College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program is a three-year, year-round professional program that prepares students for community or clinical practice, post-doctorate educational experiences, and many other occupational therapy practice opportunities. Students may be admitted to the pre-occupational therapy bachelors degree program directly from high school and upon successful completion of established criteria, may be considered for admittance to the three-year professional program.

Experiential Educational Goals and Objectives

Curriculum

Admission

Occupational Therapy Department web site

OTD Experiential Educational Goals and Objectives

The Drake University Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program will prepare students with the flexible, clinical, analytical and practice skills necessary to succeed in occupational therapy through an interdisciplinary blend of professional, science, and liberal arts education. The purpose of the program is to provide graduates with an advanced entry-level knowledge base, skills, attitudes, ethics and values to succeed in occupational therapy careers. The curriculum is designed to provide the graduate with competence in these areas:

Drake OTD Program Outcomes

1. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to utilize and analyze evidence for occupation-based practice and develop habits of life-long learning
2. Graduates will value and engage in service opportunities to promote health and well-being for diverse and underserved populations.
3. Graduates will demonstrate competent clinical reasoning and care using occupation to enable clients across the lifespan within varied groups, and populations to live life to the fullest.
4. Graduates will display professionalism, ethical behavior, and advocacy skills to influence positive change with clients, communities, and the profession.

Drake OTD Curricular Themes

1. Professional responsibility and scholarship
2. Collaborative community engagement
3. Occupation across the life span
4. Professional identity

Curriculum

Admission

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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). In addition, most 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.

Admission to the Drake University OTD program is based on academic and personal qualifications that are necessary for successful, competent practice as an occupational therapist. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of the fit between their personal goals and the mission and goals of the OTD program.  Prior education, work experience, honors, awards, service to others and leadership activities are also considered in the admission process. Prior shadowing in an OT environment is helpful, but not required.

Students can apply to our OTD program by meeting the following requirements.  Please note that these are the requirements applicants must meet in order for their applications to be considered complete.  Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the OTD program.  

• Submit an application through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy (OTCAS)
• Submit a Drake University Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Supplemental Application and $70 application fee
• Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have scores submitted directly to OTCAS (institution code 1892); no minimum score is required to be considered for admission to the OTD program
• Earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the OTD program
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (as calculated in OTCAS)
• Complete (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined in the table below; all required courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the OTD program

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to receive transfer credit and fulfill prerequisite courses.  Please see Drake University's Transfer Credit Information page or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at (515) 271-3018 for more information.  Students who wish to fulfill prerequisites using Advanced Placement (AP) scores must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam.  Please see Drake University's AP, IB and CLEP Credit policy or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for more information. 

Drake University's Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program operates on a rolling admission process.  We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner.  Students with strong applications and academic credentials will be invited to complete the second phase of the admission process, which includes a scored on-campus interview and a scored writing assessment.