Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Be part of an occupational therapy program that makes you a top priority with classes taught by scholars and leaders in the field. With a strong legacy of developing occupational therapists since 1941 and advancing their education with post-professional degrees since 1995, Mount Mary is the university to move your practice forward.
The post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate is designed for practicing occupational therapists (OT/OTR) who seek to transition from a master's degree to a doctorate and achieve their career goals in their chosen area of practice. What makes our program unique? Every class lets you focus on your preferred area of practice! As a professional in our program, you will:
- enhance your depth of knowledge and reflect upon practice, based on occupation, theory, and evidence
- design an innovative program of your choosing that meets the unique needs of a population and organization
- use leadership and advocacy skills to raise the visibility of the occupational therapy profession in the community
As a graduate, you will be able to:
- use leadership skills to design and implement program ideas that meet the needs of an organization and a population
- collaborate using interprofessional strategies to develop and analyze program outcomes
- synthesize in-depth knowledge to design solutions for practice challenges based on professional evidence
Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Be part of an occupational therapy program that makes you a top priority with classes taught by scholars and leaders in the field. With a strong legacy of developing occupational therapists since 1941 and advancing their education with post-professional degrees since 1995, Mount Mary is the university to move your practice forward.
The post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate is designed for practicing occupational therapists (OT/OTR) who seek to transition from a master's degree to a doctorate and achieve their career goals in their chosen area of practice. What makes our program unique? Every class lets you focus on your preferred area of practice! As a professional in our program, you will:
- enhance your depth of knowledge and reflect upon practice, based on occupation, theory, and evidence
- design an innovative program of your choosing that meets the unique needs of a population and organization
- use leadership and advocacy skills to raise the visibility of the occupational therapy profession in the community
As a graduate, you will be able to:
- use leadership skills to design and implement program ideas that meet the needs of an organization and a population
- collaborate using interprofessional strategies to develop and analyze program outcomes
- synthesize in-depth knowledge to design solutions for practice challenges based on professional evidence
Term 1
OCT 800: Professional Doctorate Plan (2 credits) Leadership development for interprofessional collaboration with an organizational partner and population including networking and advocacy.
OCT 802: Population Services (2 credits) Occupational therapy’s unique contribution to population services. Theoretical foundations for organization and community.
OCT 810: Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice (2 credits) Overview of research methods and skill development in database searches, critical analysis and synthesis of evidence commencing in a scholarly analysis supporting efficacy of a population-based intervention.
Term 2
OCT 812: Specialty Practice Residency (4 credits) Design and implementation of a program to address unmet occupational needs for a targeted population within an organizational context. Emphasis on interprofessional collaboration.
OCT 814: Specialty Practice Competency (2 credits) Advance the scholarly synthesis to strengthen and focus the evidence for occupational therapy population programming. Reflection on the benefits and challenges of program implementations and assessment of program sustainability.
OCT 814A: Doctoral Advising (1 credit) Iindividualized doctoral advising to support project development and dissemination of program.
Term 3
OCT 816: Specialty Practice Project (2 credits) Development of scholarly report including needs assessment, professional literature, program design, and evaluation. Development of a grant proposal to support program and population services.
OCT 818: Professional Doctorate Portfolio (4 credits) Complete and defend a professional doctoral portfolio representing an evidence-based population program. Completion of the literature review and integration of portfolio components.
OCT 818A: Doctoral Advising (1 credit) Iindividualized doctoral advising to support completion of the doctoral portfolio and preparation for the oral defense by the doctoral candidate.
Total Credits: 20
Kari C. Inda, Ph.D., OTR/L, CEAS
Chair/Professor/Post-Professional Program Director
indak@mtmary.edu
Meghan Anderson, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
andersom@mtmary.edu
Stephanie Beisbier, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Professor, Professional Entry Program Director
beisbies@mtmary.edu
Katelyn Brady, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
bradyk@mtmary.edu
Julie H. Hunley, Ph.D., OT/L, CLT
Professor
hunleyj@mtmary.edu
Jennifer L. Kinkade, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor
kinkadej@mtmary.edu
Heather Martin, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor
martinh@mtmary.edu
Kelly Stapelman, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator
stapelmk@mtmary.edu
Cynthia Steinert, PP-OTD, OTR/L, CLT
Assistant Professor
steinerc@mtmary.edu
Rita Burlingame-Toppen, PP-OTD, OTR/L, CYT
Assistant Professor
burlingr@mtmary.edu
Mitchell Voss, PP-OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor, Post-Professional Master's Program Coordinator
vossm@mtmary.edu
Minimum requirements for admission include:
- Employment as an occupational therapist for a minimum of one year
- Minimum required cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4-point scale on a master's degree (3.0 on a bachelor’s degree) or demonstrated academic ability.
- Verification of identity with copy of driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued photo identification
- Copy of current state license as an occupational therapist
To apply to the OTD program, please submit the following items:
- Graduate Student Application
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Copy of current OT license
- Copy of government-issued photo ID
Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Upon notification of admission, applicants must submit a tuition deposit to confirm their intent to enroll. A maximum of 20 students are admitted each year.
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