Online Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD)
The PP-OTD program prepares occupational therapists to assume leadership roles in developing and evaluating innovative responses to healthcare needs related to occupational performance and societal participation. The program uses a mentorship model where each student is paired in a one-on-one relationship with a faculty advisor, who provides the student with individualized guidance throughout the program.
Completion of the doctoral project is a central feature of the program. The project includes critically analyzing the theoretical and evidence base for current approaches, analyzing the social and cultural factors affecting the practice context, developing a scientifically grounded innovation to improve service outcomes, and designing methods to evaluate individual and program-level outcomes.
This innovative program is offered online with two one-day on-campus components at the beginning and end. Students take two consecutive, seven-week courses while concurrently working on the doctoral project each semester. The PP-OTD requires 33–36 credits, or 10 courses. Students may be required to complete six foundation courses, depending on their past educational experiences. These courses can be taken during their doctorate study.
We matriculate students into the PP-OTD program in January, May, and September. Applicants who have graduated from an ACOTE or WFOT-accredited degree program or who can provide a National Government Recognition document of their program in occupational therapy and who obtained the equivalent of a GPA of 3.0 or better on the US 4-point scale in that OT program are exempt from taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Merit-based scholarships are offered to all admitted applicants.
For more on the PP-OTD program (including program and course descriptions, admission requirements, and procedures), please visit our website; email program director Karen Jacobs; or call 617-353-7516.
Learning Outcomes
- Students graduating from the post-professional OTD will design and describe an innovative solution to address an unmet need in occupational therapy.
- Evaluation: Successfully completes doctoral projects. Completes exit survey and annual program evaluation survey.
- Students graduating from the post-professional OTD will use theoretical perspectives and the evidence-based literature to inform and guide their reasoning.
- Evaluation: Successfully completes courses and applies knowledge.
- Students graduating from the post-professional OTD will acquire the skills to be scholar activists to lead and influence best practice in occupational therapy.
- Evaluation: Advocates for occupational therapy in the healthcare, educational, social service, economic, and political systems of their respective community. Successfully completes courses and applies knowledge. Successfully completes doctoral projects. Completes exit survey and alumni survey.
- Students graduating from the post-professional OTD will acquire knowledge and skills in global citizenry.
- Evaluation: Successfully completes courses and applies knowledge. In 2018, we revised our curriculum to include more content related to global citizenry in our courses. This was especially the case in two courses: Social Policy and Disability (SAR OT 910) and Practicum in Social Policy and Disability (SAR OT 911). We conducted a study to evaluate the impact of this additional focus on global citizenry. Results from the study helped in the evaluation of this learning outcome.
- Informal narratives that inform the accomplishment of learning outcomes by graduates of the PP-OTD program are posted on the Boston University website.
Doctoral Program in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
Occupational therapy faculty participate actively in the interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy Program in Rehabilitation Sciences. Occupational therapists interested in pursuing doctoral study to prepare for a career in research and teaching can find a detailed description of the PhD program under Rehabilitation Sciences.
