Department of Occupational Therapy Website
http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/alliedhealth/ot
Go to the programs drop down menu- choose Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Occupational Therapy is a healthcare profession devoted to providing skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all aspects of their lives. Occupational therapists work with persons with acute and chronic physical, psychosocial, mental, and developmental disabilities. An occupational therapist may aid in the growth and development of premature babies; create a learning environment for physically and mentally challenged children; adapt home environments for persons with stroke, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and other disabilities; or create activities that are designed to restore mental health for persons with emotional, mental, or substance abuse problems. Occupational therapy focuses on "skills for the job of living" which includes all of the necessary skills for individuals to "live life to its fullest" and lead independent and satisfying lives.
The Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) is an entry-level professional program designed to enable the student to develop advanced critical reasoning skills and to prepare the graduate for professional practice in a variety of settings. Graduates will also have the capability of assuming responsibilities in the areas of administration, program development, consultation, advocacy, and research in occupational therapy.
The program consists of 114 semester hours and is eight consecutive semesters in length. Courses include a variety of topics and include lectures, hands-on labs with experiential learning, simulation online, and simulation live with standardized patients in our state of the art USA Simulation building. Most courses in the program are web-blended allowing for a combination of in-seat and online learning. Fully online courses are embedded during the last year while students are out at clinical and DEC sites
Level I Fieldwork
Students will complete level I fieldwork at various clinical and community sites while taking related coursework. These experiences will enhance student knowledge and understanding of OT practice. Each student will complete three level I fieldwork experiences allowing them to explore a variety of sites and populations. Students must meet the site-specific requirements to be accepted at that site. Level I fieldwork performance is graded by the onsite supervisor and students must pass these experiences to progress in the coursework.
Level II Fieldwork
After completion of all required OT coursework with adequate grades from the first five semesters, students will progress to level II fieldwork. This includes 24 weeks of full-time Level II Fieldwork as required by accreditation standards. OTD students will complete two Level II rotations, 12 weeks each. Level II Fieldwork is available in a variety of medical and community sites representing a diverse range of learning opportunities for students. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 12 months following completion of academic requirements. Students must meet the specific site requirements (immunizations, background checks, drug screens, prior training, etc...) for each clinical fieldwork site to be eligible to attend these sites. Student performance is graded by the onsite supervisor and students must demonstrate adequate performance in a variety of OT skills to pass each rotation. Students must pass both Level II fieldwork rotations to be eligible to progress to the Doctoral Capstone Experience (DEC )component of the curriculum.
Doctoral Capstone Experience (DEC)
The DEC is an integral part of our OT curriculum. The goal is to provide in-depth exposure to one or more of the following- clinical practice research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. It consists of two parts the capstone project and the capstone experience. The DEC includes a student-centered project designed through collaboration with faculty and the DEC setting. Each student will complete an individual capstone project to demonstrate the synthesis and application of newly gained knowledge based on the individualized specific objectives and aligns with our OTD mission and curriculum and also aligns with the needs of the onsite partner. Each student will complete a 14-week capstone experience with a partner agency which must be started after completion of all coursework, Level I and Level II fieldwork, and completion of preparatory activities. The Capstone must be completed within 12 months following completion of all academic requirements and Level II fieldwork.
Accreditation
The University of South Alabama entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree 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).
ACOTE Contact Information
Address:
7501 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone:
(301) 652-AOTA
Website:
www.acoteonline.org
Current Status: Candidacy Granted
This new OTD program must have a pre-accreditation 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.
OTD students must successfully complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork, as well as, the individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all required coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in the 2023 OTD Standard D.1.3.
ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students graduating from an ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage.
The University of South Alabama Occupational Therapy Program is Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
Degree Requirements
The requirements for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Degree include all of the following:
1- Students must pass with grade C or better each course within the OTD program
** Note the number of C grades allowed is very limited
2- Students must complete all 114 graduate credit hours with appropriate grades to meet graduate school and OT department requirements
3- Students must perform well on level II fieldwork and receive passing grades on the student evaluations for two different rotations
4- Students must perform well and complete all aspects of the doctoral experience and the doctoral project to earn passing grades on these courses as well
**The grading system for graduate-level includes "A", "B", "C", and "F". A minimum overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 must be maintained throughout the program. A maximum of eight-semester credits OR two-course grades with the grade of "C" may be counted toward the OTD clinical degree program. Students who earn more than 8 credit hours of C grade or final C grade in more than 2 courses will be dismissed from the program. Students may, with the approval of the departmental faculty, repeat a course in which a "C" has been earned. Any grade lower than a "C" in any course will result in academic dismissal from the program.
Students may appeal dismissal in accordance with the CAHP Appeals Process for Academic Dismissal, but reinstatement is not automatically granted and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Graduation Plan- 114 credit hours, two level II fieldwork rotations, DEC
Year One Fall
*OTD 611 Occ in Context 3 cr
*OTD 612 Occ Development 4 cr
*OTD 613 OT Foundations 3 cr
OTD 614 NMS Assessment 1 cr
OTD 615 NMS Exp Learning 2 cr
*OTD 616 Applied Neuro 3 cr
OTD 617 Prof Dev Sem I 1 cr
Total = 17 credits
Year One Spring
*OTD 621 OT Adults ADL- 2 cr
OTD 622 Adult Exp Learning 2 cr
*OTD 623 OT Psych/Cog 3 cr
*OTD 624 OT Peds ADL/IADL 2 cr
OTD 625 Peds Exp Learning 2 cr
*OTD 626 Scientific Inq. I 2 cr
*OTD 627 Research Design 1 cr
*OTD 628 OT Evaluation 3 cr
Total= 17 credits
Year One Summer
OTD 630-FW I Psy/MH (Clinical) 1 cr
*OTD 631 OT Young Child 3 cr
*OTD 632 Documentation 3 cr
*OTD 690 or AHP 510- Elective 1 cr
*OTD 634 Low Vision 2 cr
*OTD 635 Technology 3 cr
*OTD 681 Capstone Dev I 2 cr
Total= 15 credits
Year Two Fall
OTD 640-FW I Phys Dys (Clinical) 1 cr
*OTD 641 Sci Inquiry II 2 cr
*OTD 642 Research Imp. 1 cr
*OTD 643 School-Based OT 3 cr
*OTD 644 OT UE Inj/Work 2 cr
OTD 645 OT UE Exp Learning 2 cr
*OTD 646 OT Older Adults 2 cr
OTD 647 Older Adult Exp 2 cr
*OTD 648 IPP & Coll 1 cr
*OTD 682 Capstone Dev II 1 cr
*OTD 683 Doc Project/Res I 1 cr
Total= 18 credits
Year Two Spring
OTD 650 FW I – General (Clinical) 1 cr
OTD 651 Prof Dev Seminar II 1 cr
*OTD 652 Management & Sup 3 cr
*OTD 653 OT Child/Adol. 2 cr
*OTD 654 OT Acute Care 2 cr
*OTD 655 OT and Wellness 3 cr
*OTD 656 Adv Prof Writing 2 cr
*OTD 657 Research Analysis 1 cr
OTD 658 Intervention Comps 2 cr
OTD 684 Capstone Dev. III 1 cr
*OTD 685 Doc Project/ Res II 1 cr
Total= 19 credits
Year Two Summer
OTD 660 FW II (A) (12-week clinical rotation) 6 cr
OTD 661 OT Clinical Practice (online) 2 cr
OTD 686 Capstone Dev IV (online) 1 cr
Total= 9 credits
Year Three Fall
OTD 670 FW II (B)- (12- week clinical rotation) 6 cr
OTD 671 Clinical Practice II (online) 2 cr
OTD 687 Doc Project III (online) 1 cr
Total= 9 credits
Year Three Spring
OTD 680 DEC Experience (14-week capstone rotation) 8 cr
*OTD 688 Research Project Dissemination 2 cr
Total= 10 credits
* means web-blended course
Total Overall= 114 credits
