Program Learning Goals

The occupational therapy doctorate program prepares students for advanced practice within six broad themes of study:

Ethics, Justice, and Care

• Be culturally responsive by providing individualized, high-quality, and customized services in a diverse set of health care and community-based settings to serve clients with the highest integrity.
• Evaluate the protection of human rights and dignity, equal access to occupation, and prevention of occupational deprivation. 

Occupations, Occupation-Based Practice, and Occupational Engagement

• Directly address the use of occupation in facilitating change, growth, adaptation, and occupational participation toward the goals of health, wellness, and improved quality of life.
• Utilize everyday occupations that address daily activities that people do on a regular basis while engaged in diverse life pursuits and social roles.

Leadership, Advocacy, and Collaboration

• Seek leadership positions to influence changing policies, environments, and complex health care systems.
• Engage with other health care professionals to actualize optimal interprofessional care, thereby improving patient care, reducing costs, and maximizing independence and quality of life for our clients. 

Community-Based and Contextual Practice

• Excel in working with clients and within a care system to demonstrate effective outcome, improving their ability to participate in their families, their communities, and society.
• Expand practice to include marginalized unserved populations within contextually appropriate settings.

Rigorous Inquiry, Scholarship, and Innovation

• Value evidence-based, effective practice-based, client-centered, and cost-effective care.
• Recognize the importance of continued value for both qualitative and quantitative clinical research to improve care to clients, and therapeutic processes appropriate for contemporary and future practice.
• Given the complexity of occupational engagement, best practices requires a deep base of knowledge that helps each student develop a professional identity as an occupational therapist.
• Prepared to assist clients who are limited by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, developmental, and environmental conditions to maximize their engagement in occupation and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents.