Program Overview

Hanover OTD Program

The Hanover College OTD Program is a hybrid, accelerated, and interactive program that believes students are occupational beings with prior knowledge and experiences that shape their views and serve as a foundation for further growth.

OTD Program Philosophy

The OTD faculty believe that to become competent, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive practitioners, students must participate in significant learning experiences that transform them into effective occupational therapists. By engaging in active learning experiences in and beyond the classroom, students integrate academic knowledge, clinical reasoning, and self-reflection. These significant learning experiences transform the student's understanding of how occupations are an integral therapeutic tool in the overall health and wellness of people, groups, and populations.

Hybrid, Accelerated, Interactive

• Online: Students will engage in online learning throughout the program, with synchronous sessions every week, allowing students and faculty to interact in real-time.
• Lab Immersion: Onsite laboratory immersion sessions comprise approximately 20% of the curriculum, reflecting the importance of hands-on skill acquisition for the occupational therapy student.
• Fieldwork: The Hanover College OTD Program's Fieldwork Education provides students with the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with the practice of occupational therapy and client care.
• Capstone: The doctoral capstone consists of both the capstone experience and the capstone project, creating and enhancing the student's professional skills and abilities.

Program Commitment

Hanover College's hybrid, accelerated program provides the opportunity to obtain a doctoral education in occupational therapy in just two years. The time commitment for this accelerated program will be equivalent to a full-time job, and students must commit fully to the program.

Program Goals

Upon completion of the OTD Program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to:

• Incorporate an ecological perspective of health across the lifespan by developing and implementing theoretically sound, evidence-based occupational therapy practice and programs.
• Implement best practices that optimize client outcomes through the integration of critical thinking skills that support sound clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
• Embrace and commit to the ethical standards, values, and attitudes of the profession through the use of ethical reasoning.
• Advocate for the diverse occupational needs of people, communities, and populations to promote participation in meaningful and valued occupations across environments.
• Ensure client care incorporates an interprofessional, collaborative perspective.
• Use occupation-based assessments and implement occupation-based interventions supporting participation across environments for people, communities, and populations.
• Advance the roles of occupational therapy through effective leadership and advocacy.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and scholarly practice through lifelong learning and critical inquiry.

Program Outcomes

Graduation Year | Students Entering | Non-Academic Withdrawal | Students Graduating | Graduation Rate ---|---|---|---|--- 2025 | 59 | 8 | 44 | 86% Total | 59 | 8 | 44 | 86%

NBCOT Exam Pass Rate

Graduates of the Hanover College OTD Program are eligible to take the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Employment Rates

The first class of the Hanover College OTD Program graduated in December 2025. Employment rates of Hanover College OTD graduates will be self-reported by graduates via alumni surveys.