Curriculum

YEAR ONE 

Credits  

Term 1 (8 weeks) 

OT 8110 Emerging Roles of Occupational Therapy

3

OT 8140 Theories and Models of Practice

2

OT 8120 Applied Anatomy and Kinesiology

3

OT 8130 Global Human Development and Occupation

2

Term 2 (8 weeks) 

OT 8210 Health and Wellbeing

3

OT 8170 The Occupational Therapy Process 

2

OT 8160 Applied Neuroanatomy

3

OT 8510 Scholarly Practice I

2

Term 3 (8 weeks) 

OT 8640 Professional Leadership and Advocacy

2

OT 8240 Rehabilitation Foundations

4

OT 8220 Fundamental Occupation Supports

3

OT 8520 Scholarly Practice II

2

Term 4 (8 weeks) 

OT 8410 Level I Fieldwork A: Physical Rehabilitation

1

OT 8310 Advanced Rehabilitation

4

OT 8230 Neurorehabilitation and Cognition

3

OT 8610 Population Health

2

Term 5 (8 weeks) 

OT 8420 Level I Fieldwork B: Children and Youth

1

OT 8320 Occupational Therapy for Children and Youth

4

OT 8250 Assitive and Complex Rehab Technology

2

OT 8620 Health Management and the Aging Community

3

Term 6 (8 weeks) 

OT 8430 Level I Fieldwork C: Psychosocial and Community Practice

1

OT 8330 Psychosocial and Community Practice

4

OT 8630 Collaborative Care in Complex Systems

3

OT 8810 Doctoral Capstone Mentorship I

3

Total Credits Year 1 

62

YEAR TWO 

Credits 

Term 7 (16 weeks) 

OT 8710 Level II Fieldwork A 

12

OT 8820 Doctoral Mentorship II 

1

Term 8 (16 weeks) 

OT 8720 Level II Fieldwork B 

12

OT 8830 Doctoral Mentorship III 

1

Term 9 (16 weeks) 

OT 8910 Doctoral Capstone Experience 

14

OT 8920 Doctoral Capstone Project 

2

OT 8650 Professional Competencies

1

Total Credits Year 2 

43

Total Program Credits 

105

Term 1 

Emerging Roles of Occupational Therapy - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course provides an understanding of the historical foundations, philosophical base, core values, and code of ethics of the profession past to present. Occupational Therapy as an evolving practice is defined with a comparison of local and global philosophies and roles. An introduction to Doctoral Capstone work is included.

Theories and Models of Practice - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This identifies the primary theories, models of practice, and frames of reference that shape the occupational therapy process in relation to engagement in occupation.

Applied anatomy and kinesiology - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course provides students with fundamental knowledge of client body structures and functions related to the human musculoskeletal anatomy with an emphasis on its association with occupational performance.   

Global human development and occupation - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This course examines occupational performance across the globe and across the lifespan by exploring physical, social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development along with environmental and contextual factors influencing performance.   

Term 2 

Health and Wellbeing - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course focuses on student wellbeing and applying theoretical and practical constructs of health and wellbeing in populations across the globe and the lifespan. Course content examines the dimensions of wellness as it relates to occupational therapy practice. There is an emphasis on integrating and promoting social participation, occupational justice, and healthy communities with respect for cross-cultural issues and concerns. 

The occupational therapy process - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This course examines the OT process with an emphasis on introductory professional reasoning. The contextual and cultural relevance and impacts of OT practice across a wide range of practice settings, consumer needs, roles, task demands, and resources will be explored.

Applied neuroanatomy - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course defines neuroanatomy client body structures and mental functions that support occupation performance skills.  Contemporary theoretical explanations of occupational choices using neuroscience as a context are explored with emphasis on sensory, perception, motor, and cognitive processes.

Scholarly Practice I - Credit Hours: 2 (1-1-0) 

This course provides an understanding of general research principles and evidence-informed practice. The student becomes oriented to the steps required to develop a research proposal, conduct a research study, and disseminate research results. Outcomes include the ability to express evidence-based practice questions, explore methods of obtaining peer-reviewed research to address those questions and develops competence in the fundamentals of conducting and completing a basic literature review.

Term 3 

Professional Leadership and Advocacy - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This course analyzes the principles of leadership and advocacy essential for individual and professional growth. Students will synthesize leadership attributes and methods of advocacy that promote the role of occupational therapy in addressing societal needs and integrate these ideas into Capstone project considerations.

Rehabilitation foundations - Credit Hours: 4 (3-1-0) 

This musculoskeletal and neuromuscular rehabilitation course analyzes the etiology, typical symptoms, treatment, and interventions of various conditions commonly treated in occupational therapy settings. Students will distinguish how occupation-based assessments and interventions are influenced and supported by common theories, models of practice and frames of reference common to rehabilitation. Physical agent modalities, prosthetic management, and orthosis fabrication within the context of occupational therapy practice are introduced.

FUNDAMENTAL OCCUPATION SUPPORTS - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course explains fundamental therapeutic techniques used to enhance patient engagement in required, expected and desired occupations. Occupational justice will be addressed through environmental adaptations, adaptive supports, and ergonomic principles for patient care including transfer training, functional mobility, use of adaptive equipment and safety considerations are practiced and analyzed.

Scholarly practice II - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This course links an in-depth examination of research with its relationship to multiple areas of OT practice and practice assumptions. The student acquires an in-depth understanding of theory-based research by selecting appropriate research designs and methodology, as well as a variety of approaches to implementing research plans and analyzing data.  Both qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research studies will be evaluated.  Emphasis will be on planning, developing, and conducting a stakeholder needs assessment and the skills necessary to effectively report research information.  

Term 4 

Level I fieldwork a: physical rehabilitation - Credit Hours: 1 (.5-.5-0) 

Experiential learning begins in Level I Fieldwork to allow students the opportunity to develop meaningful connections between didactic work and the occupational needs of others. This course emphasizes the development of clinical reasoning, therapeutic use of self, and the occupational process, with an emphasis on developing professional behaviors, values, and socialization skills. This course Includes service delivery models for adult populations in various settings.

Advanced rehabilitation Credit Hours: 4 (3-1-0) 

This course analyzes and evaluates occupation-based theories and evidence-based approaches for the care of adults with complex health conditions and neurological injuries. Students will practice creating and leading evaluations and intervention plans for a variety of simulated client cases.

Neurorehabilitation and cognition - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course reviews specialty issues and interventions to support the occupational needs of neurologically impaired clients.  Students will deconstruct the foundations of cognition and reflect on supports for occupational justice impacted by neurologic injury including communication, feeding, executive functions, vision and visuo-spatial perception.

population health - Credit Hours: 2 (2-0-0) 

This course evaluates social determinants of health, community and population metrics and outcomes measures, and intervention approaches for culturally diverse and marginalized populations. Stakeholders including healthcare delivery systems, public health agencies, community-based organizations, and other entities that impact health outcomes will be examined.

Term 5 

Level I Fieldwork B: Children and Youth - Credit Hours: 1 (.5-.5-0) 

Experiential learning continues in Level I Fieldwork B with an emphasis on the further development of clinical reasoning, socialization skills, and professional behavior and attitudes. Simulation and faculty-led experiences promote an organized approach to the implementation of the occupational therapy process including evaluation, intervention, and targeting of outcomes. This fieldwork experience includes service delivery models for children and youth populations in various settings.

Occupational therapy for children and youth - Credit Hours: 4 (3-1-0) 

This course evaluates Occupational Therapy theory, evaluation and intervention for infants, children, and adolescents in a variety of cultural and contextual settings.  Students review and synthesize pediatric occupations, occupational performance areas, and the selection of appropriate evidenced informed interventions related to the context and environment. Client factors impacting occupational justice including physical, developmental, sensory-cognitive, and psychosocial limitations will be addressed.

Assistive and complex rehab technology - Credit Hours: 2 (1.5-.5-0) 

This course reviews and analyzes a variety of technological supports from low to complex to address specific occupational needs.  Students will evaluate, design, adapt, modify, and monitor assistive technologies to support client needs.

Health management and the aging community - Credit Hours: 3 (3-0-0) 

This course evaluates critical needs for the aging population.  Both productive promotion for successful aging and disruptive debilitating aging issues impacting occupation are addressed along with the role of the practicing occupational therapy doctoral student as a program developer and evaluator to support population needs. Students develop advanced knowledge and skill in implementing the processes of program design and evaluation, methods for professional presentations, grant procurement, and interprofessional teaching.

Term 6 

Level I fieldwork c: psychosocial and community practice - Credit Hours: 1 (.5-.5-0) 

Level I Fieldwork progresses with experiential learning through continued development of clinical reasoning, therapeutic use of self, and the occupational therapy process while continuing to focus on professional behaviors, values, and socialization skills. This fieldwork experience includes service delivery models for psychosocial and community populations in various settings.

Psychosocial and community practice - Credit Hours: 4 (3-1-0) 

This course evaluates the historical and current models of practice for the application of occupational therapy to address psychosocial and community-related barriers to health and wellbeing. Students will be introduced to reflective video analysis and faculty-led experiences that facilitate evidence-informed best practices of occupational therapists in psychosocial and community settings. Group process and group dynamics are core components of the course activities.

collaborative care in complex systems - Credit Hours: 3 (2-1-0) 

This course assesses principles of health care systems. The student learns to integrate knowledge of delivery models, policies, and systems related to various current practices.  Grand Rounds presentations include presenting complex client cases spanning the spectrum of OT practice and include integration of research, theory, appropriate models of practice, evaluation, and intervention planning.

Doctoral capstone mentorship I - Credit Hours: 3 (3-0-0) 

This course is designed to assist the student in developing a scholarly doctoral capstone project plan. The doctoral capstone project development is facilitated by utilizing a thorough literature review and a needs assessment of the topic.  

Term 7 

Level II Fieldwork A - Credit Hours: 12 (0-0-12) 

Experiential learning is further advanced with an immersive Level II Fieldwork. The course is designed for the OTD student to develop entry-level practitioner skills through the application of theory and techniques learned throughout the didactic portion of the curriculum.

Doctoral Mentorship Ii - Credit Hours: 1 (1-0-0) 

This course will support the doctoral student in the identification and creation of their capstone project individualized specific objectives and plans for supervision.

Term 8 

Level II Fieldwork B - Credit Hours: 12 (0-0-12) 

Level II Fieldwork B is the student’s final experiential learning placement. The course is designed for the OTD student to develop entry-level practitioner skills through the application of theory and techniques learned throughout the didactic portion of the curriculum.

Doctoral Mentorship III - Credit Hours: 1 (1-0-0) 

This course will support the doctoral student in the identification and creation of their capstone project plan for supervision and Capstone Project design to realize the course objectives and successfully complete their Capstone Project and Capstone Experience.  Students will complete a memorandum of understanding for the doctoral capstone experience that includes the developed individualized specific objectives, plans for supervision or mentoring, and responsibilities of all parties.

Term 9 

Doctoral Capstone Experience - Credit Hours: 14 (0-0-14) 

This course is designed to facilitate an in-depth experience in one of the following areas of practice: legislation and policy, clinical practice, advocacy, research, administration, academics, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, theory development, and/or emerging practice areas. The synthesis of all course material and professional knowledge mentored by a subject matter expert in the students selected area will be the emphasis. This experiential placement is consistent with the interest of the student, under the guidance of an external mentor and faculty advisor. The experience creates and enhances the student’s professional skills and abilities allowing them to acquire advance knowledge in the chosen area.

Doctoral Capstone Project - Credit Hours: 2 (1.5-.5-0) 

This course is designed to assist the student in the capstone project outcomes and evaluation results. The culmination of this course is the dissemination of the project by a professional presentation.

Professional Competencies - Credit Hours: 1 (.5-.5-0) 

This course is an application of program learning in preparation for the OTD competency requirement and National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). The course will utilize critical analyses of professional entry competencies for the occupational therapist including certification, licensure, and professional development responsibilities. A programmatic review and professional self-assessment are conducted. The course includes an integration of Level II Fieldwork experiences and doctoral mentorship coursework.