Doctor of Occupational Therapy: Entry Level
Doctor of Occupational Therapy: Entry Level
Discover a rewarding career in occupational therapy with a nationally-ranked program.
Designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree in any field who want to achieve the highest credential in occupational therapy.
Develop clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and ethical practice skills to serve diverse health needs.
Recognized as scholars and leaders in occupational therapy education for over 75 years, St. Catherine University continues this tradition by offering a path to a doctorate degree in a little over three years.
The graduate OT science-based curriculum is interwoven with the University’s liberal arts education, and provides you with a foundation in four major populations and practice areas: pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, and rehabilitation.
Opportunities for fieldwork in diverse communities allow you to deepen your understanding of the social determinants of health and their impacts on various populations, practice cultural fluency skills, and share caring strategies to improve lives locally and globally.
Opportunities within the capstone courses allow you to develop advanced knowledge and skills in leadership, advocacy, quality improvement, educational methods, and clinical practice.
Graduates can expect to:
- Create and modify intervention plans based on evidence, evaluation results, and clinical reasoning to support health and wellness of clients
- Advocate for policies, programs, and services across healthcare, education, and social service systems
- Create and disseminate professional development and scholarship activities
The curriculum is offered through a combination of on-campus and online evening courses, and includes 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork and 14 weeks of full-time capstone experience. Students of all genders are welcome in the program.
Program at a Glance
Format: On campus
Start: Summer
Time to completion: 3.5 years
Credits required: 100
Tuition per credit: $995 (2024-25 rates)
Total tuition: $99,500
Rates are subject to change each June 1.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Occupational Therapy Entry Level Program at St. Catherine University is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA).
On December 18, 2020, ACOTE presented the Certificate of Accreditation to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Entry Level Program at St. Catherine University for a period of 7 years from the academic year 2020/2021 to 2027/2028.
ACOTE
c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD, 20852-4929
301-652-6611
accred@aota.org
Learn more about accreditation outcomes here.
NBCOT Certification Exam
Following graduation, all students must pass the certification exam offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, NBCOT.
Review EL-OTD and MAOT program results.
Degree questions, answered.
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Below are sample plans of study. For course descriptions and other details, consult the University catalog.
Summer
- OCTH 7900 Doctoral Orientation Camp (1cr)
- OCTH 5010 Human Occupation (3cr)
- OCTH 5500 Neuroscience (3cr)
Fall
- OCTH 6000 Foundational Skills for Occupational Therapy Practice (3cr)
- OCTH 5410 Children, Adolescents & Families (3cr)
- OCTH 6310 Evidence Based Practice (3cr)
- OCTH 6700 Older Adults in Context (3cr)
- OCTH 6010 Seminar A: Entering the Profession (1cr)
J-Term
- OCTH 7100 Social Determinants of Health (1cr)
Spring
- OCTH 6410 Foundations of Research (3cr)
- OCTH 5200 Mental & Behavioral Health (3cr)
- OCTH 6610 Rehabilitation Concepts (3cr)
- OCTH 5600 Kinesiology for Rehabilitation (3cr)
- OCTH 6020 Level I Fieldwork, Seminar B: Psychological and Social Factors Impacting Performance (1cr)
Summer
- OCTH 8010 Evolution of Ideas in Occupational Therapy (3cr)
- OCTH 8020 Educational Methods (3cr)
- OCTH 6030 Level I Fieldwork, Seminar C: Practice Reflection (1cr)
Fall
- OCTH 5210 Mental and Behavioral Health: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 5450 Children, Adolescents and Families: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 8005 Essential Knowledge and Competencies for Leadership (3cr)
- OCTH 6620 Ethical Management (3cr)
- OCTH 6060 Physical Assessment and Intervention Planning (3cr)
J-Term
- OCTH 7200 Critical Issues (1r)
Spring
- OCTH 8030 Program Evaluation (3cr)
- OCTH 8040 Organizations and Systems (3cr)
- OCTH 6710 Older Adults: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 6615 Rehabilitation Practices (3cr)
- OCTH 5560 Participation and Technology (3cr)
- OCTH 6040 Seminar D: Readiness for Level II Fieldwork (1cr)
Summer
- OCTH 8050 Advanced Practice (3cr)
- OCTH 8060 Scoping Review Project (3cr)
Fall
- OCTH 7700 Level II Fieldwork (5cr)
J-Term
- OCTH 7710 Level II Fieldwork (5cr)
Spring
- OCTH 8080 Doctoral Capstone Project Proposal (1cr)
- OCTH 8100 Doctoral Capstone Experience A (3cr)
Summer
- OCTH 8250 Doctoral Capstone Project (3cr)
- OCTH 8150 Doctoral Capstone Experience B (3cr)
- OCTH 8300 Capstone Footprint (1cr)
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St. Kate's Experience
Discover a supportive community invested in more than your academic success — we help you connect with your purpose. Our goal is to help each of our students develop the knowledge and empowerment to transcend what they thought was possible.
