PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program is a three-year, year-round professional program that prepares students for community or clinical practice, post-doctorate educational experiences, and many other occupational therapy practice opportunities. Students may be admitted to pre-OT directly from high school and upon successful completion of established criteria, may be considered for admittance to the three-year professional program.

Students who have completed the proper coursework at another institution may apply for admission into the professional program after completing 90 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. Students must have completed the prerequisite coursework listed on the OTD admission page.

Drake OTD Program Outcomes

The Program Outcomes should answer the question: What do we want our Drake OTD graduates to look like or accomplish by completing our program.

The Drake University Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program will prepare students with the flexible, clinical, analytical and practice skills necessary to succeed in occupational therapy through an interdisciplinary blend of professional, science, and liberal arts education. The purpose of the program is to provide graduates with entry-level knowledge base, skills, attitudes, ethics and values to succeed in occupational therapy careers. The program will endeavor to produce graduates that will be successful in the following areas:

The Drake OTD program outcomes are:

1. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to utilize and analyze evidence for occupation-based
practice and develop habits of life-long learning
2. Graduates will value and engage in service opportunities to promote health and well-being for diverse and underserved populations.
3. Graduates will demonstrate competent clinical reasoning and care using occupation to enable clients across the lifespan within varied groups, and populations to live life to the fullest.
4. Graduates will display professionalism, ethical behavior, and advocacy skills to influence positive change with clients, communities, and the profession.

OTD Curricular Themes

Curriculum threads serve to emphasize critical knowledge, content, values or behaviors in the curriculum. Not every course has to address each theme.

Our curriculum themes are:

1. Professional responsibility and scholarship
2. Collaborative community engagement
3. Occupation across the life span
4. Professional identity

Click Here for Curriculum for Students Entering Fall 2020

Curriculum for Students Entering Fall 2023