Doctor of Occupational Therapy, O.T.D.

http://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Prospective-Students/Academic-Programs/Doctor-of-Occupational-Therapy-OTD

Program Description

All didactic coursework is offered on the University of Oklahoma Health Campus (OUHC) in Oklahoma City. To meet the broad healthcare needs of Oklahomans, the University of Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Program offers our program in Oklahoma City. Students physically attend courses and labs on campus. Lectures are broadcast which provides the opportunity for students to receive a rich and wide-ranging education from regional experts in the field.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree-professional program consists of three years (99 semester hours) of sequenced and integrated didactic, clinical, and capstone courses. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 18 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. All coursework, fieldwork, and capstone courses are to be completed in no more than five years. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE O.T.D. Standard D.1.3.

The University of Oklahoma Health Campus College of Allied Health ensures that program expectations, learning objectives, and educational outcomes offered is consistent. Program outcomes at the Oklahoma City campus are evaluated yearly by course directors.

The progression and retention policies for the program in Occupational Therapy are described in the College of Allied Health Academic Standards.

Program Defined

Occupational therapists work with individuals who may be recovering from illnesses or injuries, contending with developmental disabilities, or coping with changes resulting from the aging process. Occupational therapists advance the person's well-being by promoting adaptation and independence through meaningful activities of everyday living to enhance and restore health. By preventing, reducing, or overcoming physical, social, and emotional impairments in people, occupational therapists help to restore and sustain the highest quality of productive life to persons of all ages.

Accreditation/Credentialing

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination of occupational therapists administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBOT). After completing this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.  A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. 

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.