OTD
Candidate Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Dr. Kathleen B. Stoklosa, Director
OTD students will develop competence and confidence in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become spiritually mature occupational therapy practitioners that will meet the needs of all persons, groups, and populations served.
Admission Criteria: In addition to submitting an application, the following items are required to be submitted for admission.
1. Official Transcripts:
- Students in the final year of completion of a Bachelor's degree or who have completed a Bachelor's degree may apply to the program.
- Studies must include three or more years of undergraduate or graduate coursework.
- All Bachelor's coursework is to be completed before the start of the program.
- GPA: Cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 on a scale of 4.00.
2. Prerequisite Coursework (see below): The Admissions Committee looks for candidates with a strong liberal arts background and completion of the following prerequisite coursework with grades of B minus (B-) or better and from within the last ten years:
- Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (4 credits)
- Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (4 credits)
- General Science with lab (4 credits)
- Introduction to Psychology, Lifespan or Human Development (3 credits)
- Anthropology or Sociology (3 credits)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology (at least 1 credit) recommended
- Research Methods (3 credits) recommended
- CLEP exam can be used for one prerequisite, not including the sciences. More than one CLEP exam can be considered on an individual basis.
3. No Standardized Test Score Required.
- NOTE: If you choose to submit GRE scores, indicate Roberts Wesleyan University's GRE Designated Institution (DI) Code, 2759, as a score recipient.
4. Observation Hours:
- Evidence of a minimum of 30 hours of clinical observation or comparable experience, volunteer work, and/or work with an occupational therapy practitioner.
- Given the current restrictions related to the pandemic, alternative experiential opportunities will be considered.
5. Two (2) Letters of Recommendation:
- From professionals or college professors who can speak to the candidate’s academic capabilities.
6. One (1) Short-Answer Essay: A personal statement addressing why the candidate is selecting occupational therapy as a career and how this degree relates to their immediate and long-term professional goals. The candidate should describe how their personal, educational, and professional background helps them achieve their goals.
- NOTE: An essay of two (2) or more pages (double spaced) would be considered competitive.
7. Interview: Interviews will be offered on a rolling basis.
Transfer Credit: Credit earned in another Occupational Therapy program from a regionally-accredited college or university and carrying a grade of B or better may be transferable toward an advanced degree at Roberts Wesleyan University upon review of the course syllabus and approval by the OTD Admissions Committee. Applicants to the program may transfer up to 15 credits from another regionally accredited college or university graduate program in which they were matriculated graduate students in good standing. When a student who has completed coursework at another college transfers to Roberts Wesleyan University, only credits are transferred—no transfer grades are recorded nor counted in the cumulative grade point average. Academic credit is not given for life experience or previous work experience.
111 Credits in 8 Semesters:
FIRST YEAR
First Semester - Fall (19 credits)
DOTD 7700 (3) Professional Development I: Introduction to Occupational Therapy
DOTD 7701 (5) Occupational Therapy Process and Practice
DOTD 7702 (3) Research I: Literature Review & Appraisal
DOTD 7703 (3) Occupational Science and Models of Practice
DOTD 7704 (5) Anatomy and Kinesiology in OT
Second Semester - Spring (19 credits)
DOTD 7710 (2) Health Care Delivery Systems and Teams
DOTD 7711 (5) OT Assessment and Intervention in Adulthood
DOTD 7712 (4) Research II: Proposal
DOTD 7714 (3) Pathophysiology in OT
DOTD 7715 (2) Fieldwork I: Psychosocial Occupational Performance
DOTD 7716 (3) Mental Health, Psychosocial Assessment & Intervention in OT
Third Semester - Summer (8 credits)
DOTD 7722 (3) Research III: Implementation
DOTD 7723 (3) OT Leaders and Managers
DOTD 7733 (2) OT Educators
SECOND YEAR
Fourth Semester - Fall (19 credits)
DOTD 7730 (3) Capstone I: Design
DOTD 7731 (5) OT Assessment and Intervention in Elderhood
DOTD 7732 (2) Research IV: Interpretation
DOTD 7734 (4) Neuroscience & Neurorehab Applications in OT
DOTD 7735 (2) Fieldwork I: Adult/Older Adult
DOTD 7744 (3) Contextual Modifications for Occupational Performance
Fifth Semester - Spring (19 credits)
DOTD 7720 (3) Professional Development III: Emerging Practice Entrepreneurship
DOTD 7740 (3) Capstone II: Program Proposal
DOTD 7741 (5) OT Assessment and Intervention in Childhood
DOTD 7742 (2) Research V: Dissemination and Scholarly Report
DOTD 7743 (4) Competence in Evidence Based OT Practice
DOTD 7745 (2) Fieldwork I: Child/Youth
Sixth Semester - Summer (8 credits)
DOTD 7750 (8) Fieldwork Level IIA
THIRD YEAR
Seventh Semester - Fall (8 credits)
DOTD 7760 (8) Fieldwork Level IIB
Eighth Semester - Spring (11 credits)
DOTD 7770 (8) Capstone III: Experience
DOTD 7780 (3) Professional Transitions
Graduation Requirements: Students must achieve a 3.0 GPA, reflecting successful completion of all coursework to graduate from the candidate OTD program. The didactic coursework must be completed within 6 years. Students must complete all Level II Fieldwork and capstone requirements of the candidate OTD program within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.
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 be granted Candidacy Status, 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 that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.