All students must meet the requirements for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree.
Overview
The entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Degree is designed to prepare students to become Occupational Therapy practitioners. Graduates will learn how to help people attain their desired level of participation in life regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, or socioeconomic background. They will learn Occupational Therapy practice across the lifespan and across practice settings. They will become scholarly and innovative thinkers, and will articulate clearly through written and verbal communication the value of the profession.
The University of Vermont’s 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), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD, 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program are 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). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Specific Requirements
Minimum Degree Requirements
The entry-level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree requires successful completion of the following graduate credits:
| Requirement Description | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| YEAR 1 | ||
| FALL | ||
| OT 7100 | Foundations for OT Practice | 2 |
| OT 7110 | Functional Anatomy | 4 |
| OT 7120 | Mvt and Occup Performance | 3 |
| OT 7140 | Psych & MH Influence on Occup | 3 |
| OT 7180 | Analyze Activity & Performance | 3 |
| SPRING | ||
| OT 7200 | Therapeutic Interventions | 3 |
| OT 7240 | Vis&Cog-Percep Infl Occupation | 3 |
| OT 7250 | Older Adults as Occup Beings | 6 |
| NSCI 6020 | Neuroscience | 3 |
| SUMMER | ||
| OT 7700 | Fieldwork I | 1 |
| OT 7701 | Fieldwork I Clinical Placement | 1 |
| OT 7350 | Cultural Immersion | 2 |
| OT 7370 | Research I: Identifying Gaps | 2 |
| OT 7600 | Cap I: Prof Scholar & Explor | 2 |
| YEAR 2 | ||
| FALL | ||
| OT 7400 | Teaching and Advocacy | 2 |
| OT 7450 | Young Adults as Occup Beings | 6 |
| OT 7460 | Children as Occ beings I | 3 |
| OT 7470 | Research II: Implementing | 2 |
| OT 7480 | Designing Creative Ther Interv | 2 |
| OT 7610 | Cap II: Devel & Support Evide | 1 |
| SPRING | ||
| OT 7490 | OT Practice Management | 3 |
| OT 7550 | Children as Occup Beings II | 3 |
| OT 7560 | Living Life to the Fullest | 3 |
| OT 7570 | Research III: Disseminating | 2 |
| OT 7590 | Becoming Life Long Pract | 2 |
| OT 7620 | Capstone III: Proposal Defense | 1 |
| SUMMER | ||
| OT 7710 | Fieldwork Level IIA | 6 |
| YEAR 3 | ||
| FALL | ||
| OT 7720 | Fieldwork Level IIB | 6 |
| SPRING | ||
| OT 7630 | Capstone IV: Capstone Course | 2 |
| OT 7631 | Capstone IV: Capstone Exper | 5 |
| OT 7881 | Professional Preparation | 1 |
Following successful completion of all didactic coursework, fieldwork, and the capstone project and experience, students will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Comprehensive Examination
Successful completion of the capstone project and experience.
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Successful completion of the capstone project and experience.