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 sets JWU’s OTD program apart is its alliance with three key university specialties.
- Collaborating with JWU’s world-renowned College of Culinary Arts, you’ll study the impact of culture, food and cooking in contributing to the health, wellness and care of individuals, communities and populations you’ll serve.
- Discover the benefits of equine activities firsthand with faculty and students at JWU’s Equine Center.
- Work with JWU’s College of Engineering & Design’s integrated product design faculty and students to identify how products can be redesigned to serve people with disabilities or challenges.
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.
Catalog & Course Listing
Explore the full catalog course listing:
Explore curriculum, course descriptions and course credits:
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.
