How to Get a PhD or OTD in Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are valued by their patients and other members of the health community for their specialized knowledge. While a doctorate degree is not required for practice, many occupational therapists choose to return to school to enhance and deepen their knowledge in the field.

As a result, a growing number of doctorate-level degree programs in occupational therapy exist to help students meet a higher standard of research and ability. Depending on your personal career goals in the field, you may be interested in a research-based PhD, a professional OTD, or another degree in occupational therapy or one of its related categories.

Research-Based PhD in Occupational Therapy

Earning a PhD in occupational therapy means taking your education to the highest level available. While most occupational therapists in the U.S. practice with a master's degree plus licensure, some prefer the higher standard set by a doctoral program in occupational therapy. While few PhD graduates practice as occupational therapists, the career is one of the options for graduates.

The PhD is universally recognized as a terminal degree, heavy in both theory and research. Graduates may focus on academic work or high-level research for private or public companies. Additionally, PhD graduates in occupational therapy can go on to teach at the university level. Your coursework, research, and dissertation interests will ultimately guide your career path.

Typical Occupational Therapy PhD Process

Original research lies at the core of a PhD program in occupational therapy. The first few years of a typical program likely will be spent completing high-level coursework and research preparation. From there, students must pass a comprehensive exam and begin their research. At the end of the program, doctoral candidates present and defend their dissertation research before a panel.

Online Occupational Therapy PhD Programs

Choosing to pursue an online PhD in occupational therapy requires considering the pros and cons of both educational modes. Attending school online offers a level of convenience to working professionals, allowing you to keep your current job while you complete coursework. On the other hand, campus-based PhD programs mean more access to face-to-face communication with colleagues and professors.

Some online PhD programs in occupational therapy operate from a hybrid format, including both online coursework and campus requirements. In one such program, students spend multiple four-week sessions on campus, immersing themselves in coursework and scholarly research. As always, your individual needs will help determine your success in an occupational therapy program.

Earning a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree

Through advanced coursework, practicum experience, exams and projects, students of Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) programs take their degree experience to a higher level of knowledge and ability. Doctoral graduates leave their OTD program with:

• Advanced practice and specialized expertise
• Knowledge and skills beyond entry level degree work
• Education for leadership and educational roles

While they are considered equally academically rigorous, there are a few differences between an OTD and a PhD. While original, independent research is a hallmark of the PhD, an OTD degree focuses more on using existing research to inform your professional practice as an occupational therapist. Because of this, the OTD is considered a professional degree, while the occupational therapy PhD is generally thought of as research-based or academic.

Typical Professional OTD Coursework

The professional doctoral degree in occupational therapy offers students a chance to improve their skills and knowledge with a practical eye on the field. Here is a sampling of coursework options found in a typical OTD degree program:

• Assistive Technology and the Environment
• Advanced Human Occupation Theory and Application
• Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Persons with Chronic Illness and Disability
• Writing for Professional Publication

As you can see, coursework focuses on professional practice and development. Unlike a PhD program focusing on research methodology and techniques, an OTD considers the student as an active or future professional in the field. Graduates go on to careers in advanced practice, management, and in other leadership roles.

Alternative Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degrees

Beyond the scope of occupational therapy, you'll find related doctoral degree programs that could offer the targeted study you're looking for. A few alternative doctoral degrees related to occupational therapy include:

• PhD in Disability Studies: This broad-based theory degree focuses on varying aspects of disability, both relating to occupational therapy and moving beyond it.
• EdD in Health Education: As a terminal educational degree, the EdD prepares candidates for teaching and administration jobs in health education.
• DScOT in Occupational Therapy: This rare occupational therapy degree is offered for candidates with specialized military experience.

For more information on different doctoral degrees, check out WorldWideLearn.com's Guide to College Majors page. This resource helps potential students take a closer look at different majors, minors, and degree programs.

Online Occupational Therapy Educational Resources

As you begin compiling lists of potential occupational therapy doctoral degree programs, you should learn more about the online resources that can make your search easier. Use these links to begin your research into occupational therapy doctoral programs. Both campus-based and online PhD and OTD are represented in the listings below:

• The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) maintains a list of occupational therapy doctoral programs accredited for instruction by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). While ACOTE is not the only accrediting agency for higher education, the trusted board offers a targeted look at occupational therapy programs in particular.

• Use WorldWideLearn.com's list of occupational therapy related doctoral programs in health care to easily compile a list of doctoral degree programs. The site's contact forms allow you to easily submit your contact information to a wealth of potential schools.

• In addition to their list of all doctoral programs, the AOTA offers a guide to online programs in occupational therapy. The page presents a list of accredited institutions for both online occupational therapy degrees and occupational therapy assistant programs.

• U.S. News & World Report maintains their rankings of top occupational therapy programs nationwide. Filter rankings by name and zip code to find doctoral programs near you. Rankings are based on 1,200 schools, measuring the quality of faculty, research, and students.

Once you've compiled a list of potential programs, you can begin to determine which schools fit your needs better than the rest. Doing this helps you learn more about individual programs and helps focus your future education.

Accreditation in PhD Occupational Therapy Programs

The accreditation process involves third-party accrediting agencies taking a close look at occupational therapy schools. After studying a school's faculty members, academic coursework, degree requirements, and other points, the accrediting party either accredits a school, puts the school on probation, or removes accreditation. For the student, the benefits of accreditation are numerous:

• Ensure that your degree meets the high standard set by all universities
• Have confidence that your education will be valued by hiring managers and schools
• Ensure that future academic transcripts will be eligible for credit at other institutions

Accrediting agencies, in turn, must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. When researching doctoral programs in occupational therapy, ensure that the accrediting parties that approve of your potential school are themselves approved by the governmental organization.

Occupational Therapy's Specialized Accreditation Party

Many disciplines, particularly those in health care, come with targeted accreditation parties. Within occupational therapy, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) sets the standard recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

ACOTE performs on-site evaluations every five to seven years for initial accreditation and at five, seven, or ten year intervals beyond that. This specialized accreditation agency looks closely at occupational therapy schools, and may be cited in addition to regional or national accrediting boards by schools who seek their seal of approval. One school may hold three or four accreditations.

Specialize Your Occupational Therapy PhD Schools

Once you've determined the accreditation status of each school, narrow your options down further by considering a few categories within doctoral degree programs. Use the following list to focus your choices into the few strong schools that meet your needs best:

• Faculty: An active faculty culture speaks well for an occupational therapy program. Look for faculty members with current publication records and research. Each faculty's research and publication records should be easily available. While it doesn't guarantee a strong school, a strong faculty goes a long way.

• Program: Consider the scholarships, program-specific financial aid, and other resources within the department. Does the department chair and his or her assistants make an effort towards you as a student? A helpful department can mean good things for the assistance students receive.
  
  
• History: Another consideration with any occupational therapy doctoral program is its history. Consider the accreditation history of the school as you look into the archives of its occupational therapy program.
  
  
• Alumni: An active alumni group speaks to the strength of the occupational therapy doctoral degree program. Ask department assistants for more information on alumni groups, if any, and make contact with those groups to learn more about the school.

• Admissions: Different admissions requirements will make a big difference in your application packet from school to school. Every occupational therapy program will likely have some undergraduate, coursework, and GPA requirement. More competitive programs may require a master's degree plus letters of recommendation and test scores.
  
  
• Community: Consider how the occupational therapy department works within the community at large. Online education programs may require local clinical work among their students, for example.

Run each potential school through the list above and determine your own questions and qualifications for an ideal occupational therapy program. This step in the process requires some research and work, but the results are apparent. Save time and money by only applying to the schools that best meet your needs.

• Financial Aid. Finance your education with WorldWideLearn.com's advice on federal and local grants, loans, and scholarships. Additionally, AOTA offers a list of scholarships and loan forgiveness programs related to occupational therapy.

• Career Assessment. Use the page as a practical resource as you consider your current or future job search. Articles on careers and recruiters are available, along with fun quizzes that help determine your career aptitude.

• Guide to College Majors. Use this resource as a guide to help focus your initial resource on college majors and minors across disciplines.

• Education Resources. Use this page for general knowledge on accreditation, online education, and WorldWideLearn.com.

Join the Occupational Therapy Community

Ready to learn more about the world of occupational therapy? It's easy with professional organizations and resources. Doctoral students and graduates are often required to join professional organizations, contribute to occupational therapy journals and publications, and attend academic conferences in the field. Here are just a few groups to consider within the occupational therapy community:

• Professional Organizations: American Occupational Therapy Associations, Doctors of Occupational Therapy Network, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, American Society of Hand Therapists, Hand Therapy Certification Commission, state-based occupational therapy boards
• Occupational Therapy Journals: American Journal of Occupational Therapy, OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, Journal of Occupational Science, Occupational Therapy International, OT Practice, The Lancet, Age and Ageing, Journal of Integrated Care
• Academic Conferences: American Occupational Therapy Conference, Atlantic Occupational Therapy Conference, Occupational Therapy in the Schools Conference, state-based occupational therapy conferences

Earning your PhD, OTD, EdD or DScOT in occupational therapy means advancing to the head of the class. Students complete original research, make professional connections, and further their contribution to the occupational therapy industry. At the doctoral level, this health care degree has a real application on the people who most depend on new technologies and techniques in occupational therapy: your patients.

Sources

• American Occupational Therapy Association
• Doctors of Occupational Therapy Network
• U.S. News & World Report