Occupational Therapy Doctorate

OTD

At Notre Dame of Maryland University, OT academic coursework and fieldwork are integrated into a curriculum that’s occupation-sustainable-focused, evidence-based, client-centered, and organized from an engaged-meaningful life perspective. You’ll learn the practical use of theoretical concepts embedded in the evidence supporting practice, and learn occupational therapy with professors and practitioners known in national and international communities.

a group of OTD students near department of Occupational Therapy

Program Location

Main Campus

What to Expect Studying at Notre Dame of Maryland University

Notre Dame of Maryland's Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is designed to give you the knowledge and skills required to excel in occupational therapy practice. Our experiential, occupation-sustainable-focused curriculum includes physical and mental rehabilitation across the lifespan, interprofessional wellness models, population health and occupational justice, globally diverse-sustainable-interprofessional healthcare practices, business and education healthcare models, and a robust research-capstone journey to support our future evidence-based driven leaders.

Commitment

The OTD is a three-year, 104-credit, full-time program completed over nine semesters, including summers. The curriculum comprises traditional, hybrid, and fully online courses in a cohort-based model, highlighting the importance of hands-on applications and training. Across the curriculum, students benefit from Level I and Level II clinical experiences. The OTD program culminates in a Scholarly Project Implementation Experience (SPIE), incorporating a 14-week student-designed research project and public presentation to facilitate, promote, and sustain research agendas and evidence-based occupational therapy practices.

Upon completing all the didactic, clinical, and research requirements in the OTD program, you will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. After successful board certification, you will be eligible to apply for licensure in the state(s) you seek to practice.

Please review the How to Apply section for any information regarding how to apply to the NDMU-OTD program.

Mission

The Occupational Therapy program focuses on educating a new generation of interdisciplinary transformational leaders and scholars educated to deliver inclusive, equitable, client-centered, evidence-based, culturally competent, distinctive, and sustainable healthcare practices.

Core Values

Sustainable Development – committed to building local and global sustainable healthcare practices.
Interprofessional Practice – promoting team-based client-centered across the lifetime practices to deliver the utmost quality care.
Creativity: cultivating innovative thinking and methods that positively influence pressing sustainable healthcare approaches and practices.
Racial Equity: full participation of all individuals and health equity.
Inclusion: building a culture of belonging and participation for all people
Ethical Practice: fulfilling our commitment to honesty, transparency, and accountability for our decisions, actions and outcomes.

Associate Clinical Faculty

Josue Rosario-Caliz, EdD
Christopher Bezak, MSOT, OTR/L
Jeronimo Jimenez, MSOT, OTR/L
Tasha Holmes, MOT, OTR/L, BCP
Rachel Piggot, MPH, OTR/L,CHT, CLT-LANA

Curriculum

Year 1

Fall Semester (15 Semester Hours)

OTD 532 OT Foundational Knowledge & Practice (4)
OTD 534 Neuroscience for Rehabilitation (3)
OTD 536 Population Health and Occ Justice (2)
OTD 537 Research I - Qual and Quant Methods (3)
OTD 538 Healthcare Ethics, Policy and Advocacy (3)

Spring Semester (15.5 Semester Hours)

OTD 542 Immersive I - Mental Health (4)
OTD 543 Cognition Across the Lifespan (2)
OTD 544 Vision Across the Lifespan (2)
OTD 546 Research II – Mix Methods and Stats (3)
OTD 548 Clinical Med and Pharmacology (3)
OTD 549 Interprofessional Healthcare Engagement (1)
OTD 545 Fieldwork Level 1A – Mental Health (.5)

Summer Semester (10.5 Semester Hours)

OTD 551 Immersive II - Physical Rehabilitation (3)
OTD 552 Anatomy and Biomechanics (3)
OTD 553 UE Evaluation and Intervention (3)
OTD 555 Capstone Planning I (1)
OTD 554 Fieldwork Level 1B – Physical Rehab (.5)

Year 2

Fall Semester (13.5 Semester Hours)

OTD 601 Immersive III – Pediatrics and Youth (4)
OTD 602 OT School Based Practice (2)
OTD 603 Neuro Rehabilitation (3)
OTD 605 Assistive Technology (2)
OTD 608 Capstone Planning II (2)
OTD 611 Fieldwork Level 1C – Pediatrics (.5)

Spring Semester (12.5 Semester Hours

OTD 621 Leadership and Management (3)
OTD 623 Aging and Wellness (3)
OTD 625 Qualitative Improv Through Translational Sciences (2)
OTD 627 Buss Planning & Development in OT Practice (3)
OTD 628 Capstone Planning III (1)
OTD 612Level 1D Emerging Area (.5)

Summer Semester (9 Semester Hours)

OTD 631 Advanced Practice in OT: Border & Barriers (3)
OTD 633 Instructional Design, Strategies & Delivery Methods (3)
OTD 635 Capstone Planning IV - (2)
OTD 638 Professional Seminar – (1)

Year 3

Fall Semester (9 Semester Hours)

OTD 642 Capstone Planning V (1)
OTD 650 Level II A Fieldwork (8)

Spring Semester (9 Semester Hours

OTD 700 Doctoral Experience Prep Seminar (1)
OTD 660 Level II A Fieldwork (8)

Summer Semester (10 Semester Hours)

OTD 721 Capstone Presentation (1)
OTD 720 Doctoral Rotation (9)

Admission Requirements

Admission into the OTD program at NDMU is competitive. Students are considered for admission with the following:

Bachelor's degree - minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (4.0 scale)
Completion of prerequisite courses
3 letters of recommendation
Human service observation hours
Personal statement
Resume
Interview

Note: All observational hours need to be completed within the past two years.

Prerequisites

Completion of the following prerequisite courses within the past 5 years with a minimum cumulative grade point average of B (3.0 based on 4.0) is required for admission into the OTD program. Transcripts of bachelor’s degree and completed prerequisite courses must be submitted. Courses may be taken online or in person from an accredited institution.

NOTE: Students may have a maximum of 2 prerequisite courses with a grade of C (as long as their cumulative grade point average is 3.0 across all prerequisites).

Required Courses & Credits

Human Anatomy & Physiology I Course and Lab (4)
Human Anatomy & Physiology II Course and Lab (4)
College Writing (3)
Basic Statistics (3)
Introductory Psychology (3)
Psychopathology OR Abnormal Psychology (3)
Human Growth & Development or Developmental Psychology Across Life Span (3)
Introductory Sociology (3)
Medical Terminology (3)
Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology or Brain and Behavior (3)

Total Credits: 32

NOTE: Advanced Placement (AP) credits are not accepted as fulfillment of prerequisite courses. Course credits from other occupational therapy programs are not accepted.

Letters of Recommendations

Provide three letters of recommendation, from individuals who have taught the applicant in an academic setting. Letters of recommendation should address academic, professional and personal attributes, and potential for successful graduate education.

Human Service Observation

Applicants are required to complete thirty (30) hours of observation. Three practice area and settings are required, one with 10 hours and two with 10 hours each. All observational hours need to be completed within the past three years.

Ten (10) hours in the practice area that you intend to pursue after graduation and must be done under the direction of an Occupational therapist.
One additional observation must be done with an OTR.
The third observation may come from work experience where you worked with populations with a disability, including geriatrics, pediatrics, day camps, mental/behavioral health, etc., for example.

NOTE: Your essay should be reflective of your insights and experiences gained from these observations. All hours must be completed prior to admission into the program.

Personal Statement

A personal statement should cover your interest in occupational therapy with emphasis on the practice area that you intend to pursue after graduation, insights gained from the observations, your strengths, professional skills, personal attributes, and how these experiences have helped to shape your desire to become an occupational therapist. Required length is a minimum of 500 words to a maximum of 750 words.

Technology Integration, Requirements, and Expectations

Component	Windows Desktop/Laptop	MacDesktop/Laptop
Operating (OS)	Latest 64-bit OS	Latest OS
Processor	Intel Core i7 or Ryzen 5/7/9	Intel Core i7 or Ryzen 5/7/9
RAM or Memory	8GB	8GB
Hard Drive	120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash drive	120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash drive
Web Cam and Microphone	Yes	Yes
Graphics Card	Intel Graphics	Intel Graphics
Warranty	Recommended	Recommended
High Speed Internet	Yes	Yes
Tablet, Macbook Air, and Hybrid devices are not recommended for production and computing

Cost of Attendance

Estimated Costs: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

The charts below contain estimates of direct costs for AY2023-24 for Maryland residents and out-of-state students for the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program. Students should consult the University’s Business Office webpage for the most up-to-date tuition and fee rates.

Cost Estimate: Maryland Residents

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Program Total
Tuition	$29,000	$29,000	$29,000	$87,000
Maryland Resident Scholarship*	($10,000)	($10,000)	($10,000)	($30,000)
Fees	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000	$3,000
Total	$20,000	$20,000	$20,000	$60,000

* Beginning for AY2023-24, new applicants who are Maryland State residents at the time of application will automatically receive a $10,000 “Maryland Resident Scholarship” per year to help offset the cost of tuition for Maryland students.

Cost Estimate: Out-of-State Residents

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Program Total
Tuition	$29,000	$29,000	$29,000	$87,000
Fees	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000	$3,000
Total	$30,000	$30,000	$30,000	$90,000

Additional Notes

Estimates do not include other direct or indirect costs which may include but are not limited to: room and board, transportation costs, personal expenses, health insurance, background checks, etc.
The program total cost estimates above do not include annual tuition and fees increases. Tuition and fee rates are determined annually year by the Board of Trustees, and are subject to change.

https://catalog.ndm.edu/graduate-catalog/occupational-therapy-doctorate

Fieldwork

Opportunities for clinical experiences are built into the curriculum to provide gradually increased levels of responsibility and experience in occupational therapy settings under the guidance and supervision of a qualified occupational therapist.

Level I Fieldwork provides an introductory experience where you can become more comfortable with client needs in a supervised setting. It helps to enrich didactic coursework by seeing firsthand the concepts discussed in class. It also provides an opportunity to explore different practice settings. At NDMU, level I fieldwork includes placements related to physical dysfunction; mental health; pediatrics; and education, wellness, community, and emerging trends.
Level II Fieldwork provides more in-depth experiences working directly with clients to enhance your skills as a practitioner. The NDMU curriculum includes two full-time placements.

Capstone

The capstone is the culmination of your OTD studies and is comprised of three courses:

Capstone Planning
Capstone Project
Capstone Experience

Planning for the doctoral capstone requires collaboration with faculty and a mentor to prepare for the experience. You will develop in-depth skills in areas such as practice, research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development.

The Capstone Experience occurs over a minimum of 14 weeks or 560 hours under the supervision of a mentor, who may or may not be an occupational therapist depending on the expertise needed to provide appropriate direction. No more than 20% of the 560 hours may occur off-site from the mentored practice experience. Time spent off-site may include independent study activities, such as research and writing.

How to Apply

The NDMU Occupational Therapy Doctorate program starts a new cohort each fall. Applicants may apply for the next cohort through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS), or directly through our website at no cost.

Standard Deadline

The standard deadline to submit a completed application is April 1. Applications received after the April 1 deadline may be considered for admission if space is available and would be placed on a wait list.

Apply on OTCAS

Apply through NDMU - no application fee!

Free Housing

Admitted students may submit an application to be considered for complimentary student housing. The priority deadline for this application is Feb. 28. For more information please contact Natalie Cross at ncross2@ndm.edu.

Program Accreditation

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status 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 c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must have a preaccreditation review, 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: 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 12 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.

OTD Facilities