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Occupational Therapy Doctorate (Entry-level OTD)

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Program Overview

Occupational therapy is in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 18% job growth through 2028.

Be at the forefront of this rewarding and rapidly evolving field through JWU’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), a pathway for bachelor’s degree recipients.

YEAR-ROUND
FULL TIME FOR 36 MONTHS
COHORT MODEL
JUNE START

Our program’s holistic approach addresses the vital importance of acknowledging people’s physical, psychological and emotional needs.

Learn how to assist and inspire people to maximize their health, well-being and quality of life while increasing their independence, self-confidence and self-worth. Devise adaptive ways for clients to connect with their environment and complete the work, recreational and self-care tasks they need to succeed through our new Occupations Lab and Action Lab.

What is unique about JWU’s entry-level OTD program? 

  • A focus on examining the needs of individuals and populations within the community and emphasizes its valuable connections with the Physician Assistant, Culinary, Equine, Design and Engineering programs to best serve societal needs in an interprofessional manner.
  • Level I Fieldwork and lab experiences directly in the community and within emerging practice areas.
  • Experienced and nationally recognized faculty teaching in a state-of-the-art facility that creates a stimulating environment for student learning.
  • Coursework and Doctoral Capstone components which are integrated into a curriculum that’s focused on interprofessional aspects of occupational therapy that bring the student outside the realm of healthcare and into a community rich with opportunity.
  • Our Fieldwork program matches students with a variety of placements both within RI and throughout the nation. Each student is assessed individually and placed based on strengths, interests, and geographical choice. Fieldwork sites are NOT selected with a lottery system and students should expect to be placed in at least one setting of their choice.

You’ll learn to serve individuals, groups, communities and populations, while also developing programs that offer a preventative focus and influence a broader scope of the population. Then apply and practice what you learned in class through course fieldwork in mental health, adults, older adults, and pediatrics.

Through mentorship with our experienced faculty, you’ll set personal goals that influence your professional growth and complete a capstone project ready for presentation and implementation by the time you graduate.

In JWU’s OTD, you’ll gain the practical and research skills needed to become a highly competent occupational therapy practitioner.

Students learning culinary skills from students in JWU’s culinary program

News & Faculty Publications

Catalog & Course Listing

Explore the full catalog course listing:

JWU Catalog: OTD

Explore curriculum, course descriptions and course credits:

JWU Catalog: OTD Courses

Accreditation & Outcomes

The Johnson & Wales University Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA.

The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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). In addition, 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.

JWU’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program will make available the number of graduates and graduation rates for the program after the inaugural class graduates in May 2022. Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam will also be available online here.

Individual states may require specific licensing or professional certification in addition to earning a degree in order to practice in the field. For more information, please visit the Licensure & Professional Certification Disclosures page of the catalog.

An entry-level doctorate allows you to enter the field with the most complete preparation possible. You will have graduate level courses in areas such as healthcare policy, leadership and advocacy, and assistive technology. NANCY DOOLEY, PH.D., OTR/L, CDP

Program Director

The combination of leadership and research you can achieve with an OTD — along with the practical principles we provide in the classroom + through fieldwork — will help our students become guiding forces for the future of OT. REBECCA L. SIMON, ED.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator