OTD Program-Specific Policies
Occupational therapy students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, student labs, and fieldwork assignments. In the case of absence due to illness or emergency, the student should notify the course instructor. Appointments for health services should not be made during scheduled class time.
Written and practical examinations and performance evaluations are a part of the educational program throughout the curriculum. All courses in each term must be passed before the student is allowed to progress to the next term. All courses that receive an incomplete (I) must be resolved by the end of the subsequent term. No credit for any course is awarded until the end of the term. The point-grade conversion scale used for all courses taught by occupational therapy faculty is as follows:
Grading Scale
|
A |
93-100 |
|
A- |
90-92 |
|
B+ |
86-89 |
|
B |
83-85 |
|
B- |
80-82 |
|
C+ |
76-79 |
|
C |
73-75 |
|
C- |
70-72 |
|
F |
<70 |
Grades of Pass/Fail are used for grading Level II Fieldwork and the Capstone Experience. Passing fieldwork and capstone experience grades are not included in calculating the grade point average (GPA), and failing grades are included in calculating the GPA. Information about grading related to incompletes and withdrawals is covered in the general college section of the bulletin. Students should reference this information about grade assignment in these situations.
Progress, Promotion and Graduation
Each term, the Progress and Promotions Committee meets.
In order to progress to the next term in good standing, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If a student’s GPA for that term drops below 3.0, the Progress and Promotions Committee forwards to the Dean of the college a recommendation that the student be placed on probation. During that probation term, the student must achieve a GPA of 3.0 or greater. Probation may also result from a student earning a cumulative grade point average (GPA) that falls below the minimum required by the specific degree program or by earning a grade of “C - 2.0 quality points” or lower in one or more courses as stipulated by the specific degree program or by failing to meet expected levels of clinical competencies or professional behaviors. The student may also be required to meet other expectations in order to be removed from probation. While on probation, the student may not participate in fieldwork rotations.
Earning a grade of “D” or “F” will result in a recommendation from the Progress & Promotions Committee that the student be dismissed from the program.
A student must demonstrate satisfactory personal and professional behavior deemed by faculty as being necessary for academic success and competency in clinical practice. Such areas may include ability to establish rapport with clients, ability to work and communicate effectively with members of the health care team, dependability, judgment, integrity, initiative, and interest. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the Progress and Promotions Committee’s recommending that the student be placed on probation.
According to the college policy, in exceptional circumstances, a student may be allowed to repeat all or part of the curriculum. All earned grades in didactic work and failing grades in Level 2 fieldwork and the capstone experience are calculated in the overall GPA.
Students must meet the college and program technical standards to continue in the program and graduate.
In the case of a negative recommendation by the Progress and Promotions Committee, the Dean makes a decision to either accept the recommendation or not. When the Dean decides to uphold the recommendation, her office sends a letter to the student (via encrypted email) to notify the student of the negative decision. If the student is placed on probation, the letter outlines requirements the student must meet in order to be removed from probation.
Students who withdraw from the program without permission to return or who are dismissed from the College for non-academic reasons may reapply. However, students who are dismissed from the program for academic reasons are generally not considered competitive. Students who chose to reapply to the program following an academic dismissal should provide documentation of extenuating circumstances that contributed to the inability to progress in the program, resolution of the extenuating circumstances, and their plan to be successful academically if readmitted to the program. This information should be submitted to the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee @ uthscot@uthsc.edu.
The following requirements must be satisfied to earn the Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree:
- Satisfactory completion of 106 credit hours of professional curriculum course work, including satisfactory performance in 18 credit hours of Level II Fieldwork and10 credit hours of Capstone Experience. Level II Fieldworkand doctoral capstone requirements must be completed within the 24 months following completion of academic coursework.
- Completion of all didactic coursework in the OTD curriculum with a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or higher.
- Demonstration of the level of professionalism necessary for the professional practice of occupational therapy.
- Ability to meet the minimal technical standards or essential skills necessary for the professional practice of occupational therapy.
- Submission and satisfactory completion of all assignments related to fieldwork and the Professional Development Evaluation.
Attendance at graduation is mandatory. Those unable to attend the commencement must obtain permission to receive the degree in absentia by filing a written request with the Dean of the College.
Students are expected to have a laptop with the minimum computer requirements as specified by Information Technology Services (ITS).
Students must demonstrate good physical and mental health consistent with the demands of the educational program and the professional field of occupational therapy. Immunization against Hepatitis B virus is required. Some fieldwork sites have additional requirements for health screening and/or further immunization.
Technical Standards
The goal of the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, College of Health Professions (COHP) is to prepare students for the practice of the professions of audiology and speech pathology, clinical laboratory science, health informatics and information management, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. This includes undergraduate and graduate education, where applicable. Modern health professions education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of essential skills, functions and professional attitudes and behavior. The faculty of the College of Health Professions have a responsibility to graduate the best possible practitioners and graduate students; therefore, admission to educational programs in the College is offered only to those who present the highest qualifications for education and training in the art and science of the respective health professions.
For admission to the College of Health Professions (COHP), students are expected to be able to successfully meet the Technical Standards as outlined below. Students must have the ability to meet these standards either with or without approved accommodations (for students with documented disabilities.) We receive applications from students representing different backgrounds and unique life experiences. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to help students meet these technical standards when appropriate, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Technical standards cannot be waived. Any student needing accommodations should contact Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI) for further information. Information regarding accommodations can be found online or by calling 901-448-5056.
In the event a student cannot meet these technical standards either with or without reasonable accommodations, the student will be ineligible for admission or continued enrollment in the program. In addition to ensuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotional and physical criteria for participating in programs in the College of Health Professions, it should also be noted that of utmost importance is the safety and welfare of clients. The faculty of the COHP have a responsibility for the welfare of the clients treated or otherwise affected by students enrolled in the College as well as for the welfare of its students relative to the educational programs of the College. If a student is unable to perform in a manner that ensures the safety and welfare of clients and others, the student is unable to meet the technical standards of the College.
In order to fulfill this responsibility, the Committees on Admissions for the various professional programs of the College maintains that certain minimal technical standards must be present in applicants to the various educational programs of the College. These Committees on Admissions will consider for admission applicants who demonstrate the ability to perform or to learn to perform, the essential skills listed in this document. The College, in assuring the safety and welfare of others as well as ensuring that we graduate the best possible clinicians, will assess the candidate’s overall ability to meet the academic, physical and emotional standards necessary to complete the College’s curricula and to graduate as skilled and effective practitioners.
Candidates for the bachelor of science degree, as well as those enrolled in any graduate education program of the College, must have the following essentials: motor skills; sensory/observational skills; communication skills, intellectual-conceptual skills, integrative and quantitative abilities; and behavioral/social skills and professionalism.
Additionally, applicants to programs of the College must possess the following general qualities: critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, physical and mental stamina, and the ability to learn and function in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings. Graduates of the College must have the minimal skills, essential functions and knowledge to function in a broad variety of clinical settings, while rendering a wide spectrum of healthcare services.
All students must be able to perform the essential functions of the curriculum with or without accommodations and meet the technical standards described herein for the program in which the student is enrolled. Students who disclose a properly documented disability will receive any and all reasonable accommodations. Students desiring accommodations should refer to the Centerscope for further information and apply to Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI) who will then work with both the student and the College to determine and deliver accommodations.
In addition to the general standards described above, each professional program requires additional specific standards as follow:
Occupational therapy procedures require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses. For this reason, candidates for admission to occupational therapy must have the manual dexterity to engage in procedures involving grasping, manipulating, pushing, pulling, holding, extending, and rotating.
Occupational Therapy Program candidates must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by touch, palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other standardized and non-standardized evaluative procedures.
Candidates must be able to provide general occupational therapy, including the ability to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, lift and transfer patients, and to stand/sit long periods of time.
Candidates must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in laboratory experiences as required by the curriculum. Candidates must be able to observe clients and be able to obtain an appropriate history directly from the client. Such observation necessitates the use of cognition, social skills and the senses, including visual perception, depth, and acuity.
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with clients in English. In addition, candidates must be able to communicate in oral and written with faculty, COHP personnel, and peers in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. Such communication skills include not only speech but also reading and writing. Candidates must be able to acquire information delivered through classroom instruction, clinical experiences, independent learning, and consultation. Candidates must have the ability to complete reading assignments and search and evaluate the literature. Candidates must be able to complete written assignments and maintain written records.
Additionally, candidates must have the ability to complete assessment exercises. Candidates must have the social skills and ability to use therapeutic communication, such as attending, clarifying, coaching, facilitating, and touching. These skills must be performed in clinical settings, as well as the didactic and laboratory environments.
Candidates must have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize data. Problem solving and diagnosis, including obtaining, interpreting and documenting data are critical skills demanded of occupational therapists. These skills allow students to make proper assessments, sound judgments, appropriately prioritize therapeutic interventions and measure and record client care outcomes. Candidates must have the ability to use technology for searching, recording, storing, and retrieving information. In addition, candidates must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of anatomic structures.
Candidates must demonstrate attributes of empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation, as such qualities are assessed throughout occupational therapy education. Candidates must possess the emotional well-being required for use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to adapt to ever-changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties and stresses which are inherent in the educational process, as well as the clinical problems of many patients.
Candidates must have the ability to function as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team and to be assertive and delegate responsibilities as needed. Occupational therapists must utilize good organizational skills in order to prioritize their work, manage their time and meet deadlines.