Program Overview

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate

About

This program is a completely online post-professional occupational therapy doctorate (PP-OTD). It is an advanced degree for practicing occupational therapists, i.e. those who already have earned a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. It is designed to serve current working professionals who wish to advance their careers by earning a higher degree in order to assume positions in teaching, advanced clinical practice, and/or leadership positions.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please refer to Academic Program Accreditations.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate their advanced knowledge of occupational therapy practice through the attainment of course-level learning outcomes in the post-professional OTD program, measured by key assignments throughout their coursework.
• Students will demonstrate advanced-level skill in the Evidence-Based Practice Course through the development of a clinical research question that they will investigate further in their Capstone project.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze the impact of social determinants by successfully writing a detailed research paper on one aspect of the social determinants of health in the Social Determinants of Health course.
• Students will demonstrate effective skills in teaching others about occupational therapy within and outside of the profession through developing and delivering a course, workshop, or lecture to an occupational therapy audience of students and/or practitioners.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize their advanced knowledge by successfully completing a Capstone Project that leads to either publication and/or professional presentation.

Career Possibilities

The occupational therapy profession has been growing steadily since its inception in 1917. In the past few years there has been increased demand for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants due to the changing demographics in our country and changes in our healthcare delivery system. This has resulted in increased demand for occupational therapy educators as there has been significant increases in the number of educational programs for OT and OTA. The Post-Professional OTD Program at UNLV has a curricular emphasis on teaching and so graduates of the program should be able to apply for academic positions such as:

• Part-time or adjunct faculty in OT and OTA Programs
• Full-time academic positions in Master’s level OT programs, entry-level OTD programs, post-professional OTD programs, or OTA programs
• Academic Fieldwork Coordinator positions in OT and OTA programs
• Doctoral Capstone Coordinator positions in OTD Programs
• Administrative positions in healthcare facilities
• Research positions

Requirements

Plan Description

The mission of the UNLV post-professional OTD Program in Occupational Therapy is to provide practicing occupational therapists with advanced knowledge and skills so that they can advance in their respective careers to positions in leadership, advanced clinical practice, or higher education. The proposed program will provide an evidence-based and sequenced curriculum that will enable graduates to transition into leadership, advanced clinical practice, and/or higher education positions.

Plan Admission Requirements

• A degree in occupational therapy from an entry-level educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Initially certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
• An earned Master's degree from an accredited academic institution
• Current licensure as an occupational therapist (OTR)
• Minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years of your academic coursework (60 credits)

Application Process

• Students must complete a UNLV Graduate College Application via the Grad Rebel Gateway portal.
• Submit a nonrefundable admission application fee, payable check, money order, or online by credit card of $60 ($95 if you are an international student) to the Board of Regents, UNLV.
• Submit official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received.
• Submit the following additional admission materials required by the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program (PP-OTD) degree program:
  • Current curriculum vitae or resume.
  • Statement of purpose addressing the applicant's objectives for their doctoral education, including area of clinical expertise, and potential areas of research focus. Statement should be 2-3 pages in length.
  • Copy of initial certification from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) or, if international student, other national certification agency.
  • Copy of current occupational therapy license within a jurisdiction in the United States (if applicable).
  • Three letters of recommendation attesting to your ability to successfully engage in and complete doctoral level work (e.g., critical thinking, communication skills, ability to use therapy literature to guide practice), capacity to be a leader in the occupational therapy profession, and ability to work collaboratively to achieve professional outcomes. The letters must be signed and dated, and letterhead should be used when available. References may be from a supervisor, a colleague, or professor; one of these letters must be from an occupational therapist.

Plan Requirements

• Total Credits Required: 36
• Course Requirements:
  • Summer Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 701 - Advanced Clinical Practice in Occupational Therapy
    • OCT 702 - Leadership and Advocacy in Occupational Therapy Practice
  • Fall Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 703 - Evidence-Based Practice in Occupational Therapy
    • OCT 704 - Teaching Adult Learners/Pedagogy
  • Spring Semester 1st Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 705 - Distance Education and Telehealth
    • OCT 706 - Social Determinants of Health
  • Summer Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 707 - Evidence Based Education
    • OCT 708 - Issues in Higher Education and Healthcare
  • Fall Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 709 - Occupational Therapy Capstone I
    • OCT 710 - Program Development and Evaluation Program
  • Spring Semester 2nd Year Courses - Credits: 6
    • OCT 711 - Capstone II
    • OCT 712 - Innovations in Occupational Therapy Practice

Degree Requirements

• Capstone I (3 cr) and Capstone II (3 cr).
• Completion of the 36 credit program with a minimum of GPA of 3.0 throughout the program.

Plan Graduation Requirements

• Candidates must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout the 36 credit program.
• The student must submit and successfully present their final research project, professional paper, or case report by the posted deadline. The presentation must be advertised and is open to the public.
• The student must electronically submit a pdf copy of their approved, properly formatted thesis, doctoral project, or dissertation to the Graduate College for format check.
• Once approved, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline. Deadlines can be found here.
• Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.