Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Description of Program

This entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program will prepare graduates to assist patients limited by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, mental, developmental, and learning disabilities, as well as adverse environmental conditions, to maximize their independence and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents. Includes instruction in the basic medical sciences, psychology, sociology, patient assessment and evaluation, standardized and non-standardized tests and measurements, assistive and rehabilitative technologies, ergonomics, environmental health, special education, vocational counseling, health education and promotion, and professional standards and ethics. Graduates from this program will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and subsequent state licensure to practice as registered occupational therapists (OTR/L).

Students pursuing TCU's Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) can expect to be in the program for a minimum of nine (9) academic semesters or three

(3) academic years. The educational program consists of academic coursework, two full-time supervised fieldwork experiences and a 14-week Doctoral Capstone Experience with Project. The fieldwork experiences will comprise of two twelve (12) week sessions occurring during the Summer and Fall semesters the final year of study. Further, the Doctoral Capstone Experience with Project will occur in the Spring semester of the final year of study. At the successful conclusion of all academic requirements OTD students will be qualified to sit for the national OT certification exam (NBCOT). 

Vision & Mission

The Department of Occupational Therapy Vision is to be a local, regional, national and international leader for excellence and innovation in entry-level doctoral occupational therapy education, practice and scholarship. It is our Mission to prepare our graduates as transformative, life-long learners demonstrating excellence in leadership, ethics, practice and scholarship with cultural humility to promote full participation in meaningful occupations, health and wellness for individuals, groups and populations. An overarching goal of TCU-OTD program is to produce graduates who are globally informed OT leaders – work ready, life ready and world ready.

Admissions Requirements

• OTCAS application

• Official transcripts from all institutions attended

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least at 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. No specific major is required. All undergraduate and graduate course work is included in cumulative grade point average calculations.

• Completion of required prerequisites with a GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. No more than two (2) prerequisites may remain outstanding by chosen application deadline. Any outstanding prerequisites must be completed prior to matriculation into the program.

• Observation of OT practice (documented using TCU-OTD Observation Form). A minimum of 30 hours total across at least (2) distinct settings (hospital, school system, home health, clinic, etc.). (Forms submitted in OTCAS).

• Interview with Faculty: Onsite highly recommended. Virtual options available upon request

• International applicants must meet all Texas Christian University International Student Admission Criteria as outlined in the TCU 2024-2025 catalog, including English Proficiency

• TOEFL (minimum score of 650 for paper, 280 for computer, and 114 if Internet based) or IELTS requirement of 8.0 if the applicant’s primary language is not English

All application materials are used to evaluate and rank prospective students. The top 30 applicants will be selected for admission. The remaining applicants may be offered a wait-list position based upon their ranking.

Graduation Requirements

Students in the OTD program follow a fixed curriculum. In order to progress through the program, students must receive a grade of C or above in all courses and passing grades for all fieldwork and doctoral capstone experiences with culminating project.

In addition to the above requirements for graduation, students must also have no outstanding debt to the Bursar, demonstrate professional behaviors and have the approval of the program faculty. After students have successfully completed all of these requirements, students may apply for graduation.

Graduates of a 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, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. NBCOT (http://www.nbcot.org/)

All application materials are used to evaluate and rank prospective students. The top 30 applicants will be selected for admission. The remaining applicants may be offered a wait-list position based upon their ranking.

Retaking Prerequisite Courses: Students are approved to retake up to 15 credit hours of prerequisite courses. The higher letter grade will be used to calculate the prerequisite GPA. Cumulative GPA will include all prerequisite courses completed.

INTERVIEW

The top applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview. This interview ranking will be determined at the time of application deadline and based on overall cumulative grade point average and prerequisite grade point average. Should any interview spot become available, applicants from the completed/qualified list will be contacted for remaining interview spots. All admissions materials will factor into the final admission ranking (E.g., overall cumulative grade point average, prerequisite grade point average, interview score, letters of reference etc.).

Prerequisite Courses:

Retention in the Occupational Therapy Program

1.     Compliance with the following documents (which are given to the student at the time of admission) are part of what is used to determine a student's retention in the program:

a.     Student & Fieldwork Policies

b.     Technical Standards for Admission and Retention

c.     Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (AOTA) https://www.aota.org/Practice/Ethics.aspx

d.     Student Handbook

2.     The student's academic advisor, along with the student, will be expected to track progress in the program.

3.     Coursework below a C is allowed to be repeated once with approval of the instructor(s) of the course(s) and faculty. This will delay progression through the program as courses are only offered once per year/cohort. Student would join and progress with the earlier cohort.

4.     A minimum of a C is required to pass a course.

5.     To be considered in good standing for graduate-level coursework, students need to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0/4.0.

6.     A student may be placed on Academic probation if their overall GPA drops below a 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.

7.     Satisfactory performance in all Fieldwork Experiences (I & II).

8.     See policy re: Fieldwork Performance

9.     If a student is unable to meet the above criteria, he/she may be placed on academic probation.

10.   Faculty will determine a plan of study for the student placed on academic probation.  (This is determined case by case.)

Grade Requirements

1.     Students must maintain overall GPA of 3.0 or better (e.g. graduate level expectation) to be in good academic standing.

2.     A grade below a C in any course may result in repeating the course, fulfillment of additional requirements, academic probation, and/or dismissal from the program.

3.     If a student receives a C- or below in any course, the student must repeat that course.

4.     If the performance of the student is not in compliance with department standards, the student may be placed on academic probation for the next semester or for the next fieldwork Level II experience with a corrective action plan. The student will be removed from probation when the conditions of the established correction plan are met. Dismissal from the program may result if the student does not satisfactorily comply with the correction plan by the end of the probationary period.

Technology

Students should have sufficient computer literacy to manipulate multiple types of files. Students need a Pentium Class PC with one of the following operating systems: Windows 8, Windows 10, or a Mac OS X based computer with one of the following operating systems: OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), OS X 10.10 (Yosemite), OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), and OS 10.12 (Sierra). Students are required to have Microsoft Office (with PowerPoint, Word and Excel or Mac - compatible version), an internet connection (broadband), a webcam, and a printer.

OTD Program Admissions

Prior to admission into the OTD program, students must complete a Level II criminal background check. The background checks must be completed and results obtained by the OTD program prior to starting in the program.

Students will be notified in writing that a felony conviction and some other non-felonies on a background check can limit their ability to be placed at fieldwork and doctoral residency sites. The inability to complete either of these will result in the student being unable to complete the program requirements for graduation.

In addition, students with felony convictions and some non-felonies might not be eligible for licensure in some states and/or the ability to take the national boards for occupational therapy (NBCOT exam). Prior to starting the program, students with items on their criminal background checks must sign a letter of acknowledgement that they are aware the results of the criminal background check may limit their ability to complete the program, get licensure, and/ or obtain gainful employment in the field of occupational therapy. These same students will be counseled to obtain early determination letters from the states they plan to seek licensure in and the NBCOT board prior to the start of the program. They will also be counseled that even though they may obtain a letter of early determination, the letter is no guarantee of licensure or ability to sit for the national exam as laws and regulations may change prior to completion in the program.

Fieldwork Level I and Level II

All OTD students are required to complete Level II criminal background checks prior to placement at fieldwork sites. The background checks must be completed no earlier than one year prior to the start of the fieldwork assignment. Some sites might require additional background screenings. The additional background screenings are the responsibility of the student to complete in a timely manner in order to participate in the fieldwork rotation.

Students will be notified in writing that a felony conviction and some other non-felonies on a background check can limit the ability of the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator to find an appropriate fieldwork site for the student. The inability to be placed at fieldwork sites will mean the student is unable to complete the OTD program, as successful completion of fieldwork is a requirement for graduation from the program.