Program Overview

Program Overview

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (entry-level) program at Boston University's Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences prepares students with baccalaureate degrees in various disciplines to become qualified occupational therapists. The program includes four on-campus terms, online courses during the summer months, fieldwork, and capstone components.

Program Structure

The three-year program consists of:

• Two years (four terms) of on-campus academic work
• Two summer terms of online coursework
• Completion of two full-time, 12-week clinical experiences (Level II Fieldwork)
• A doctoral capstone, which includes a 14-week experience and associated project

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to provide an excellent education for students planning for professional roles as occupational therapy practitioners in traditional settings, as well as in emerging areas of practice. Clinical courses make extensive use of case examples presented from a life course perspective.

Integrative Seminar

Each term, students participate in an Integrative Seminar that links academic course content with concurrent extended Level I Fieldwork (LIFW) in the local Boston community. Students discuss and analyze their LIFW experiences in the seminar and apply learning from other courses to these clinical situations.

Faculty

Students in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program study with outstanding faculty who have made significant contributions to occupational therapy practice, scholarship, and research. The BU faculty are known among occupational therapists and the healthcare community throughout the world and bring a broad and rich perspective to the education of students in the occupational therapy program.

Program Goals

The OTD program produces leaders who desire to be agents of change through the application of occupational therapy knowledge and expertise to improve the health and well-being of others in a wide variety of settings. This goal requires that students understand the experiences of others; assume responsibility for their own personal and professional development; appreciate the complex systems involved in human occupation and health; and communicate, interact, and collaborate effectively with clients, families, professional colleagues, and the larger community.

Accreditation

Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences’ entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

Graduation Requirements

Graduates of the program 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).

Degree Requirements

The program is designed for full-time study. In the unusual event that a student is approved by faculty for a part-time or extended program due to extenuating circumstances, the student must complete at least one term of coursework on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 units).

Summary of Entry-Level OTD Requirements

• A minimum grade of B– or a P on all competency exams in all professional courses
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• A minimum of 92 graduate-level units from courses numbered 500 or above
• Successful completion of 24 weeks of supervised Level II Fieldwork and 14 weeks of Doctoral Practicum and Capstone within 24 months after finishing didactic work
• Completion of all requirements within five years of initial matriculation
• Demonstration of appropriate professional behaviors as described in the Occupational Therapy Student Manual

Doctoral Practicum and Capstone

During the practicum and capstone, students apply the knowledge and skills developed in courses and clinical fieldwork to the design and implementation of an applied and innovative response to an identified need in the field.

Curriculum Details

The sequence of courses for the OTD program is fixed. Professional courses are sequential and offered only once a year.

First Year, OTD-1

• Fall Term:
  • SAR OT 500 Integrative Seminar I and LIFW (2 units)
  • SAR OT 506 Therapeutic Use of Self (2 units)
  • SAR OT 513 Analysis and Adaptation of Occupation
  • SAR OT 520 Evidence-Based OT Practice I (2 units)
  • SAR OT 529 Occupation Across the Life Course
  • SAR OT 576 Anatomy for Occupational Therapy
  • SAR OT 589 Orientation to Practice (0 units)
• Spring Term:
  • SAR OT 501 Integrative Seminar II and LIFW (2 units)
  • SAR OT 524 Introduction to the OT Process
  • SAR OT 526 Functional Movement: Analysis and Assessment
  • SAR OT 556 Neuroscience for Occupational Therapy
  • SAR OT 562 Learning and Behavior Change
• Summer Term:
  • SAR OT 940 Social, Economic, and Political Factors that Influence Occupational Performance
  • SAR OT 942 Health and Wellness Promotion

Second Year, OTD-2

• Fall Term:
  • SAR OT 502 Integrative Seminar III & LIFW
  • SAR OT 538 Assistive Technology (2 units)
  • SAR OT 563 Context and Occupational Performance (2 units)
  • SAR OT 564 Skills for Occupation-Based Practice I
  • SAR OT 569 Occupation-Based Practice for Individuals (2 units)
  • SAR OT 620 Evidence-Based OT Practice II (2 units)
• Spring Term:
  • SAR OT 530 Occupation-Based Practice with Groups
  • SAR OT 565 Skills for Occupation-Based Practice II
  • SAR OT 586 Professional Service Management
  • SAR OT 590 Fieldwork Seminar/Field Experience Fee (0 units)
  • SAR OT 944 Needs Assessment and Program Development
• Summer Term:
  • SAR OT 943 Professional Development Seminar
  • SAR OT 945 Clinical Theory Development and Analysis

Third Year, OTD-3

• Fall Term:
  • SAR OT 593 Level II Field Experience I (0 units)
• Spring Term:
  • SAR OT 594 Level II Field Experience II (0 units)
  • SAR OT 946 Preparation for Doctoral Capstone (2 units)
• Summer Term:
  • SAR OT 949 Doctoral Practicum (0 units)
  • SAR OT 947 Mentored Studies in Doctoral Capstone (4 units)
  • SAR OT 948 Mentored Doctoral Capstone Dissemination (2 units)

Institutional Accreditation

Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The University was most recently granted continuing accreditation in 2020.

Graduation Rates

The total number of graduates from the Boston University Occupational Therapy doctoral degree program in 2024 was 41, with an overall graduation rate of 97.6%.