Doctor of Occupational Therapy (entry-level)

The entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program prepares students with baccalaureate degrees earned in a range of disciplines to become qualified occupational therapists. The program includes four on-campus terms, online courses during the summer months, fieldwork, and capstone components. The curriculum is designed to provide an excellent education for students planning for professional roles as occupational therapy practitioners in traditional settings, as well as in emerging areas of practice.

The three-year OTD program includes two years (four terms) of on-campus academic work, Level I Fieldwork integrated into all terms of on-campus courses, two summer terms of online coursework, completion of two full-time, 12-week clinical experiences (Level II Fieldwork), and the doctoral capstone, which includes a 14-week experience and associated project. The on-campus component is full time and consists of daytime and weekday classes. Two online courses are completed each summer. Level II Fieldwork experiences are completed after the first two years of the program, and the doctoral practicum and capstone begin after Level II Fieldwork is completed. The OTD program begins in the fall term, and courses are sequential. Therefore, we offer no options for spring entrance into the program or for part-time study.

Clinical courses make extensive use of case examples that are presented from a life course perspective. This life course approach differs from the traditional divisions by diagnosis (mental health, physical disabilities) or age group (pediatrics, geriatrics) and guides the introduction of relevant assessment, intervention, and systems factors as they would typically occur in relation to each part of the life course.

Each term, students participate in an Integrative Seminar that links academic course content with concurrent extended Level I Fieldwork (LIFW) in the local Boston community. Students discuss and analyze their LIFW experiences in the seminar and apply learning from other courses to these clinical situations.

Students in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program study with outstanding faculty who have made significant contributions to occupational therapy practice, scholarship, and research. The BU faculty are known among occupational therapists and the healthcare community throughout the world and bring a broad and rich perspective to the education of students in the occupational therapy program. They are passionate about the profession, enthusiastic about teaching, and committed to making a positive difference in occupational therapy and healthcare at the state, national, and international levels.

The OTD program produces leaders who desire to be agents of change through the application of occupational therapy knowledge and expertise to improve the health and well-being of others in a wide variety of settings. This goal requires that students understand the experiences of others; assume responsibility for their own personal and professional development; appreciate the complex systems involved in human occupation and health; and communicate, interact, and collaborate effectively with clients, families, professional colleagues, and the larger community.

Accreditation

Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences’ 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. AOTA’s phone number is 301-652-2682, and their website is acoteonline.org.

Graduates of the program 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). 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.

Students must complete Level II Fieldwork and doctoral capstone and practicum requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Institutional Accreditation: Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The University was most recently granted continuing accreditation in 2020.

Graduation Rates: The total number of graduates from the Boston University Occupational Therapy doctoral degree program in 2023 was 39, with an overall graduation rate of 96.3%.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate will:

• Achieve competence for entry-level occupational therapy practice by consistently providing client-centered, theory-driven, evidence- and occupation-based assessment, and intervention for all clients (individuals, groups, and populations).
• Demonstrate exemplary professionalism.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge in a selected area of focus (advanced clinical practice, research, program and policy development, advocacy, education).
• Be an agent of change in the delivery models and systems used in current and emerging occupational therapy practice areas.

Degree Requirements

The Boston University entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program prepares students to become occupational therapists who promote health, well-being, and participation in a global society. Our three-year, innovative hybrid program includes four on-campus terms, online courses during the summer months, six months of Level II fieldwork (LIIFW), and a 14-week doctoral practicum and capstone. The curriculum is designed to provide an outstanding education for students to work as occupational therapists in traditional settings, as well as in areas of newly identified need.

	Fall	Spring	Summer
OTD year 1	18 units on campus	18 units on campus	8 units online, 12 weeks
OTD year 2	16 units on campus	16 units on campus	8 units online, 12 weeks
OTD year 3	Level II Fieldwork	Level II Fieldwork & 2 units online, 7 weeks	6 units online, 14 weeks Doctoral Practicum and Capstone

Summary of Entry-Level OTD Requirements

The program is designed for full-time study. In the unusual event that a student is approved by faculty for a part-time or extended program due to extenuating circumstances, the student must complete at least one term of coursework on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 units).

• A minimum grade of C+ or a P on all competency exams in all professional courses (students may not repeat more than two courses, and no course may be repeated more than once)
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• A minimum of 92 graduate-level units from courses numbered 500 or above
• Successful completion of 24 weeks of supervised Level II Fieldwork (SAR OT 593/594) and 14 weeks of Doctoral Practicum and Capstone (SAR OT 949) within 24 months after finishing didactic work
• Completion of all requirements within five years of initial matriculation
• Demonstration of appropriate professional behaviors as described in the Occupational Therapy Student Manual

Doctoral Practicum and Capstone

During the practicum and capstone, students apply the knowledge and skills developed in courses and clinical fieldwork to the design and implementation of an applied and innovative response to an identified need in the field.

The doctoral practicum and capstone are designed to support advanced skills in the student’s selected area of interest. The experience is a 14-week, full-time, in-depth experience in the situation of practice in one or more of the following student-selected areas:

• Advanced clinical practice
• Research
• Policy and advocacy
• Education

Students will select a doctoral capstone area based on a match of interests with an appropriate faculty mentor’s expertise. Together, students and mentors will negotiate and formulate a specific topic and experience. The mentors serve as professional role models and guide students throughout the capstone experience.

Throughout the Boston University entry-level OTD curriculum, students will be completing competency tasks to prepare for the doctoral practicum and capstone. Each student will be mentored by a faculty mentor, a site mentor (mentor in the situation of practice), and a peer mentor. During the doctoral practicum, students meet online with their faculty mentor and small groups of students for support, problem-solving, and mentorship.

Curriculum

Students register for 18 on-campus units for the fall and spring terms of the first year of the program. Students register for 16 on-campus units for the fall and spring terms of the second year of the program. Students register for 8 online units for the first and second summer terms of the program. Level II Fieldwork (24 weeks full time) is completed from either September or October to March of the third year of the program. Following completion of Level II Fieldwork, students will complete a 14-week Doctoral Practicum in the situation of practice, along with 8 units of online mentored supervision. The sequence of courses for the OTD program is fixed. Professional courses are sequential and offered only once a year.

All courses are 4 units, unless otherwise indicated.

First Year, OTD-1

Fall Term

• SAR OT 500 Integrative Seminar I and LIFW (2 units)
• SAR OT 506 Therapeutic Use of Self (2 units)
• SAR OT 513 Analysis and Adaptation of Occupation
• SAR OT 520 Evidence-Based OT Practice I (2 units)
• SAR OT 526 Functional Movement: Analysis and Assessment
• SAR OT 529 Occupation Across the Life Course
• SAR OT 589 Orientation to Practice (0 units)

Spring Term

• SAR OT 501 Integrative Seminar II and LIFW (2 units)
• SAR OT 524 Introduction to the OT Process
• SAR OT 538 Assistive Technology (2 units)
• SAR OT 556 Neuroscience for Occupational Therapy
• SAR OT 562 Learning and Behavior Change
• SAR OT 620 Evidence-Based OT Practice II (2 units)

Summer Term

• SAR OT 940 Social, Economic, and Political Factors that Influence Occupational Performance
• SAR OT 942 Health and Wellness Promotion

Second Year, OTD-2

Fall Term

• SAR OT 502 Integrative Seminar III & LIFW
• SAR OT 563 Context and Occupational Performance (2 units)
• SAR OT 564 Skills for Occupation-Based Practice I
• SAR OT 568 Occupation-Based Practice for Individuals
• SAR OT 622 Evidence-Based OT Practice III (2 units)

Spring Term

• SAR OT 530 Occupation-Based Practice with Groups
• SAR OT 565 Skills for Occupation-Based Practice II
• SAR OT 586 Professional Service Management
• SAR OT 590 Fieldwork Seminar/Field Experience Fee (0 units)
• SAR OT 944 Needs Assessment and Program Development

Summer Term

• SAR OT 943 Professional Development Seminar
• SAR OT 945 Clinical Theory Development and Analysis

Third Year, OTD-3

Boston University students do not pay tuition for SAR OT 593/OT 594 Level II Fieldwork. The OT clinical affiliation fee is paid during the OTD-2 Spring Term (via registration of OT 590 Fieldwork Seminar/Field Experience Fee), equivalent to the cost of 2 units, and students maintain status at the University as full-time special students during internships.

Level II Fieldwork (LIIFW): No student may start LIIFW until all required professional courses have been completed with an acceptable grade (C), the minimum cumulative GPA (3.0+) is achieved, and professional behavior and technical standards are met. All students must complete LIIFW within 24 months of finishing their required professional coursework. Level I fieldwork is not substituted for any part of the Level II fieldwork.

Fall Term

• SAR OT 593 Level II Field Experience I (0 units)

Spring Term

• SAR OT 594 Level II Field Experience II (0 units)
• SAR OT 946 Preparation for Doctoral Capstone (2 units)

Summer Term

• SAR OT 949 Doctoral Practicum (0 units)
• SAR OT 947 Mentored Studies in Doctoral Capstone (4 units)
• SAR OT 948 Mentored Doctoral Capstone Dissemination (2 units)

Doctorate in Occupational Therapy awarded

The Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is awarded after completion of Level II Fieldwork and Doctoral Practicum and Capstone requirements and within five years from initial matriculation. A minimum total of 92 graduate-level units from courses numbered 500+ is required for the entry-level OTD degree.