Bachelor of Occupational Therapy: Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Fees, Colleges, and Admission 2025

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) is a 4-year UG degree that offers knowledge and skills to students to become Occupational Therapists whose role is to help persons with disabilities or injuries to regain their everyday living abilities and overall quality of lifeusing therapeutic methods.

The eligibility criteria to pursue the BOT course include passing class 12th in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Also, students must score 50% marks out of the total marks awarded in class 12th. Applicants may also be required to qualify for entrance exams such as NEET UG, GAHET, IMAT, SRMJEEE, LPU NEST, or others.

The average course fee for studying the BOT course in India ranges between INR 2 lakhs and 12 Lakhs, depending on the college. Some top institutions offering this course are D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, SIMATS, S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, LPU, Jamia Hamdard, and others.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy graduates can work as Clinical Occupational Therapists, Neurological and Psychiatric Occupational Therapists, Rehabilitation Specialists, and others. They can expect an average package of INR 3- 6 LPA, depending on their job role and experience level.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Course Highlights

Why choose a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Course?

The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy offers an impactful career path that is focused on helping individuals regain independence and quality of life. The course offers a unique blend of medical knowledge and psychological understanding that assists in making real differences in people’s lives.  Some of the benefits of studying the BOT course are given below:

• The course provides an opportunity to help individuals in regaining their strength in daily life, significantly influencing their well-being and overall quality of life.    
• The course combines medical expertise with psychological knowledge and creativity to create personalised rehabilitation programs.  
• It offers the chance to work in various environments, such as hospitals, educational institutions, rehabilitation facilities, and corporate offices.  
• There is a demand for occupational therapists worldwide due to the increasing need for rehabilitation and mental support.  
• The course helps in opting for diverse career options, such as self-employment, research roles, teaching, and consulting opportunities.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Eligibility Criteria

Applicants who want to pursue the BOT course are required to meet certain eligibility norms, without which admission is not possible into the course. The following are the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must have completed their Class 12 with a minimum of 50% marks from recognised boards
• Applicants must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as core subjects in Class 12.
• Applicant needs to pass the national/state/university-level entrance exams.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Entrance Exams

Some colleges or universities may require applicants to take an entrance exam for enrolling in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, as these exams assess a candidate's knowledge, aptitude, and suitability for the field. Some of the BOT entrance exams that are considered for admission into top colleges are as follows:

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Colleges and Fees

There are many reputed institutes in India offering the BOT course to a large number of students for years. Some of the top Bachelor of Occupational Therapy colleges in India are mentioned below:

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy: Admissions Process 2025

Admission to the BOT course is almost the same for all colleges. However, a few steps may vary depending on whether the college provides merit or entrance-based admission.

For reference, the admission process for the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy course at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is as follows:

Step 1: Students can apply to the course through the college website.

Step 2:  Candidates who want to pursue the MAHE BOT must apply for MET (Manipal Entrance Test).

Step 3: The college publishes its shortlisted candidates based on the rank or marks secured by the candidates in the entrance exam.

Step 4: The shortlisted candidates will be required to submit their documents such as Class 10+2 mark sheet, entrance exam score, passport-size photograph, ID proofs, etc.

Step 5: The selection will be done on the basis of entrance exam score/rank, previous academic performance, and availability of seats in the college.

Step 6: The selected candidates will get a provisional admission offer from the college. Then candidates need to pay the tuition fee or admission fee as per instructions, to book their seat in the selected course.

Step 7: After the payment is done, the college will verify the payment done and then they will get the final admission letter from the college to begin their studies when the new session begins.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Syllabus

The BOT course syllabus is similar in most colleges and may vary a little across different universities depending on the course curriculum followed by them. The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy syllabus at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Chennai) is mentioned below:

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Jobs and Salary

Some of the job roles available on popular job portals for Bachelor of Occupational Therapy graduates are mentioned in the table below:

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy FAQs