Occupational Therapy (O.T.D)
WHY GET YOUR CLINICAL DOCTORAL DEGREE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
An entry level doctoral degree in occupational therapy will prepare students to enter the profession with strong foundational skills in occupational therapy assessment and intervention, advanced training in clinical skills, leadership, clinical research, and program development. Throughout the doctoral program, students will be challenged to learn and apply occupational therapy principles to traditional and emerging areas of practice, in hospital and community-based settings and for individual clients and population groups. Graduates gain valuable skills to become leaders in their field, advance in their careers, and position themselves as agents of change to influence policy and practice.
WHY CHOOSE UNH’S OTD PROGRAM?
UNH's OTD program is designed for students who are on an accelerated trajectory for advanced practice. The OTD program can be completed in three years (nine semesters and one January term) for students who enter with a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Students in the UNH BS/OTD program enter the OTD program with advanced standing to complete both degrees in six years (14 semesters and one January term). Our courses will be offered using a mix of face-to-face, hybrid and online delivery methods to maximize and enhance learning. Students will be mentored one-on-one by faculty who have expertise in clinical and evidence-based practice. Students tailor their educational experience to match their career goals within practice areas such as school-based practice, mental health, geriatric practice or musculoskeletal disorders.
POTENTIAL CAREER AREAS
- Administration
- Early intervention programs
- Hospitals
- In-patient rehabilitation centers
- Mental health and substance abuse programs
- Primary care settings
- School settings
- Skilled nursing facilities
- OT clinical researcher
- OT educator
Curriculum & Requirements
An entry level doctoral degree in occupational therapy will prepare students to enter the profession with strong foundational skills in occupational therapy assessment and intervention, advanced training in clinical skills, leadership and advocacy, clinical research, and program development. Throughout the doctoral program, students will be challenged to learn and apply occupational therapy principles to traditional and emerging areas of practice, in hospital and community-based settings and for individual clients and population groups. Graduates gain valuable skills to become leaders in their field, advance in their careers, and position themselves as agents of change to influence policy and practice.
Students entering the OTD Program complete 3 years (9 semesters) of professional courses to prepare them for all areas of occupational therapy practice. The curriculum includes 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork experiences. Students may choose to complete a graduate certificate to focus their preparation for a specific area of practice. OTD students conclude their education with a 14-week doctoral capstone where they apply and expand their knowledge and take on leadership roles to develop a new program addressing specific client needs, conduct research, promote policy changes, or provide education.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 810 | OT Practice and Professional Roles | 3 |
| OT 815 | Introduction to Group Process: Theory and Application | 2 |
| OT 830 & 830L | Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance and Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance Lab | 4 |
| OT 841 | Human Occupation | 4 |
| OT 844 | Fieldwork and Professionalism - Level 1 | 1 |
| OT 845 | Administration and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice | 3 |
| OT 846 | Fieldwork and Professionalism-Level II | 1 |
| OT #851 | Mind Body Systems/Neurologically-based Function and Dysfunction | 3 |
| OT 850 | Neuro-Occupation: The Relationship Between Occupation and the Brain | 3 |
| OT 852 & 852L | Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations and Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations Lab | 4 |
| OT 854 | Level II Fieldwork, I | 8 |
| OT 855 | Level II Fieldwork Discussion | 1 |
| OT 856 | Level II Fieldwork, II | 8 |
| OT 860 & 860L & 860R | Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention and Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention Lab and Psychosocial Evaluation & Intervention Recitation | 4 |
| OT 862 & 862L & 862R | OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children and OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children - Lab and OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children Recitation | 4 |
| OT 863 & 863L & 863R | Occupational Therapy Intervention for Adults and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults - Lab and Adult Evaluation and Intervention Recitation | 4 |
| OT 865 | Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning | 3 |
| OT 871 & 871L | Enabling Participation in Community Groups and Enabling Participation in Community Groups Lab | 5 |
| OT 881 | Introduction to Research and Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| OT 882 | Research Methods and Application | 3 |
| OT 892 | Level I Fieldwork | 1 |
| OT 964 | Age Well: Occupational Therapy with Older Adults | 3 |
| OT 998 | Recent Advances in Neurological Evaluation and Intervention | 3 |
| OT 983 | Engagement in Research | 3 |
| OT 965 | Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning | 3 |
| OT 975 | Leadership in OT Systems of Practice | 3 |
| OT 901 | Introduction to Capstone | 2 |
| OT 902 | Capstone Preparation | 3 |
| OT 903 | Capstone: Project Implementation, Evaluation and Dissemination | 12 |
| Elective or Graduate Certificate Course | 3-4 | |
Occupational Therapy OTD Entry-level Program Student Outcomes at the completion of the professional entry-level OTD Program, our graduates will:
Demonstrate commitment and ability to use meaningful occupation for promoting health and well-being.
- Our curriculum emphasizes the idea that engagement in everyday occupations will lead to fulfillment of life roles and the promotion of health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations. Our graduates are ready and dedicated to apply occupation-based evaluation and intervention techniques, and to share and expand authentic occupational therapy practice.
Demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors in their interactions with clients and others.
- Our graduates will be dedicated to ethical, client-driven practice demonstrating cultural sensitivity, integrity, honesty, compassion, and fairness. They will demonstrate respect for all persons with whom they work, appreciating and considering individual identities, priorities, abilities, and life experiences. They will be able to collaborate in intraprofessional and interdisciplinary teams within various settings, understanding the roles and expertise of other occupational therapists and other professionals.
Demonstrate entry-level competencies as OT practitioners across diverse practice settings, skilled in the delivery evidence-based, occupation–centered evaluation and intervention techniques.
- Our graduates develop critical thinking skills and the capacity for creative clinical reasoning for providing client-centered, occupation-centered services. Graduates will apply a variety of evaluation methods for understanding a person’s occupational history, abilities, challenges and goals. They will apply occupation-centered intervention approaches and innovative technologies to address the needs of individuals and populations in traditional and emerging medical, educational, and other community-based practice settings.
Demonstrate skills for translating research-to-practice and generating new knowledge grounded in occupational therapy practice.
- Our graduates will be skilled in identifying, critiquing, and synthesizing relevant research for delivering evidence-based services. Graduates will demonstrate capacity to translate research evidence to influence practice. They will have skills for contributing to the body of knowledge that supports and advances the profession.
Demonstrate skills to become leaders and innovators as practitioners, researchers, advocates, educators, administrators, policy-makers, and entrepreneurs.
- Our graduates will apply leadership knowledge and skills, ethical reasoning, knowledge of policy and systems to be agents of change in diverse settings. Our graduates will be life-long learners and innovative thinkers committed to ongoing professional development. Our graduates will support and promote occupational justice for individuals, communities, and populations.
Deadlines
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: N/A
- Spring: N/A
- Summer: January 15
- Special: N/A
Application fee: $65
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: No
Accelerated Masters Eligible: No
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester and UNH Non-Degree work.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must request one official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. International transcripts must be translated into English. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts are required for any school you earned a degree from, attended for at least one year, or attended for 2 or more semesters. Exceptions to this rule may be approved at the discretion of the program you are applying to and the UNH Graduate School Admission’s office.
Letters of recommendation: 3 required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
Brief essay, stating interest in continuing into the graduate program to enter the profession.
Resume
A current resume is required with your submitted application.
Additional Department Requirements
Prerequisite Course Verification Form (required): The regular program requires that all applicants print and complete the OT Prerequisite Course Verification Form. All prerequisites must be completed at the time of application. Please email the form to the UNH Graduate School. If you have questions about using the form, please contact the OT program. Those applying to the Advanced Standing program, or current and recently graduated UNH B.S. in Occupational Therapy students, do not have to submit the prerequisite verification form.
Students who are currently in the UNH BS Occupational Therapy Program and applying to the Occupational Therapy Advanced Standing OTD Program should talk with their academic advisor in the Occupational Therapy Department regarding any questions on the application process.
The Occupational Therapy Department at UNH has applied for accreditation for an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program 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-AOTAand 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). The UNH Program is scheduled for on-site evaluation in the fall of 2025, prior to a May 2026 graduation.
Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within two years of completing professional program academic coursework. They must also complete an individual 14-week doctoral capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of all required coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory capstone activities.
After completing all program requirements, students are 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 the NBCOT 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.
The UNH Occupational Therapy Department will accept applications from interested students with a baccalaureate degree for entry into the OTD Program in the Fall 2022 to begin courses in the Summer 2023.
UNH students enrolled in the BS/OTD Program will begin taking professional level courses as part of their BS degree and enter the OTD Program with advanced standing in Summer of 2024.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program specific application questions.
International Applicants
Some academic departments recommend that international applicants, living outside of the United States, and planning on pursuing a research based degree, submit a preapplication form before submitting a full application. If your desired program is not on the form, departments prefer a full application be submitted. Preapplication requests will be carefully reviewed and a decision usually provided within 3 weeks. If your preapplication is approved then it is recommended you then submit a full application. If you are currently living in the United States (on a H1B visa, etc.), or you plan on pursuing a professional master’s degree, then you do not need to submit a preapplication.
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.