Occupational Therapy

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 (2)
OTD 555 Capstone Planning I (1)
OTD 554 Fieldwork Level 1B – Physical Rehab (.5)

Fall Semester (13.5 Semester Hours)
OTD 601 Immersive III – Pediatrics and Youth (5)
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 (3)
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 – (2)

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)

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.

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.

The capstone is the culmination of your OTD studies and is comprised of (8) courses:

• Capstone Planning, I, II, III, IV, and V
• Doctoral Experiential Seminar
• Doctoral Rotation
• Capstone Presentation

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, sustainable development and health, policy and advocacy, education, and theory development.

The onsite Doctoral Capstone Rotation occurs over a minimum of 14 weeks full-time and a minimum of 32 hours per week. The onsite capstone experience occurs under the supervision of a mentor, who may or may not be an occupational therapist depending on the expertise needed to provide appropriate direction.

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 May 15. Applications received after the May 15 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!

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.

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.

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.

Applicants are required to complete thirty (30) hours of observation. Three practice areas 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.

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.

Success in both the online and in-person portions of the program requires students to have the ability to navigate the institution’s learning management system (Canvas), manage electronic communications (email), utilize research and information databases, and install software. Online courses will consist of a combination of scheduled synchronous and asynchronous learning activities; synchronous sessions will require use of the Zoom platform.  In-person courses will maximize the use of technology with no seat-time reduction, using the Canvas learning management system for administration, communication, assessment and content delivery to both supplement and enhance the face-to-face experience. Prior to starting coursework, all students will be required to complete an online orientation course through Canvas that will prepare them to meet the technology competency requirements of the online portions of the program.  Additionally, students will have ongoing access to the IT service desk to assist with managing questions or concerns related to required technologies while in the program.

Windows Desktop/Laptop

• Operating (OS): Latest 64-bit OS
• Processor: Intel Core i7 or Ryzen 5/7/9
• RAM or Memory: 8GB
• Hard Drive: 120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash drive
• Web Cam and Microphone: Yes
• Graphics Card: Intel Graphics
• Warranty: Recommended
• High Speed Internet: Yes

MacDesktop/Laptop

• Operating (OS): Latest OS
• Processor: Intel Core i7 or Ryzen 5/7/9
• RAM or Memory: 8GB
• Hard Drive: 120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash drive
• Web Cam and Microphone: Yes
• Graphics Card: Intel Graphics
• Warranty: Recommended
• High Speed Internet: Yes

Tablet, Macbook Air, and Hybrid devices are not recommended for production and computing

Learn More

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

* 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

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.

The minimum requirements for program length and quality standards for the OTD graduate degree program at Notre Dame of Maryland University is described below. Requirements for graduate degree programs may be refined from time to time as determined by the University in its academic judgment. Even after the requirements for a degree have been fulfilled, each student must complete the degree application to graduate. The “Apply to Graduate” option is found within the university portal. No degree can be processed unless the degree application is completed.

Successful completion of 124 weeks and 104 credits signal the minimum requirement for the awarding of the NDMU-OTD degree.

All occupational therapy doctoral graduate students must successfully complete the 104 credits of the NDMU-OTD program curriculum within five years from the date of matriculation in order to be eligible for graduation; this includes successful completion of all Level I and Level II fieldwork rotations, their doctoral capstone project and final capstone presentation. In addition, occupational therapy graduate students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or greater to receive an OTD degree.

Occupational Therapy faculty affirm the importance of using programmatic and in-course remedial interventions to provide students with the opportunity to improve and demonstrate their competency of course content such that the students may progress through the curriculum. For the remediation process and outcome to be successful, students are expected to proactively seek help, utilize all available resources, take responsibility for their learning, and fully commit to successfully completing the remediation.

Within-Course Remedial Interventions are administered during the course to improve student’s knowledge, skills, or application of course material, to avoid a course failure. All students are eligible for and required to complete within-course remedial interventions.

End-of-Course Remediation: An opportunity for end-of-course remediation will be provided to any student who is at risk of earning a B- or a C grade in a course if they meet the criteria below and approved by the Promotion and Graduation Committee. As part of the Committee’s decision-making process, the course coordinator will be asked to provide a recommendation as to the students’ eligibility.

Failure to demonstrate competency in any assessment or assignment deemed critical for successfully completing or passing the course

Participation in and completion of within-course remedial interventions

Completion of all assigned work within the course

Earning a pending final grade of a B- or C.

Limits to eligibility: Students may not be allowed to take an end-of-course remediation in situations including but not limited to:

• Attempting to use end-of-course remediation when course failure is due to
  • academic dishonesty
  • Student conduct violation
• Violation of any other University or School codes, regulations, or policies

The Individual Remediation Plan is developed for a student who is at risk of earning a grade lower than B- in a course as determined by the course coordinator. The remediation plan addresses and incorporates documented student deficiencies so that the student can successfully remediate the course and progress. The remediation plan is developed by course faculty and approved by the Promotion and Graduation Committee.

Students who successfully complete end-of-course remediation will have a grade of B submitted to the Registrar and recorded on the transcript.

Students who fail end-of-course remediation will have a grade of F submitted to the Registrar and recorded on the transcript. Students will repeat the course as per their progression policies.