Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.)
General Information
The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy offers the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. There are two admission concentrations to the OTD program: Professional Concentration and Post-Professional Concentration. The Professional Concentration is intended for students who do not currently hold a baccalaureate degree or post-baccalaureate certificate in occupational therapy, and who have completed the EKU Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science degree program. The Post- Professional Concentration is for students who currently hold an entry-level degree or certificate in occupational therapy from an accredited occupational therapy program. The Post-Professional concentration does not accept occupational therapy assistants.
Graduates will:
- Professional Concentration: Actualize occupation-based principles to promote the occupational therapy profession.
- Professional Concentration: Disseminate occupation-based principles through professional written, oral, and non-verbal communication in order to promote occupational therapy.
- Professional Concentration: Apply critical thinking to facilitate changes that will improve outcomes in occupational therapy.
- Professional Concentration: Demonstrate excellence and personal and professional accountability that will lead the discipline forward and meet the increasingly complex demands that will be required of occupational therapists.
- Professional Concentration: Demonstrate in-depth knowledge in a practice area to positively impact the quality of occupational therapy services and the future of the profession.
- Post-Professional Concentration: Engage in occupation-based practice as a method of change to positively impact the future of the profession and the quality of occupational therapy services.
- Post-Professional Concentration: Ethically and responsibly advance the needs of client populations by addressing issues related to health disparity, policy and legislation through leadership and advocacy.
- Post-Professional Concentration: Demonstrate effective communication to serve as leaders and catalysts of change at local, state, and national levels using tools such as program development, research, client education, and evidence based practice.
- Post-Professional Concentration: Design projects demonstrating advanced critical thinking and reasoning skills to provide leadership in ethical occupational therapy practice.
Admission Requirements
Professional Concentration:
To be considered for admission, applicants to the Professional Concentration must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. Additional requirements established by the OTD Program are as follows:
- Successful completion of a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Science (the first two years of the combined BSOS to OTD entry level program at EKU) with a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Completion of a 2nd Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT)
Specific Criteria for Students in the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science Program
Students in the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science program should apply to the Graduate School by February 1 of their second professional year for admission into the OTD Professional Concentration.
Progression Requirements
Students need to obtain a grade of a B or higher in all courses in order to progress in the program. Students in the Professional Concentration must successfully complete the Professional Year 3 competency to progress in the program.
Post-Professional Concentration:
To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. Additional requirements established by the program are as follows:
- A degree (post-baccalaureate certificate, baccalaureate or masters) from an entry level occupational therapist program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). International applicants must have met all requirements for practice in their own country and graduated from an accredited or World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) approved occupational therapy program.
- Initial certification by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). International applicants must provide documentation that they are eligible to practice as an occupational therapist in their home country.
- A graduate research methods course.
- Three letters of recommendation (waived for students who graduated from EKU)
- A one-to-two page statement of professional goals.
- A resume and/or professional portfolio.
- Transcripts of undergraduate and graduate coursework.
- An online graduate application.
- Those applicants meeting the above criteria may be required to complete an admission interview with the faculty of the doctoral program prior to final selection.
Specific Criteria
Applicants should apply by August 5 for fall term; December 5 for Spring term; or May 5 for Summer term.
Progression Requirements
Students need to obtain a grade of a B or higher in all courses in order to progress in the program.
Program Requirements
CIP Code: 51.2306
Professional Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| OTS 800 | OBP: Early Childhood | 3 |
| OTS 804 | Practice Experience Prep I | 3 |
| OTS 805 | Practice Experience Prep II | 3 |
| OTS 810 | OBP: Children and Youth | 3 |
| OTS 815 | OBP: Neurological | 3 |
| OTS 840 | OBP: Mental Health | 3 |
| OTS 850 | Management Principles for OT | 3 |
| OTS 853 | Leadership in Human Services | 3 |
| OTS 860 | OBP: Emerging Practice | 3 |
| Concentrations | ||
| Students must select one of the following Concentrations: | ||
| Professional | 33 | |
Post-Professional | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Research | ||
| OTS 895 | OT Research Project I | 3 |
| OTS 896 | Research Project II | 3 |
| Field Work Experiences | ||
| OTS 821 | Level I OT Experience (3 credits, taken 3 times) | 9 |
| OTS 845 | Health Care Practice Fieldwork | 6 |
| OTS 846 | Community Practice Fieldwork | 6 |
| Capstone Courses | ||
| OTS 905 | Applied Leadership Experience | 6 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Exit Requirements
Students in the Professional Concentration are required to:
- Successfully complete the following capstone classes with a “Satisfactory” grade: OTS 845 and 846.
- Satisfactorily complete and present a capstone project.
- Satisfactorily complete a professional portfolio.
Post-Professional Concentration
All classes meet online. Students who require a graduate research methods course for admission to the program may take OTS 884 Qualitative Inquiry Approaches, OTS 895 OT Research Project I, or OTS 896 Research Project II, or other comparable graduate research course.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| OTS 853 | Leadership in Human Services | 3 |
| OTS 882 | Advanced Occupational Science | 3 |
| OTS 910 | Policy and Advocacy for OT | 3 |
| OTS 911 | Applied Research for OT | 3 |
| OTS 912 | Evidence-based Practice for OT | 3 |
| OTS 913 | Educational Practices for OT | 3 |
| Concentrations | ||
| Students must select one of the following Concentrations: | ||
Professional | ||
| Post-Professional | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Leadership | ||
| OTS 901 | OTD Leadership Seminar I | 3 |
| OTS 905 | Applied Leadership Experience | 6 |
| Capstone Courses | ||
| OTS 903 | Capstone I: Project Developmnt | 3 |
| OTS 904 | Capstone II: Implmt and Eval | 3 |
| OTS 906 | OTD Capstone | 1 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Exit Requirements
Students in the Post-Professional Concentration are required to:
- Satisfactorily complete and present a capstone project.
- Satisfactorily complete and present a professional portfolio.