Occupational Therapy Doctorate, Center City
College
- Center City Campus
- College of Rehabilitation Sciences
Degree Earned
- Doctorate
Program Length
3 years
Program Type
- On Campus
Program Start
Fall Semester
Leadership
- Director, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
- Associate Professor
Program Overview
The Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is an entry-level professional doctorate designed to prepare students to enter the field of occupational therapy at the doctoral level. Students with a bachelor’s degree, or higher, in a field other than occupational therapy and who are in the process of completing, or have successfully completed, the prerequisite courses are eligible to apply.
The OTD program is designed to prepare occupational therapists with in-depth knowledge of one or more of the following: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. Our graduates may engage in collaborative research and practice as direct care providers, consultants, educators, managers, leaders, researchers, and advocates for the profession and the consumer. The OTD program is completed in three years and consists of 118 graduate credits of coursework to develop professional knowledge and competencies.
Hear From Our Students
Dariana (Dari) is an occupational therapy student completing her third year at Thomas Jefferson University (Class of 2025). She is Latina and was born on the border of Texas and Mexico, so she grew up being bilingual and experienced both cultures present in her life. Dariana is interested in creating opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds and believes it is important to expose this population to the wonderful qualities of occupational therapy.
Hear from Dariana about her father about her professional and personal growth during her experience at the Jefferson OTD Program!
Curriculum
The OTD program consists of three years of training:
Year 1
September-May: fall and spring semester coursework
May-June: summer session coursework
Year 2
September-December: fall semester coursework
January-June: two full-time Fieldwork Level II rotations (full-time) and online coursework
July-August: summer session coursework fully online
Year 3
September-December: minimum of 280 hours doctoral capstone experience and doctoral capstone project and fall session coursework
January-May: minimum of 280 hours doctoral capstone experience and doctoral capstone project, spring session coursework, and completion of scholarly project suitable for publication & oral presentation
Outcomes
Cost of Attendance
The Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program is a year-round, three-year program comprised of classroom, laboratory, exams, and clinical education rotation.
The Fact Sheet contains additional institutional information. For questions, contact Financial.Aid@jefferson.edu
Technology Services Information
Accreditation Information
The entry-level Doctoral program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
ACOTE, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: 301-652-6611 | https://www.acoteonline.org/
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 programs 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. NBCOT Program data results are available here.
For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.