Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)
Overview
Mission
Our students will be trained clinical scholars who will analyze human occupation and implement science-driven and evidence-based interventions that promote quality of life for the clients whom they serve.
The graduates will contribute to their profession and to a global society through their compassion, competence, professionalism, moral, and ethical standards.
Accreditation
皇家华人 Fox University’s entry level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has submitted 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 of AOTA is 301-652-AOTA and its web address is acoteonline.org.
The accreditation process consists of a pre-accreditation review, and completion of an on-site evaluation, in order to be granted accreditation status before graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board Certification on Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an occupational therapist registered (OTR). Individual states will 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.
Degree Outcomes
Admission Requirements
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Transfer Credit
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate with an Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree students must:
- Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
- Achieve no grade lower than C+ in all but 2 courses. See grading policy for further details.
The Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is approximately 2.8 years in length (32 months) with 82 semester hours of didactic coursework required as a minimum for graduation, as well as 24 weeks of full-time clinical internships and 14 weeks of Capstone experience. The first year of the program emphasizes didactic study in the scientific foundations and evidence-based practice in occupational therapy and includes a 6 week introduction to level 1 fieldwork experience interwoven into the clinical courses. Students will integrate their didactic knowledge into clinical practice progressing in complexity as they advance through the program.
Grading
The OTD program reserves the right to determine how it defines professional competence and professional behavior, to establish standards of excellence, and to evaluate students. Semester grades are determined by the instructor's evaluation of the student's daily participation in class, performance on periodic tests, work on research papers and class projects, and achievement on final examinations. The OTD program reserves the right to decline or withdraw a student’s admission if the student’s mental health status indicates that such action is essential for the safety of fellow students, faculty, administrative staff, or patients. The OTD program uses the following percentages for grade determination:
A = 93-100%, A- = 90-92%, B+ = 87-89%, B = 83-86%, B- = 80-82%, C+ = 77-79%, C = 73-76%, C- = 72-70%, D = 60-69%, F = 59% or below, P = pass, NP = no pass, I = incomplete.
An incomplete (“I”) is given when the student is performing satisfactorily but there may be circumstances beyond the student’s control which resulted in the student not completing all of the assignments within the allotted time. If the incomplete work is not completed in the timeframe outlined by the faculty, the grade will be replaced with an “F”. Students cannot progress to the next sequenced course until the “I” is replaced with a passing grade. If circumstances arise such that the student is unable to complete the semester they must either apply for a leave of absence, withdraw, or be dismissed
Course grades of D and F are unacceptable and cannot be included as graduate credit and may result in immediate dismissal from the program. Students may appeal grades through the university’s academic appeals process. A student will be also dismissed from the program for the following reasons:
- Repeating more than one clinical affiliation
- Failure to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of the final semester
Clinical Grading
The AFWC (Academic Fieldwork Coordinator) and DCC (Doctoral Capstone Coordinator) will assign a grade of “Pass, No Pass or Incomplete” to the Fieldwork Experience and Doctoral Capstone Experience courses. Students are expected to “Pass” the performance by the end of each clinical experience.
Progression and Academic Standing
Students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment throughout the program. For continued matriculation, promotion, and graduation, Occupational Therapy Doctorate students must maintain an average GPA of 3.0. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic warning and the Program Director and faculty will consider the student’s potential for continued success. The faculty and Program Director will make recommendations to the course of action to the Dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. If a student receives a C or C- in a single course, the student will be required to meet with their academic advisor for counseling and/or remediation. If a student receives a C or C- in two designated courses, that student will be subject to academic warning and remediation. The remediation process could take the form of extra written work, retaking examinations (written or lab), or to retaking the course at the consent of the Program Director and faculty. In all circumstances, counseling between the student and academic advisor will be necessary to establish avenues to improve future performance. If a student receives a C or C- in three designated courses, that student may be subject to dismissal.
If a student is not in good academic standing, they may be placed on academic probation or warning, and a recommended course of action for the individual will be made by the Program Director and faculty. Students will remain on academic probation until the deficiency is corrected. Once corrected, the student will be considered in good academic standing.
Should a student fail a fieldwork or capstone experience, they must remediate the failed fieldwork or capstone experience before progressing on to the next more advanced experience. Remediation programs specific to the fieldwork or capstone experience are designed and implemented on a case by case basis and are determined by the circumstances that led to the failure. The AFWC, DCC, Program Director and faculty will decide the most appropriate remediation activity that may include instruction in clinical skills under direct supervision of faculty.
Unprofessional conduct will be remediated through review, oral and written testing on the code of ethics and standards of conduct, mentoring with the students’ advisor or other designated faculty, and/or training with faculty or professionals with applicable competency.
Leave of absence
If a student must take a leave of absence from the program due to an illness, accident, or other substantial reason that impairs their ability to continue course work at that time, all incomplete coursework must be completed within two years from the date of their original start. If they are unable to complete the program in that time frame, they will be dismissed from the program..
Remediation
Academic remediation and probation will be assessed each semester or more frequently as needed. The determination of a plan to resolve the deficiencies will be developed by the Program Director and faculty. If a student is at risk for dismissal, the faculty and Program Director will make the final determination. The student’s advisor or Program Director is to notify the student of the concern regarding performance and plan of action for remediation. Scholastic dishonesty (cheating, falsifying, misrepresentation or plagiarism) are also grounds for academic probation or dismissal from the program.
Upon completion of the remediation activity, the Program Director and faculty will review the results and determine the outcome of the remediation process. Successful completion of the remediation activity will result in restoration of good academic standing, and a new grade will be assigned. Unsuccessful completion may result in retaking the class, reassignment to another cohort, or dismissal.