Pre-Occupational Therapy

Empower active, meaningful participation in day-to-day life.

Occupational therapists help patients with injuries, illnesses or disabilities to regain, improve and maintain the skills necessary for work and daily living. In our pre-occupational therapy program, you’ll:

- Augment your major of choice with classes and opportunities directly related to occupational therapy.
- Get hands-on research and laboratory experience.
- Access tailored support from our team of pre-health advisors.

At A Glance

12:1

Student-to-faculty ratio
18

Average class size

Possible Careers

Occupational Therapist

Hannah Rukkila OTD, OTR/L, 2018 | 3 Dimensional Physical Therapy, LLC

Occupational Therapist

Jennafer Young, 2013 | Family Speech & Therapy Services

Occupational Therapist

Joelle Fisher, OTR/L, 2018 | Mercy Health

Empower active, meaningful participation in day-to-day life.

Occupational therapists help patients with injuries, illnesses or disabilities to regain, improve and maintain the skills necessary for work and daily living. In our pre-occupational therapy program, you’ll:

- Augment your major of choice with classes and opportunities directly related to occupational therapy.
- Get hands-on research and laboratory experience.
- Access tailored support from our team of pre-health advisors.

Get to Know Pre-Occupational Therapy

Meet the Pre-Health Professions Committee (PHPC)

As a pre-occupational therapy student, you'll be guided by the PHPC. This group of expert faculty and administrators offers dedicated pre-health advising. Meet the committee.

The Alma Venture

Dream it, learn it, do it. Through our Venture program, you can design a unique, hands-on learning experience at home or abroad. Find out more about the Alma Venture.

Explore the Curriculum

Learn more about the fundamental courses that will offer a roadmap for your academic growth and expertise development.

Promote holistic well-being.

In our program, you’ll supplement coursework from your major with practical experience relevant to the field of occupational therapy.

Many of our students major in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, integrative physiology and health science, or psychology. However, we can accommodate a wide range of disciplines.

Our curriculum is designed to prepare you for graduate study and work as an occupational therapist. You’ll practice dissection in our human anatomy lab and take classes taught by a licensed physical therapist. You’ll experiment on skeletal muscle cells in our muscle physiology course.

You’ll also round out your education with electives outside the sciences, such as health communication, healthcare administration and medical ethics.

What You Need to Know

To qualify as an occupational therapist, you must obtain a master’s degree from an accredited program. To pursue this career, you should first fulfill the pre-occupational therapy curriculum at Alma. Then, you can matriculate to a two-year master’s or three-year doctorate program.

Some of the schools our alumni have chosen are:

University of Michigan – Flint
University of Arizona
University of South Dakota
Washington University

Alternatively, you can fast-track your progress through the Alma/WashU accelerated program. In this pathway, you’ll complete three years at Alma College and two years at Washington University. You’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Alma and a master’s in occupational therapy from Washington University.