Program Overview
Occupational therapy is in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27% job growth through 2024, with a doctorate required for entry-level employment by 2027.
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.
Our program’s holistic approach addresses the vital importance of people’s physical, psychological and emotional needs. A distinguishing feature is our direct collaboration with JWU’s world-renowned College of Culinary Arts, where you’ll focus on the impact of culture, food and cooking in contributing to the health, wellness and care of individuals, communities and populations you’ll serve. 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 in our new occupations lab in JWU’s Academic Center. The lab features
- a modified home setup of a living room, kitchen and bathroom
- a driving simulator
- high-tech visual assessment and training equipment
- a vestibular testing device for balance assessment
- a 3-D printer for the production of splints and adapted equipment
- a hospital bed area for practice interactions with an artificial intelligence patient
OTD students can also access JWU’s physician assistant program cadaver lab.
You’ll learn to service 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, aging, physical disabilities and pediatrics.
Through mentorship with our experienced faculty, you’ll set personal goals that influence your professional growth and complete a culminating project ready for publication, presentation and implementation by the time you graduate.
In JWU’s program, you will gain the practical and research skills needed to become a highly competent clinical practitioner.
Catalog & Course Listing
Explore the full catalog course listing:
Explore curriculum, course descriptions and course credits:
Accreditation
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 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org.
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.
