About
The UNLV School of Integrated Health Sciences offers an Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree program that immerses students in an intensive 120 credit hour curriculum designed for entry-level competence. The curriculum includes coursework, clinical fieldwork, and a doctoral capstone project. The program admits 36 students each summer and spans three consecutive semesters (summer, fall, spring) for three years. Students will be eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational therapy (NBCOT®) exam after they successfully complete all program requirements, and the program receives full accreditation status.
Accreditation
The UNLV Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA®). ACOTE® is the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education and oversees the accreditation process for all new occupational therapy programs.
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 510E
Bethesda, MA 20814
Phone: 301-652-6611 x2042
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree, students will be prepared to:
- Engage in the ethical practice of occupational therapy as outlined by the AOTA Code of Ethics (2015) as measured through successful and passing evaluation in Fieldwork and Capstone Experience.
- Identify, select, and engage in leadership and advocacy activities that promote occupational justice through meaningful community-based services with time spent totaling 20 hours or more during student’s tenure, with a focus on addressing systemic barriers and advancing equitable participation for underserved populations.
- Utilize evidence-based occupational therapy interventions to address the occupation-centered practice and to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life in individuals across the lifespan.
- Demonstrate competence in critically evaluating research in each of the three evidence-based practice courses in the OTD curriculum, as evidenced by passing competencies within each course.
- Achieve entry-level competence in evaluating patient performance through performing standardized and non-standardized assessments in classroom and community settings.
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 due to the changing demographics in the country and changes in the healthcare delivery system. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook states that employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 17% from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than the average for all occupations. It also states that about 10,000 openings for occupational therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace current workers. Occupational therapists work in many areas of practice with populations across the lifespan in various settings such as:
- Hospitals – general, psychiatric, pediatric, cancer, neurologic, orthopedic
- Schools providing K – 12 education
- Private practice agencies
- Home health agencies, mobile outpatient care
- Outpatient rehabilitation clinics
- Hand therapy clinics
- Skilled nursing facilities and other residential care settings
- Correctional facilities
- Industrial settings
- Academic institutions
- Research
Requirements
Documents/Downloads
Occupational Therapy Doctorate
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Plans of Study
Syllabi
Contacts
Graduate Coordinator
Sharon Jalene, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs / Associate Professor-in-Residence / Director - B.S. of Applied Health Sciences
Phone
School of Integrated Health Sciences
With many degree offerings that are accredited by national organizations, the School of Integrated Health Sciences offers dynamic classroom instruction, laboratory/clinical practice, research, and mentoring. Our students develop skills that help them break into health-related fields and further their graduate or professional studies.