Program Description

The occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) is a full-time, in-person, 109-credit, 8 semester, entry-level doctoral program that is preparing students to assist clients who are limited by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, developmental, and environmental conditions, to maximize their independence and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents. They will pursue practice in acute and subacute healthcare facilities, the school system, early intervention programs, private practice, community-based practice, telehealth, community settings and the criminal justice system.

We are striving to incorporate innovative health care concepts needed to meet contemporary and predicted health care needs, those of interprofessional/interdisciplinary training, and meeting the needs of a diverse population as well as diverse health care settings. This program will prepare students with high quality instruction for contemporary and predicted health care in the basic medical sciences, psychology, sociology, patient assessment and evaluation, standardized and non-standardized tests and measurements, assistive and rehabilitative technologies, ergonomics, environmental health, special education, health education and promotion, and professional standards and ethics. In addition, we will prepare students to conduct clinical research and will provide exemplary training in working within interdisciplinary teams, with multiculturally diverse populations, for engaging in global health, and for community-based practice. Fieldwork will be integrated throughout the curriculum (for a total of 32 weeks plus the doctoral experiential, which is 14 weeks). International fieldwork placements and doctoral experiential opportunities will be available. This is not a Ph.D. program; no dissertation is required. The purpose of a clinical doctorate program is to focus on preparing practitioners with advanced clinical and leadership skills.

In concert with the values and mission of Rutgers, School of Health Professions, OTD program, and the state of health care, our core program goals serve to anchor our courses, clinical fieldwork experiences, service and community-based learning and research. Attention is given to occupation-based practice and expanding practice that will link our faculty's programs of research, teaching, and service.