Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program

The University of Tennessee Health Science entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctor (OTD) curriculum combines coursework from our MOT program with two additional terms of courses that cover topics related to leadership, advocacy, teaching, learning, program development, and grant funding. The OTD program is 33-months in length and culminates in the doctoral capstone experience. A bachelor's degree is required for entry.

The UTHSC OTD degree program has applied for accreditation 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-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must be granted Candidacy Status, 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, all states require licensure 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.

 Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork and an individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework, Level II fieldwork and preparatory activities defined in 2023 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.