Program Overview
Students in the Pre-OT program will earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree on either a 3-Year or 4-Year track prior to beginning the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. Students will apply for admission into the OTD program in their last year of completing the B.S. degree. These students will follow much of the same curriculum as the students in the Clinical and Medical Sciences major or the Public Health major, with a few modifications.
In addition to several foundational courses in biomedical sciences and liberal arts, all Pre-OT students will enroll in courses that provide an introduction to the professions within the health care system, as well as the opportunity to explore current issues and controversies facing health care professionals in multiples fields. Pre-OT students will have an opportunity to shadow in an occupational therapy environment, as well as opportunities for career exploration, learning innovation and practice management skills, and understanding the health care system.
Requirements for Major
The following is a list of courses that Pre-OT students would take at Drake while completing their bachelor's degree to prepare for admission into the OTD program.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
BIO 012
& 012L | GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY I
and GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY I LAB | 4 |
BIO 013
& 013L | GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY II
and GENERAL/PRE-PROFESSIONAL BIOLOGY II LAB | 4 |
CHEM 001
& CHEM 003 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB | 4 |
CHEM 002
& CHEM 004 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LAB | 4 |
| ECON 002 | PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 3 |
| | 3 |
| HSCI 020 | INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SCIENCES | 1.5 |
| HSCI 025 | INTRODUCTION TO US HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HSCI 055 | INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH SCIENCES | 3 |
| HSCI 095 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 1 |
| HSCI 105 | VALUES AND ETHICS IN HEALTH SCIENCES | 3 |
HSCI 125
& 125L | MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY
and PHYSIOLOGY LAB | 4 |
HSCI 141
& 141L | HUMAN ANATOMY
and HUMAN ANATOMY LAB | 4 |
| HSCI 155 | GUIDED RESEARCH I | 3 |
| HSCI 172 | EVALUATING RESEARCH | 3 |
| HSCI 196 | HEALTH SCIENCES INTERNSHIP I | 4 |
| HSCI 197 | HEALTH SCIENCES INTERNSHIP II | 4 |
| MATH 050 | CALCULUS I | 3 |
| PHY 011 | GENERAL PHYSICS I | 4 |
| PSY 001 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
| PSY 042 | CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSY 044 | ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING | 3 |
| PSY 076 | ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| ENG 052 | PUBLIC VOICES | 3 |
| HSCI 060 | STATISTICS IN HEALTH SCIENCES | 3 |
| 18 |
| 23 |
| Total Hours | 122.5 |
Professional Electives for the Pre-Occupational Therapy track (minimum of 15 credits):
With prior approval from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, students may complete some of these courses via Advanced Placement (AP) credit or dual credit courses taken in high school. Students must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam or earn a C or higher in a dual credit course in order to receive credit for and fulfill these courses. See Drake University's credit policy or the page for more information.
Regulations and Academic Requirements
Pre-Occupational Therapy students should become familiar with the General Information section of this catalog, which covers many regulations that affect all Drake University students. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences also has a number of specific regulations and requirements that must be met to progress through the Pre-Occupational Therapy curriculum. Some of these are listed below; others are available in the Health Sciences Student Handbook (http://www.drake.edu/cphs/handbookspolicies/).
Many courses have prerequisite requirements. Admission to a course is denied if prerequisite courses have not been successfully completed. Therefore, deviations from the curriculum as it is structured require careful consideration. Course prerequisites may be found in the are of this catalog.
Students may apply a maximum of 9 hours of elective coursework on a credit/no credit basis toward graduation. Courses regularly graded on a credit/no credit basis are not included within the 9 hours maximum. The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 before registering in a course on a credit/no credit basis.
Pre-Occupational Therapy students in the 4 year track are required to complete a senior capstone experience (HSCI 196/197) prior to graduation. Due to regulations at many of the experiential sites used for the senior capstone experiences, the college will complete a criminal background check and drug screen prior to entering the senior capstone year. Senior capstone sites have the right to refuse to accept a student based on the results of the criminal background check. Many of these sites also require that a copy of the background check is forwarded to them. Students who have positive drug screens and will be entering their senior capstone experience will be referred to the Chemical Dependency Policy.
Pre-Occupational Therapy students are assigned a faculty member as their faculty mentor. Faculty mentors help students:
- Adapt to the college environment
- Assist in the development of the student's education plan by providing input and feedback
- Encourage discussions about the appropriateness of their chosen career track and the career options within the profession
- Assist in identification of opportunities for professional skill development and
- Make appropriate referrals to university student service offices when academic or personal difficulties arise.
The Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management is responsible for coordinating the registration process, verifying appropriate registration of courses, approving educational plan waivers and transfer credit requests, updating degree audits with regard to substitutions, waivers and transfer courses, answering student questions regarding registration, credit completion, course transfer process and study-abroad opportunities, and coordinating and communicating opportunities for internship, study abroad, research and postgraduate study. The final responsibility for completion of graduation requirements, however, belongs to the student and, accordingly, each student should become familiar not only with the curriculum but also with the academic regulations of the college.