Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

The occupational therapy doctoral program is a post-professional on-line program designed for working adults who have already achieved certification as occupational therapists and who apply what they learn in this program to their current employment site. Graduates of this program will be practice-scholars who develop advance competencies that can be applied in their practice specialty, who demonstrate the requisite habits to use and create evidence to support their practice, and who engage as leaders, facilitating change and knowledge-sharing to enhance the profession of occupational therapy. Applicants must have a completed master’s degree in occupational therapy, current state licensure and NBCOT certification, and current membership in AOTA. Admissions applications are only accepted online thru the Centralized Occupational Therapy Application System (OTCAS) beginning July 17, 2013. Accepted students begin the OTD program each year in late May. The overarching goal of this OTD curriculum is to prepare advanced occupational therapy practitioners who possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes requisite to the practice-scholar roles, habits and functions in their specific, practice contexts. Program Outcomes: Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) - Develop and refine skills for leading and influencing systemic change. Student will: Articulate and document leadership philosophy and style, vision and achievement of leadership goals. Implement a personal leadership project & disseminate the results. Lead a strategic planning and/or occupational therapy program development and evaluation process in their workplace. Articulate social justice issues and articulate an action plan or personal advocacy role that addresses public policy, health disparities, health & wellness, or quality of life, issues that impact the ability of people to function to their fullest capacity. Apply and create evidence to support best practice. Student will: Demonstrate proficiencies in searching, reviewing, and critically analyzing, synthesizing and applying health science research to inform best practice in occupational therapy. Complete an evidence-based practice brief for an area of your practice. Synthesize information to generate a Critically-Appraised Topic paper related to their professional practice. Develop opportunity for occupational based practice in current setting and/or emerging area of practice. Demonstrated competency in selecting and using valid and reliable measures of clinical outcomes. Demonstrate proficiency (verbal and written) in the use of evidence to inform and defend all assignments and their doctoral capstone project. Design and conduct a clinical research study in their current practice setting. Design and conduct a program evaluation study in their current practice setting. Construct effective educational programs for groups in academic, professional and/or community contexts. Student will: Demonstrate proficiencies in verbal and written communication when conveying information to a variety of audiences using a range of formats (including online formats). Demonstrate the capacity to communicate with clarity, depth and precision in on-line learning communities. Create, deliver and evaluate an evidence-based, instructional unit for an OT or OTA academic program. Prepare, deliver and evaluate a consumer or peer educator instructional unit. Submit a practice-based article that includes professional citations to practice magazine, state association newsletter, or national special interest section quarterly. Submit a proposal and/or present at a state or national professional conference.