The Occupational Therapy department offers a 6-year combined Doctor of Occupational Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (OTD/PhD) Program for students with exceptional academic promise and strong motivation for a career in research.

This program builds on the professional education in the Entry-Level OTD program, providing students PhD training to pursue a research and academic career. Developed in response to the profession’s need for research-trained scholars, the dual degree option provides a streamlined mechanism for earning both the OTD and the research-based PhD degree while capitalizing on the strengths of BU’s OT research faculty.

A Leader in Research Education

For more than two decades, the research doctoral program in Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University has been a national leader in research education for rehabilitation professionals, particularly occupational therapists. Our dual degree OTD/PhD students are mentored by exceptional research faculty who have significantly impacted occupational therapy practice and research—nationally and internationally.

Because the curriculum allows students to complete some PhD requirements while enrolled in the OTD portion of the program, both degrees can be completed in six years. Completing the degrees separately would typically take a minimum of seven years.