Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Overview

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers a doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD), an entry-level practitioner degree which is designed to give the motivated student increased exposure and experience in research, evidence-based practices and leadership roles. The full program requires 6 1/2 years: 4 years of undergraduate coursework (127 credits) and 2 1/2 years of graduate coursework including two summers of fieldwork (54 credits).

Admissions

The OTD is an optional track for students who enter the Occupational Therapy Program as freshmen. Only students in the undergraduate Occupational Therapy Program are eligible for admission. At the end of the junior year students in good standing and with a GPA of a least 3.0 may apply for entry into the OTD track; admissions will be limited to top candidates and is not guaranteed.  (Students not entering the OTD track will remain in the MS track.)

Fieldwork Requirement

All students engage in three Level I fieldwork assignments during the undergraduate years: 40 hours for each rotation associated with practice courses in children and youth, mental health, and physical rehabilitation. Two 12-week Level II fieldwork assignments are completed during the two summers of the graduate years.

Capstone

Following successful completion of all coursework and fieldwork the OTD student must complete an off-site, 14-week Capstone Experience that furthers professional knowledge in one or more of the following eight areas:  clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education and theory development. Preparation for the Capstone occurs over the course of three semesters under the supervision of a faculty mentor and in conjunction with a community mentor.

Accreditation

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note: a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Academic Regulations

All OTD students are expected to conform to the regulations stated in both The University of Scranton Graduate Studies Catalog and the Department of Occupational Therapy Student Handbook. Additional information about the program is available at the Occupational Therapy website.

Curriculum OTD Degree

Total undergraduate and graduate credits for the OTD Degree: 180

	Courses	Credits
Undergraduate Courses	OT120, OT121, BIOL110/BIOL111L, PHYS120/PHYS120L, T/RS121, WRTG107, PHIL120, PSYC110, First Year Seminar, OT230/OT230L, OT231, OT250, [PSYC210 or EDUC120], PSYC 225, PSYC226, HUMN Elect, SOC110, T/RS122, Free Elect, OT320/OT320L, OT321/OT321L, OT322/OT322L, OT340, OT350, OT380, OT381, CHS333, CHS341, PHIL210, [PHIL212, PHIL316, T/RS226, or T/RS332], HUMN Elect, OT420/420L, OT421/OT421L, OT422/OT422L, OT423, OT424, OT450, OT480, OT491, OT493 HUMN Elect, 6 cr. Free Electives	127 cr
OT 581	OT Level II Fieldwork- I (Equivalency Credit)*	6
OT 520	Advanced Occupational Performance I	3
OT 521	Advanced Occupational Performance II	3
OT 526	Neurocognitive and Neuromotor Challenges	3
OT 525	Occupational Therapy in Community Settings	3
OT 530	Topics in Occupational Therapy I	1
OT 531	Topics in Occupational Therapy II	1
OT 542	Understanding Disability and the Therapeutic Relationship	3
OT 550	Graduate Seminar in Theory	3
OT 582	OT Level II Fieldwork-II (Equivalency Credit)*	6
OT 701	Doctoral Capstone I	3
OT 702	Doctoral Capstone II	3
OT 703	Doctoral Capstone III	2
OT 730	Topics in Occupational Therapy III	1
OT 744	Advanced Leadership Principles, Ethics & Pragmatics	3
OT 750	Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan	3
OT 780	Capstone Experience	6
	Total Graduate Credits: 53
Total Program Credits		180