Occupational Therapy, O.T.D.

General Program Information

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Bea Owens, PT, Ph.D., CHT Department Chair (Interim)
VA Campus, Building 2
(423) 439-8791

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

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Occupational therapy “helps people of all ages participate in things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Unlike other professions, occupational therapy helps people function in their environments (e.g., home, work, school, community) and addresses the physical, psychological, and cognitive aspects of their well-being through engagement in occupation” (AOTA). 

The Department of Rehabilitative Health Sciences offers the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree. The program will be delivered in a traditional, on-ground format. The curriculum will emphasize in-depth evaluation and intervention skills with a traditional strong focus on disease, body functions and structure while integrating activity limitations, participation restrictions, and contextual factors. 

The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program will utilize a multifaceted approach to education with an interprofessional focus, which will prepare graduates to practice with appropriate skills and expertise in diverse practice settings that requires collaboration, teamwork, and the ability to break down silos that are prominent in traditional health care curricula.  

The mission of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy is to prepare practitioner-scholars who empower and improve the lives of clients, communities, and populations through inclusive interprofessional education demonstrating occupation and evidence- based practice.

Accreditation Information

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The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status 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-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must 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.

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.

Admission Requirements

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Admission to the OTD program is by a selective admissions process to begin matriculation in the summer semester only. Students apply to the OTD program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). 

If invited for an interview students must also apply to the ETSU School of Graduate Studies.

Students seeking admission to the professional OTD degree program (entry-level) must meet the requirements established by the School of Graduate Studies. International students must meet the same program-specific requirements for admission to the graduate program that apply to citizens of the United States as detailed in the ETSU School of Graduate Studies Policies.

Students must also meet the following minimum program requirements: 

1. Have an overall GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale) in all undergraduate coursework for domestic students; 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for international students; 
2. Have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in the prerequisite courses; 
3. No grade in a prerequisite course may be less than a “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale); 
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation with at least one from a licensed occupational therapist;
5. A positive evaluation after an interview with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee

Prerequisite courses or equivalent for admission consideration by the program include the following: 

• Statistics or Research Methods (3 credits)
• General Biology with lab or Biology for non-majors with lab (4 credits)
• Kinesiology or Biomechanics or Physics (3-4 credits) 
• Anatomy and Physiology (6-8 credits) 
• Introduction to Sociology or Anthropology (3 credits) 
• Psychology (9 credits) (including Introduction, Developmental or Lifespan, and Abnormal)
• Medical Terminology (1-3 credits) 
• Observation/clinical experience hours: Applicants are required to submit proof of 30 observation hours in two different occupational therapy settings.

Retention Requirements

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The program will follow ETSU standards for Graduate Academic Retention Standards.

Students in the OTD program must meet the retention standards as set forth for graduate students by the School of Graduate Studies and by the Occupational Therapy Faculty. Grades shall be issued based on the 4.0 scale as set forth in the Graduate Catalog.

An occupational therapy student will be considered deficient for any course grade less than a “C” (2.0), or when the overall grade point average per semester or for all semesters completed in the program is less than a “B” (3.0).

Traditional entry students will matriculate through a fixed, prescribed curriculum in a three-year, full-time doctoral program.

The Occupational Therapy Faculty will meet at a minimum at the end of each semester to determine whether each student should be promoted to the next semester, be placed on probation, or be required to remediate any deficiencies before proceeding to the next semester of study. Promotion will be determined by the student’s didactic performance, clinical performance, and professional behavior.