Entry-Level Occupational Therapy OTD

Degree: Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
https://www.towson.edu/chp/departments/occutherapy/programs/elotd/

Program Director: Sonia Lawson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Phone: 410-704-2313
Email: slawson@towson.edu

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the 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 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. 

Admission Requirements

Application deadlines and a full listing of materials required for admission can be found on the website.

The Entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Program consists of 97 units and is designed for those students without a degree in occupational therapy. It requires 36 months (including breaks) completed over three years and includes a capstone research project and fieldwork experiences.

Prerequisites for Admission

Complete 8 prerequisite courses prior to entering the Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate. Five of the eight prerequisites must be completed at the time of application. One must be either Anatomy and Physiology I or Anatomy and Physiology II. Any outstanding prerequisites must be completed with qualifying grades prior to beginning the program. GRADE ALTERNATIVES: Certain CLEP and/or AP scores may be used for non-science prerequisites, and medical terminology may be satisfied by a certificate course offered by an accredited college or university.

Visit the Admission Requirements & Deadlines page for specific details. Contact us if your undergraduate degree was earned 10 or more years ago and you are concerned about your last 60-credit GPA.

  • The following prerequisite courses must be completed with a “B-” or better:
  1. Medical Terminology
  2. Human Growth and Development (must cover development across the entire lifespan)
  3. Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (taken within the last five years)
  4. Human Anatomy and Physiology I with a lab (taken within the last five years)
  5. Basic Statistics
  6. Abnormal Psychology
  7. Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Anthropology
  8. Foundational knowledge in mechanics (must include an in-person lab and study of Newton's Laws of Motion).
     

Degree Requirements

Summer 1
OCTH 600FOUNDATIONS OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY3
OCTH 600LFOUNDATIONS OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY - APPLICATIONS [LAB]1
Fall 1
BIOL 527NEUROMUSCULAR MECHANISMS OF THE UPPER BODY2
OCTH 521KINESIOLOGY OF OCCUPATION3
OCTH 614PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE5
OCTH 620PSYCHOSOCIAL LEVEL I FIELDWORK3
OSC 742ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE3
Spring 1
OCTH 606ADULT AND OLDER ADULT NEUROLOGICAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY3
OCTH 607ADULT AND OLDER ADULT MUSCULOSKELETAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY3
OCTH 619ADULT PHYSICAL REHABILITATION LEVEL I FIELDWORK3
OCTH 603ISSUES IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY3
Summer 2
OCTH 609ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS IN OCCUPATION BASED PRACTICE3
OCTH 678ASSESSMENT THROUGHOUT THE LIFESPAN3
Fall 2
OCTH 612OT HEALTH PROMOTION INITIATIVES IN THE COMMUNITY3
OCTH 624OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH5
OCTH 626OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FIELDWORK FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH3
OCTH 782RESEARCH PRACTICUM3
Spring 2
OCTH 635LEVEL II FIELDWORK I9
OCTH 636LEVEL II FIELDWORK II9
Fall 3
OCTH 627ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES3
OSC 744PARTICIPATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF PEOPLE IN THEIR CONTEXT3
OCTH 881CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECT I3
Elective3
Minimester 3
Elective3
Spring 3
OCTH 882CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECT II3
OCTH 895DOCTORAL EXPERIENTIAL PRACTICUM9
Total Units97

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. 

Students are required to complete two elective courses during the length of the program. Elective courses must be approved by the student's adviser.

NOTE: Students have the option of earning a graduate certificate from Towson University in Autism Studies or in Family-Professional Collaboration. Students who elect to earn a certificate may be required to extend the length of the Occupational Therapy program in order to complete the entire certificate program. 

Annual Health, Insurance and CPR Requirements

All students in entry-level clinical OT programs must submit and maintain certain health documentation as detailed in the Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science Policy for Health Related Documentation to maintain good standing in the program and be eligible for fieldwork. Students who do not remain compliant with the requirements as outlined in the full policy will fall out of good standing in the program and may be prohibited from enrolling in course work and participating in fieldwork placements. The full policy is provided upon admission to an entry-level clinical OT program and available by request.

Abbreviated Departmental Health Related Documentation

  • Secure and maintain a CastleBranch account (instructions provided upon admission)

  • Annual 2-step PPD, Tspot, or Quantiferon Gold Blood Test required for duration of program

  • Adult Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) vaccination must remain current for duration of program

  • Positive Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Titer

  • Positive Varicella Titer

  • Positive Hepatitis B Titer OR Hepatitis B Declination Waiver

  • A Physical Examination (may be requested annually)

  • Annual Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for duration of program

  • Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers CPR certification for duration of program (Instructor-Led and Blended courses accepted; fully online courses are not permitted)

  • Proof of Health Insurance Coverage for duration of program

  • Covid-19 Vaccination, including any subsequent boosters as required for fieldwork

  • Criminal Background Check(s) and or Drug Test(s) as required for fieldwork

Academic Standards

In addition to the standard policies of academic standing, the following additional policies must be upheld by all students:

  • Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 for all courses in the major.

  • Students may receive a maximum of two “C” grades and are dismissed from the program upon receipt of a third grade of C or lower (or "unsatisfactory"), regardless of whether a grade was replaced if a course was repeated.

  • Students may repeat a maximum of one course, including Level II Fieldwork.

  • A withdrawal for academic reasons is considered a failure.

Completion of an online exit survey is required for graduation clearance in addition to successful completion of all other program requirements.

Plan of Study 

First Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2UnitsTerm 3Units
SummerFallSpring
OCTH 6003OCTH 5213OCTH 6063
OCTH 600L1OCTH 6145OCTH 6073
 OCTH 6203OCTH 6193
 OCTH 670 (Neural Mechanisms of Function)2OCTH 6033
 OSC 7423 
 4 16 12
Second Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2UnitsTerm 3Units
SummerFallSpring
OCTH 6093OCTH 6123OCTH 6359
OCTH 6783OCTH 6245OCTH 6369
 OCTH 6263 
 OCTH 7823 
 6 14 18
Third Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2UnitsTerm 3Units
FallMinimesterSpring
OCTH 6273Elective3OCTH 8823
OCTH 8813 OCTH 8959
OSC 7443  
Elective3  
 12 3 12
Total Units 97
  1. Fulfill an occupational therapist's role as a team member of a service delivery team by using knowledge of health care systems, organizations, and management principles.
  2. Analyze, adapt, and apply purposeful activities and other modalities to facilitate the ability of clients to lead their lives with a meaningful balance in the areas of human occupation.
  3. Use research theoretical models and research evidence to support and modify occupational therapy evaluation and intervention processes and occupational therapy programs.