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Department of Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program

The Entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at Bradley University (BU) is designed to educate and support students seeking to qualify for the National Board Certification Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) national boards exam to become a licensed occupational therapist. This is on campus, three-year, 105 credit hour program runs continuously through fall, spring, and summer. The first students will begin in May 2025.

Bradley’s occupational therapy doctorate program will prepare occupational therapists to be professionally competent leaders in providing ethical, evidence-based occupational therapy services using interprofessional collaboration and creative thinking to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of diverse people, environments, and populations.

Student Learning Outcomes: After completing the occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) degree, you’ll be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Advocate for occupational therapy services for diverse populations, groups, and individuals as a member of a healthcare team.
  • Assess occupational performance of individuals, groups, and populations using evidence-based concepts and principles.
  • Provide therapeutic interventions based on client centered care and evidence-based principles.
  • Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team, client, and stakeholders to formulate a successful transition from service and document results.
  • Complete all duties in an ethical, legal, safe, and professional manner in accordance with state, federal, and association rules/regulations.
  • Demonstrate the importance of professional development, support professional organizations, and advocate for the future of occupational therapy services.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation 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 be granted Candidacy Status, 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). 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.

Program Objectives

  1. Critically appraise evidence-based practice strategies to maximize target population outcomes.
  2. Disseminate information to the occupational therapy body of knowledge through design and implementation of
    evidence-based practice scholarship.
  3. Implement strategies to address the ethics, policies, and laws that impact the practice of occupational therapy in the dynamic health care environment.

The EHS mission and vision statements focus on preparing ethical leaders and life-long learners. This entry level OTD program focuses on preparing future occupational therapists for their careers by creating expert consumers of the evidence to promote the profession and contribute to the professional body of knowledge.
University Collaboration. This program offers occupational therapy specific courses. 

Admissions Requirements

  • Minimum of Bachelors of Science from a regionally accredited institution
  • Meet all admission requirements to Bradley University as a degree-seeking student with all required admission documents received by the Admissions Office.
  • Applicants will be notified of their admission status upon receipt of all required forms and information.
  • OTD program applications will be accepted prior to October 31 and must complete the program application process which includes a writing sample and onsite interview.
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • GRE, LSAT, or MCAT scores no older than 2 years as of date of application
  • Letter of intent explaining why the candidate is seeking this degree and goals for using this degree (2-page max)
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Students will be required to take one course online during the program and therefore must be prepared with the appropriate technology

Application Process

In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements of the University, invited applicants will be required to complete an on-site interview process and complete an on-site essay.

Admission Pathway with Direct Admission. Bradley University undergraduate students in the health sciences degree program are eligible for direct admission following the successful completion of the Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and Health Science (BSKHS) degree with the following provisions met.

  • Maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher each semester
  • Maintain a prerequisite GPA of 3.4 or higher each semester

Admission Pathway with Priority Review. Bradley University alumni with a completed bachelor's degree and all prerequisite courses are eligible for priority review admission. Priority review requires that the above admission requirements be met prior to admission into the program. Priority review status guarantees the applicant an invitation to interview with the OTD admissions committee.

Standard Admission Pathway. Students who have obtained a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and meet the prerequisite criteria are eligible to apply to the OTD program. Application and acceptance through the Graduate School is required in order to finalize admission to the OTD.

Completion of a baccalaureate degree with the following courses completed with a 3.0 or higher:

  1. Physical Sciences
    1. Chemistry – 1 semester of general chemistry for science majors (eg. 3 semester hours) with laboratory experience OR
    2. Physics – 1 semester of general physics for science majors (eg. 3 semester hours) with laboratory experience
  2. Psychology – 6-8 semester hours.
      1. General psychology
      2. Lifespan development
      3. Abnormal psychology
  3. Anatomy – 1 year of human or comparative anatomy that includes a laboratory experience
  4. Physiology – 1 year of human physiology (A two-semester sequence of combined anatomy and physiology will meet the anatomy and physiology requirement)
  5. Statistics – 3 semester hours of general statistics
  6. English- Minimum of one 300 level or higher health science writing course
  7. Medical Terminology- minimum of 1 credits in medical terminology

In addition, an applicant should have:

  1. Minimum 3.0 grade point average in all mathematics and science courses taken.
  2. GRE verbal minimum score of 150; quantitative minimum score of 150.
  3. TOEFL score of 600 or higher, and IELTS score of 7.0 or higher.
  4. Skills in computer literacy, communication (written and verbal), medical terminology, and teaching.

Other Requirements
Your submission of courses to Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS) (verified by official transcripts) will be used to determine if you have required courses or course equivalents.

No grade lower than a C is acceptable in the required courses.

In order to begin the OTD program the requirements for a Baccalaureate degree must be met with verification of the Baccalaureate degree being awarded no later than four weeks after the start of the class.

Volunteer hours are not required, however 100 hours of exposure to occupational therapy and other rehab sciences is recommended. Applicants should spend time observing a variety of therapy settings to facilitate his or her career decision.

In addition to the University’s student health form requirement, and prior to enrollment in the first full-time physical therapy course that includes a clinical experience (second summer), each student must verify:

  1. Professional liability insurance (renewable annually)
  2. Immunity to rubeola (measles) by one of the following: a rubeola (measles) immunization received in 1990 or
    later, or – written verification from a physician of having had the disease, or – birth date prior to 1957
  3. Immunity to rubella (German measles) by one of the following: - written verification of having had the
    immunization, or – written verification rubella titer greater than 1:10
  4. Immunity to SARS-Co2 (Covid 19) by written verification of having had the immunization
  5. Written verification of immunity to Hepatitis B virus
  6. Written verification of tuberculin test results (renewable annually)
  7. CPR certification (renewable annually)
  8. Criminal background check, if required by a clinical site.

Degree Completion Requirements

  1. Complete all requirements for didactic, fieldwork, and capstone project per the occupational therapy
    handbook
  2. Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
  3. Demonstrate professionalism during interactions with faculty, supervisors, and peers in accordance
    with Bradley University policy.
  4. Complete all requirements for degree completion listed in the Graduate Catalog.
  5. No final comprehensive exam is required for graduation.

Program Objectives

  1. Critical Thinking: Prepare graduates to provide high-quality patient/client centered care informed by evidence as collaborative members of an interprofessional health care team.
  2. Social Awareness: Prepare graduates with the skills to be compassionate and culturally competent, culturally sensitive occupational therapists.
  3. Leadership: Prepare graduates to lead and serve the profession in a multitude of dynamic health related environments.
  4. Ethics: Prepare graduates to exemplify ethical principles when addressing the needs of persons and populations in accordance with the AOTA Code of Ethics.

The Threads of the Program

The Bradley Core Curriculum was designed to help students achieve specific Core Learning Outcomes that span all aspects of the Bradley experience.

  • Critical and creative thinking. Bradley graduates will think critically, independently and creatively, and will employ evidence-based decision-making to solve problems and build new knowledge.
  • Effective communication. Bradley graduates will be effective oral, written and non-verbal communicators as well as active readers and listeners.
  • Integrative learning. Bradley graduates will understand that learning builds across disciplines, curriculum and co-curriculum, from making simple connections among ideas and experience to synthesizing and transferring knowledge to new, complex situations throughout their lives.
  • Practical application. Bradley graduates will apply knowledge and skills from the classroom in real-world situations.
  • Social awareness. Bradley graduates will understand and act ethically upon their connections to larger
    communities.

Course Of Study

Summer 1

  • OTD 701 Occupational Foundations of Practice 3 hrs.
  • OTD 703 Occupational Engagement Principles 3 hrs.
  • OTD 705 Clinical Inquiry for Occupational Therapy Evidence Based Practice 3 hrs.

Fall 1

  • OTD 706 Social Determinants of Health and Wellness 3 hrs.
  • OTD 707 Occupational Engagement for Cognitive Perceptual Conditions 3 hrs.
  • OTD 708 Research Methods 3 hrs.
  • OTD 709 Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Assessment 3 hrs.
  • OTD 711 Occupational Therapy Ethics and Advocacy 3 hrs.
  • OTD 713 Pathophysiology and Occupational Engagement 3 hrs.

Spring 1

  • OTD 715 Occupational Engagement for the Orthopedic Population 5 hrs.
  • OTD 717 Occupational Engagement for the Mental Health Population 5 hrs.
  • OTD 719 Occupational Engagement for the Neurologic Population 5 hrs.
  • OTD 721 Fieldwork Seminar 1a 3 hrs.

Summer 2

  • OTD 723 Occupational Therapy Practice Trends 3 hrs.
  • OTD 725 Capstone 1 Exploration 2 hrs.
  • OTD 727 Research Implementation 3 hrs.

Fall 2

  • OTD 729 Occupational Engagement for Children and Youth 5 hrs.
  • OTD 731 Leadership and Management in Rehab 3 hrs.
  • OTD 733 Educational Principles in Rehab 3 hrs.
  • OTD 735 Occupational Engagement for Assistive Technology 5 hrs.

Spring 2

  • OTD 737 Occupational Engagement for Productive Aging 5 hrs.
  • OTD 739 Fieldwork Seminar 1b 3 hrs.
  • OTD 741 Advanced Occupational Therapy Clinical Reasoning 3 hrs.
  • OTD 743 Capstone 2 Development 2 hrs.
  • OTD 745 Occupational Therapy Clinical Competency 3 hrs.

Summer 3

  • OTD 747 Fieldwork 2a (12 weeks) 6 hrs.

Fall 3

  • OTD 749 Fieldwork 2b (12 weeks) 6 hrs.

Spring 3

  • OTD 751 Capstone 3 Implementation (14 weeks) 7 hrs.
  • OTD 753 Licensure Preparation (online) 1 hr.

Total Required: 105 hrs

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) Program (Online)

Program Description

The Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) Program prepares occupational therapists for leadership and scholarship in academic communities and/or healthcare organizations. The program has two tracks. The first track is for occupational therapists that have already completed a master’s program in any field of study (MS to DrOT). For these students, the Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy consists of 33 credit hours. For students with a Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy who do not possess a master’s degree, they will be enrolled in the second track which includes completing three additional courses they complete in the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program (BSOT to DrOT). For these students, the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate consists of 42 credit hours.  This program is offered in a synchronous online format.

All graduates will be able to:

  1. Critically appraise evidence-based practice strategies to maximize target population outcomes.
  2. Disseminate information to the occupational therapy body of knowledge through design and implementation of evidence-based practice scholarship.
  3. Implement strategies to address the ethics, policies, and laws that impact the practice of occupational therapy in the dynamic health care environment.

Program Objectives

  1. Critically appraise evidence-based practice strategies to maximize target population outcomes.
  2. Disseminate information to the occupational therapy body of knowledge through design and implementation of evidence-based practice scholarship.
  3. Implement strategies to address the ethics, policies, and laws that impact the practice of occupational therapy in the dynamic health care environment.

Scholarly Project

All students in the DrOT program are required to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a scholarly project. The DrOT project is guided by evidence-based practice or quality improvement processes that focus on changes that positively influence healthcare outcomes through direct or indirect patient care with a focus on the student’s identified area of expertise.

Admission

Students must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a final GPA standing of 3.0 (B) or greater in undergraduate or graduate occupational therapy work undertaken, whichever degree is the highest held. Students must show evidence of passing the OTR NBCOT examination.

Students who do not meet minimum requirements but have reason to believe that they can succeed in and benefit from graduate study will be considered on an individual basis and, if appropriate, admitted conditionally. Specific requirements for different admission statuses are given below. The Admissions Office will provide comprehensive application criteria, including a complete list of the admission requirements for the specific graduate program in response to an application request. Online applications may be submitted through the university website. All application materials, including transcripts, become part of the records of Bradley University and may not be returned to the applicant for any reason.

Degree-Seeking student’s admission is decided following receipt of the following materials:

  1. A completed application form and required documents
  2. Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work
  3. A reflective essay of 2 double-spaced pages indicating the student’s reasons for pursuing a graduate degree and the relationship of graduate study to any professional goals
  4. Two letters of recommendation unless otherwise noted in program admission requirements. Recommendation forms for each degree are available either online or from the Graduate School Office. Persons writing the recommendations should not be related to the applicant.
  5. Minimum of Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy
  6. Current state licensure as an Occupational Therapist in good standing
  7. Minimum of 1-year work experience as an Occupational Therapist
  8. No GRE required

Curriculum Tracks

Required Courses for MS to DrOT

  • OTD 801 Professional Engagement in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 803 Evidence-based Clinical Inquiry in OT 3 hrs
  • OTD 811 Research Methods- Quantitative 3 hrs.
  • OTD 813 Research Methods- Qualitative 3 hrs.
  • OTD 821 Practice and Research Ethics 3 hrs.
  • OTD 823 Educational Principles in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD-831 OT Professional Advocacy 3 hrs.
  • OTD 833 Advanced Practice Trends in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 841 Management Strategies in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 843 EBP Project 1- Discovery and Design 3 hrs.
  • OTD 845 EBP Project 2- Implementation 3 hrs.

Total: 33 hrs.

 

Required Courses for BS to DrOT

  • OTD 685 Introduction to Occupational Science 3 hrs.
  • OTD 690 Interprofessional Education 3 hrs.
  • OTD 695 Assessment and Evaluation 3 hrs.
  • OTD 801 Professional Engagement in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 803 Evidence-based Clinical Inquiry in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 811 Research Methods- Quantitative 3 hrs.
  • OTD 813 Research Methods- Qualitative 3 hrs.
  • OTD 821 Practice and Research Ethics 3 hrs.
  • OTD 823 Educational Principles in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD-831 OT Professional Advocacy 3 hrs.
  • OTD 833 Advanced Practice Trends in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 841 Management Strategies in OT 3 hrs.
  • OTD 843 EBP Project 1- Discovery and Design 3 hrs.
  • OTD 845 EBP Project 2- Implementation 3 hrs.

Total: 42 hrs.

Sample Course Sequence

Track 1: MS to DrOT, 33 credit hours

Semester 1

  • OTD 801 Professional Engagement in OT (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 803 Evidence-based Clinical Inquiry in OT (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs

Semester 2

  • OTD 811 Research Methods- Quantitative (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 813 Research Methods- Qualitative (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 3

  • OTD 821- Practice and Research Ethics (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 823- Educational Principles in OT (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 4

  • OTD-831- OT Professional Advocacy (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 833- Advanced Practice Trends in OT (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 5

  • OTD 841- Management Strategies in OT (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 843- EBP Project 1- Discovery and Design (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 6

  • OTD 845- EBP Project 2- Implementation (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Track 1 Total: 33 hrs.

Track 2: BS to DrOT, 42 credit hours

Semester 1

  • OTD 685 Introduction to Occupational Science (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 690 Interprofessional Education (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 2

  • OTD 695 Assessment and Evaluation (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 801 Professional Engagement in OT (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 3

  • OTD 803 Evidence-based Clinical Inquiry in OT (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 811 Research Methods- Quantitative (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 4

  • OTD 813 Research Methods- Qualitative (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 821- Practice and Research Ethics (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 5

  • OTD 823- Educational Principles in OT (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD-831- OT Professional Advocacy (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 6

  • OTD 833- Advanced Practice Trends in OT (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 841- Management Strategies in OT (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Semester 7

  • OTD 843- EBP Project 1- Discovery and Design (first 7 weeks) 3 hrs.
  • OTD 845- EBP Project 2- Implementation (second 7 weeks) 3 hrs.

Track 2 Total: 42 hrs.

 

Program Completion Requirements

To successfully complete the program, students must have achieved a final minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If a student receives less than a C in a course, the student is required to retake the course at his or her expense. If a student receives 2 “C” grades or less in more than 2 courses, the student will be dismissed from the program. The Plan of Study varies based on students' term of entry (e.g., spring, summer or fall). Students can complete the program in as little as six semesters by following a prescribed Plan of Study based on the admitted track. No final comprehensive exam is required for graduation.

Policy for Readmission

DrOT students who leave in good standing may apply for readmission to the program. Students who do not enroll in courses in their degree program for more than three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer) and have not been granted a leave of absence will be required to reapply for admission and undergo re-evaluation by the Admissions Committee of the program in which they are seeking readmission, in order to determine whether they may continue in the program. All courses must be completed within 5 years of the initial date of enrollment to obtain the degree. 

This is the official catalog for the 2024-2025 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.