Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Curriculum and Milestones

*In-person experience/hybrid course

**Full-time clinical experience

Graduates will be able to: 

• Integrate foundational occupational therapy knowledge and skills across the lifespan and a variety of practice settings to promote the highest quality of life
• Contribute to the advancement of scholarship in the field of occupational therapy
• Utilize interprofessional collaboration to facilitate best practices in providing client-centered occupational therapy services
• Advocate for social justice, inclusivity, and whole person care within health care
• Cultivate a high level of professionalism through culturally responsive communication
• Utilize leadership skills to manage occupational therapy clinical or academic programs effectively, advocate for the profession, and lead initiatives for policy change

Clinical Experiences

The Occupational Therapy (OT) program at University of Western States incorporates a rigorous fieldwork component, comprised of three Level I and two Level II placements. These placements are crucial to the development of clinical skills and professional identity.  

• Level I placements, typically 25 to 30 hours each, are designed to introduce students to diverse OT practice areas. These placements may occur in simulated or community-based settings. In simulated settings, faculty members supervise students and provide feedback on their performance. In community-based settings, experienced OT practitioners oversee students’ learning experiences.  

• Level II placements, spanning 12 weeks or 480 hours each, offer students a more in-depth, immersive experience. These placements are typically in adult rehabilitation, pediatric, mental health, or nontraditional community settings. Students receive direct supervision from experienced OT practitioners, gradually transitioning toward independent practice as they gain competency.  

The fieldwork component is integrated throughout the program. Level I placements occur in the first year, while Level II placements take place in the second year. Students are required to complete a total of 23 credits for fieldwork, including three credits for Level I and 20 credits for Level II placements.  

Capstone 

The 14-week capstone is a student-driven process in which students develop a project based on their chosen interests. The primary goals of the capstone include fostering expertise in their selected area and delivering a doctoral-quality product to a community site. Projects typically focus on clinical practice skills, program development, research, advocacy, leadership and administration, policy, or education. Students begin formulating their capstone idea about halfway through the program and complete the on-site phase during their final semester.

The curricular sequence begins with foundational courses (5100, 5200, 5300, 6100, and 6200) that must all be completed before completing the advanced courses (6300). Advanced courses integrate information from the foundational coursework and emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving. The OTD 7000+ courses (Level II Fieldwork, Transition to Practice, and Capstone) can only be taken after completion of all 6300 courses, and they must be taken in sequence. The OTD degree is conferred upon an individual who has fulfilled the following requirements:  

• Successful completion of all required coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Grade of pass for pass/fail courses and grade of B or higher in all graded courses
• Successful completion of 24 full-time weeks of fieldwork with satisfactory scores
• Successful completion of 14 weeks (minimum) of the Doctoral Capstone Project
• Successful completion of Post-Capstone Project Analysis and Presentation
• Completion of Certification Practice Exam and OTD Program Assessment Surveys

The OTD program must be completed within six academic years of the date the student started it. This includes temporary withdrawals and any other period of non-enrollment. 

Graduates of the University of Western States’ OTD program 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 graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.