Degree Offered
Doctor of Occupational Therapy, OTD
Program Length and Locations
The program is three years (8 semesters) in length, starting in August and ending three years later in May. The program is offered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) campus and on the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) campus.
Description of the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program
The College of Allied Health Professions at UNMC offers a program leading to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree (OTD). The program requires a bachelor's degree prior to admission to the three-year professional program at UNMC. The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has been granted full 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. Contact information includes: telephone number (301) 652-6611, email address accred@aota.org, and web address www.acoteonline.org. UNMC has full accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Colleges.
Graduates of accredited programs are 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). Each of the 50 United States require students to have graduated from a professional occupational therapy education program that includes supervised field work and is accredited by a national accreditation agency approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. The UNMC Occupational Therapy program meets educational requirements to apply for certification or licensure in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Degree Requirements and Professional Standards
Students must receive a passing grade of “C” or better or “Pass” in all courses and maintain an overall quality grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or above. Grades of less than “C” are considered failing in the occupational therapy program. Students need a variety of skills and attributes to be successful to enter the occupational therapy profession. The program supports the development of critical thinking, professional behaviors, scientific knowledge of the discipline, psychomotor skills, knowledge translation, and health and wellness. Students must successfully meet all of the program’s performance standards by passing all didactic work, laboratory practica, fieldwork, and capstone. Course instructors assess the standing of a student in any course by examination, laboratory and clinical performance, class participation, written assignment, personal observation, and other methods of evaluation.
A typical course of study is completed in 8 semesters. All coursework, fieldwork, and capstone must be completed within 12 semesters (up to 150% of the typical program), including any leaves of absence and/or remediation. Fieldwork and capstone are typically completed in 3 semesters and must be completed within 6 semesters.
Occupational Therapy Website
Admission Requirements
The mission of admissions in the College of Allied Health Professions is to advance evidence-based recruitment and admissions practices that are inclusive, equitable and balanced with respect to experiences, attributes and metrics to recruit and admit applicants for the purpose of preparing highly competent, collaborative and compassionate professionals dedicated to improving the health and healthcare of all individuals and communities.
For specific OT admissions, application, and timelines, visit: Occupational Therapy Admissions.
The professional program is three years in length (8 semesters). Learning opportunities include lecture-laboratory courses, seminars, independent study, laboratory practical examinations, supervised fieldwork, and capstone. Patient simulations using various levels of technology are included throughout the curriculum. The program reserves the right to modify the curriculum as necessary to comply with accreditation standards and to reflect advancements in the health sciences. Students in the Occupational Therapy program complete coursework using a cohort approach. The plan of study presented below is an example.
Students must complete Level II fieldwork and capstone within six semesters following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. Fieldwork and capstone are scheduled in advance and are subject to change at the discretion of the site or OT program faculty. Some sites may require assigned students to undergo a criminal background check and/or drug screening prior to participation in a practical education experience. Anticipate travel and living expenses for fieldwork and capstone.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| OCCT 500 | OCCUPATIONAL FOUNDATIONS | 3 |
| OCCT 501 | STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION FOR OCCUPATION | 4 |
| PHYT 502 | HUMAN MOVEMENT 1 | 4 |
| OCCT 520 | INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| OCCT 532 | OCCUPATION-BASED PRACTICE 3 | 7 |
| OCCT 540 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE 1: STUDY DESIGN AND ANALYTIC APPROACHES | 3 |
| OCCT 521 | INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE 2 | 3 |
| OCCT 550 | FIELDWORK 1A | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Summer | ||
| OCCT 531 | OCCUPATION-BASED PRACTICE 2 | 7 |
| OCCT 541 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE 2: RESEARCH PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| OCCT 522 | INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE 3 | 3 |
| OCCT 551 | FIELDWORK 1B | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| OCCT 510 | PHYSICAL AGENTS FOR OCCUPATION | 3 |
| OCCT 530 | OCCUPATION-BASED PRACTICE 1 | 7 |
| OCCT 552 | FIELDWORK 1C | 1 |
| OCCT 623 | INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE 4 | 3 |
| OCCT 642 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE 3: SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| OCCT 650 | FIELDWORK 2A | 12 |
| OCCT 710 | DOCTORAL CAPSTONE 1: DESIGN | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Summer | ||
| OCCT 700 | MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, & POLICY | 4 |
| OCCT 701 | PRACTITIONER AS EDUCATOR | 4 |
| OCCT 702 | EMERGING PRACTICE & ADVOCACY | 4 |
| OCCT 711 | DOCTORAL CAPSTONE 2: DEVELOP | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| OCCT 651 | FIELDWORK 2B | 12 |
| OCCT 712 | DOCTORAL CAPSTONE 3: COLLABORATE | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| OCCT 713 | DOCTORAL CAPSTONE 4: IMPLEMENT | 14 |
| OCCT 714 | DOCTORAL CAPSTONE 5: DISSEMINATE | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 113 | |
Fieldwork Education
The fieldwork education component of the curriculum provides students with the opportunity to directly apply occupational therapy theories and techniques acquired during classroom instruction, as well as the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes best learned in practice environments. The intent of fieldwork education is to provide the student with broad exposure to practice in a variety of settings and geographic locations. The fieldwork education component is under the direction of the Fieldwork Education Coordinator.
Level I fieldwork occurs in conjunction with didactic coursework. Level II fieldwork requires a minimum of 24 weeks full-time experience. Level II is an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services. Students will work with a variety of clients across the lifespan and in a variety of settings.
Capstone
Students complete an individual 14-week capstone experience after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork, as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2023 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. Each student concurrently completes an individual capstone project to demonstrate synthesis and application of knowledge gained. The goal of capstone is to provide an in-depth exposure to one or more of the following: clinical skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program development and evaluation, policy development, advocacy, and education.