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.
UNH BS-OT Students Apply to the Advanced Standing Clinical Doctorate (OTD)
Students who are completing the undergraduate portion of our occupational therapy program declare their intent to apply to our Advanced Standing OTD program by the end of their sophomore year. These students take professional courses as part of their baccalaureate degree requirements.
Students applying to the Advanced Standing program must apply for admission to the Graduate School and meet Graduate School requirements for entry into the graduate portion of their program, and be officially admitted by the Graduate School. This process occurs in the spring semester of the senior year. An overall minimum grade point of 3.0 is required for admission. Students must earn a grade of B- or above in all OT courses at 700 level. However, they may not earn more than 8 credits at B- or lower in OT courses at 700 level or above. They must have passed all level I fieldwork requirements.
Students should speak with their academic advisor regarding specific application requirements for writing a personal statement and letters of recommendation.
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.
