Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Student Learning Outcomes for Occupational Therapy:

Students will be able to:

Demonstrate the ability to effectively collaborate with others (colleagues, professional contacts, clients, faculty, etc.).
Engage with clients in a manner that demonstrates skillful application of concepts related to client-centered care, culturally responsive care, and therapeutic use of self.
Identify/ diagnose occupational performance and participation and construct plans to influence change and enhance occupational performance for individuals, populations, and organizations.
Engage in occupational therapy practice that integrates critical thinking, reflective practice, creativity, and ethical reasoning in the occupational therapy process.
Design and implement evaluations and interventions that are occupation-centered and theory-based, with entry-level competence.
Engage in occupational therapy practice that integrates critical thinking, reflective practice, creativity, and ethical reasoning in the occupational therapy process.
Contribute to the body of evidence that supports traditional and emerging occupational therapy practice and/or the understanding of human occupation.
Demonstrate leadership in the management and delivery of occupational therapy services, evaluation of program effectiveness, conflict management, and professional development.
Recognize opportunities for and demonstrate principles and skills related to advocacy.

The Doctorate in Occupational Therapy requires three years of requirements over 8 semesters (this includes two summer semesters/sessions). Requirements include graduate academic study, six months of clinical Level II Fieldwork, and one Capstone Experience with the requirements listed below. Students may take up to 18 credits in a semester at Elizabethtown College without paying a credit overload fee. To begin coursework toward the doctorate program in occupational therapy, students must have successfully completed prerequisites including earning a GPA of 2.9 by the end of their junior year and earning a minimum of a C- in all required courses. Students will start to take graduate level courses in the senior year but will officially be registered into the doctorate degree only after completing the fourth year of the occupational therapy program and earning an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences.

Successful completion of the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy affords the student the opportunity to take the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Examination and to become licensed to practice occupational therapy as individual jurisdiction requires. Please note: a felony conviction may affect an individual’s qualification to take the NBCOT certification exam and/or obtain professional credentials.

Admission to the Occupational Therapy Program:

Students are typically accepted into the OT program (BS in Health Sciences, MS or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy) as first year students. Students must complete and submit all requirements through the Admissions office and complete an interview with the admissions staff by the established due date set by the college. Students may apply for Advanced Standing during the application process.

Students, whether intending to complete the MS in OT degree or the OTD, will take pre-professional Health Sciences (HE) courses in the first three years before starting the OT professional courses in the senior year. Students are admitted to the fourth year/ professional portion of the program by completing the Graduate Essay, earning an overall GPA of a 2.9 or higher, and earning a C- or above in all required courses. All students, whether MS or OTD take the same OT required courses in the 4th year. Students wishing to complete the OTD are only admitted to the program after graduating with their Health Science degree. Admission requirements for the OTD Program include having earned an overall GPA of 3.0 by the completion of the BS degree in Health Sciences and having earned a C- or above in all OT Program required courses.

Advanced standing students are those students who are admitted into the Health Science degree and who have earned 60 credits by the start of the sophomore year. Students interested in Advanced Standing will meet with the Program Director in the first year and assess the viability of completing the required credits for the HS degree and plan their course of study. Students must complete all HE and pre-OT required courses within the first 2 years and meet all of the requirements to progress to the professional-level portion of the program. The number of students accepted for Advanced Standing is dependent on the number of seats available in the respective cohort.

Currently, Elizabethtown College, non-Health Science major students are accepted into the program when space is available. Students should apply during their first year if they intend to complete the undergraduate degree (Health Sciences) within four years. Students who are interested in entering the OT program should contact the Program Director for information about the application process.

The entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy requires:

Additional requirements to attain the entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy degree:

Maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00 throughout the graduate program and achieve a minimum grade of C- in all graduate courses (500-level or higher).

A student must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 to remain in good academic standing in Elizabethtown College graduate programs. Students who fail to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA at the end of any semester will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation will have one semester in which they are registered to return to good academic standing. Students who fail to meet the conditions of their academic probation can expect dismissal from the program.

Students who have withdrawn from the College must petition the graduate program for readmission. To be eligible for readmission, applicants must be in good standing and the academic program must have the capacity to accept additional students. Additional conditions of readmission may be imposed by the specific graduate program for which the applicant seeks readmission.

It is up to the discretion of the student’s major program to determine if undergraduate and graduate courses may be taken concurrently. Graduate courses may count toward undergraduate programs; however, undergraduate courses may not count toward graduate programs. Undergraduate program courses taken by graduate students to complete credit deficiencies are free elective credits only and do not fulfill any major requirements. Graduate courses may not be met via Challenge Tests.

Students must pass both Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences. Only one level I fieldwork placement may be repeated due to a student’s failure or withdrawal from placement. Only one Level II failure may be repeated; student withdrawals from Level II fieldwork will be reviewed by the program on a case-by-case basis and may be considered a failure based on the student’s fieldwork performance prior to the withdrawal. Students must pass Level I and Level II Fieldwork. If a student does not pass Level I Fieldwork, they may repeat it once; a second failed Level I Fieldwork will result in a dismissal from the program. If a student withdraws from or fails a Level II Fieldwork, a decision to repeat the experience will be made by the program director in collaboration with the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. If a student fails the repeated Level II fieldwork experience, the student will be dismissed from the OT program. Students may appeal to repeat the fieldwork. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00 and achieve a minimum grade of C- in all graduate courses (500-level or higher).Students are required to complete 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork or its equivalent of Level II fieldwork within 18 months of completing graduate didactic coursework.

Students must successfully complete all required didactic coursework, all Level I Fieldwork experiences, and both Level II Fieldwork experiences before completing the Capstone Experience.

Students need access to and competence in using e-mail and CANVAS platform.

Accreditation

The Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) received accreditation status as of December 2023. The organization can be contacted at ACOTE, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4949; phone (301) 652-6611; email accred@aota.org; www.acoteonline.org.