of outside funding opportunities for Arts and Sciences graduate students. Students interested in learning more about these opportunities, which are both general and discipline-specific, should visit the Office of Graduate Studies website.

Take A Class
You don't need to be a graduate student to take Tufts graduate courses. The Graduate Career Advancement Program (GCAP) was created for people who want access to superior graduate-level courses but don't need or want a graduate degree. GCAP students take the same classes as our graduate students and may enroll, for either credit or audit, in up to four undergraduate or graduate courses per semester.