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Occupational Therapy (Ph.D.)

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Already a licensed Occupational Therapist and want to take your career to the next level?  Receive more information or apply to one of NSU's post-professional occupational therapy programs using one of the options below.

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Admissions Requirements

  • Applicants must have a minimum cumulative master’s degree or a professional doctoral GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale
  • Graduate level research methods course
  • Master's degree

Application Procedures

Occupational Therapy Ph.D. program applicants must submit:

  1. A completed application along with a $50 non-refundable application fee and a letter of application.The Ph.D. Program has three start dates each year (January, May, & August)(see table below). Notice of acceptance or other action by the Committee on Admissions will be on a "rolling" or periodic schedule. Early completion of the application is therefore, in the student's best interest.

    Semester Start

    Application Deadline

    Classes Begin

    Winter 2024

    Dec. 10, 2023

    Jan. 3, 2024

    Summer 2024

    Apr. 21, 2024

    May 13, 2024

    Fall 2024

    Aug. 10, 2024

    Aug. 19, 2024

  2. Three letters of recommendation from persons who can evaluate the applicant's potential for doctoral study. Letters of recommendation must be from an academic advisor, professor, supervisor, or health care professional. Letters from relatives, friends, or personal health care providers will not be accepted. The applicant will submit names and email addresses for each reference through the application portal. The reference will be sent a link with instructions to follow to submit the letter of reference.
  3.  A letter of application stating goals and reasons for wanting to pursue doctoral work.
  4. Test of English as a Foreign language Examination (TOEFL) scores or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores (foreign applicants only).
  5. Official transcripts from all undergraduate, professional and graduate institutions attended sent directly from the institution.
  6. Undergraduate and graduate course work taken at a foreign institution must be evaluated for U.S. institution equivalence by one of the three services listed below. It is the applicant's responsibility to have this course work evaluated, and an official evaluation must be sent to NSU. You should contact:

    • World Education Services, Inc.
      P. O. Box 5087
      Bowling Green Station
      New York, NY 10274-5087
      (212) 966-6311
      www.wes.org
    • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
      P.O. Box 415070
      Milwaukee, WI 53203
      (414) 289-3400
      www.ece.org

Upon receipt of the completed application and required credentials, the Committee on Admissions will notify, in writing, applicants who are selected for an interview. Interviews may be conducted online via Zoom video conferencing platform. No applicant will be admitted to the Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy Program without an interview, but an invitation to appear for an interview should not be construed by the applicant as evidence of acceptance.

Send your transcripts and evaluations to NSU's Enrollment Processing Services at:

Nova Southeastern University
Enrollment Processing Services
3301 College Avenue-P.O. Box 299000
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33314-9905

For more information, please contact Rebecca Johnson, Assistant Director Graduate Admissions (954) 262-1111 or rjohnso2@nova.edu

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