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Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy

The NAU Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is designed to produce inclusive, transformative, entry-level practice scholars who innovatively and skillfully use meaningful occupation as the mediator and facilitator of participation between the person and environment. Graduates will meet specific learning outcomes stated as professional competencies in three major content areas: transformative service delivery; practice-scholar inquiry and leadership.

This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

The NAU entry-level doctorate degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 6116 Executive Board Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org

Requirements Accordion Open
University Requirements

  • To receive a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree (OTD) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, consisting of 95 units of graduate-level courses, depending upon the student's initial degree and transcript.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.
Minimum Units for Completion95
Additional Admission RequirementsRequired
Comprehensive ExamComprehensive Exam is required.
Fieldwork Experience/InternshipRequired
ResearchIndividualized research is required.
Additional Fees/Program FeesRequired
Some online/blended courseworkRequired
Licensure

This program may lead to licensure.

Purpose Statement

Scope:
The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is one of two entry points that is a required degree in the U.S. to practice as an occupational therapist. Occupational therapy  is a health care profession focused on supporting individuals, groups and populations engage in activities (occupations) that they need or want to do. Occupational therapists work with a wide range of populations in diverse settings across the lifespan. In addition, a focus is on prevention of functional limitations and disability, and promoting health and wellness. Occupational therapists must be knowledgeable about the U.S. healthcare system and should participate in the development of health policy as advocates for their profession.
 
Content:
The NAU Occupational Therapy program offers a first-rate doctoral degree that focuses on building clinical and professional reasoning skills, service learning, practice scholar and fieldwork rotations that culminate in an individualized semester long capstone experience to develop entry-level occupational therapists. Through the 28 month curriculum, students will learn transformative skills, beyond the generalist level, practice-scholar competencies in the areas of practice, research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory predominate.
 
The OTD program provides didactic and clinical coursework to prepare students to work in the profession of occupational therapy. The NAU OTD curriculum design reflects the essential concepts of the profession's and contains `threads' enacting the curriculum's mission, vision and enabling beliefs about learning. The design will result in specific student outcomes that reflect both the generalist and post-generalist learning that needs to be included. The curriculum threads include:

  • Foundations of the Occupational Therapy process
    • The fundamental professional knowledge, therapeutic skills and strategies underlying the delivery of occupational therapy across contexts.
  • Client Factors and Performance Skills for Participation  
    • The fundamental human scientific and medical knowledge supporting the occupational therapy practice.
  • Occupational Therapy Intervention and Outcomes Series
    • Specific evidence-based assessment and intervention approaches that support occupational performance.
  • Scholarship and Leadership for Occupational Therapy Practice
    • The use and creation of scholarly work to inform practice. Includes the development of the transformative practice-scholar roles across a variety of contexts.
  • Fieldwork Education
    • A series of hands-on learning experiences through level I and level II fieldwork rotations to ensure readiness for the capstone experience.
  • Capstone Experience
    • The capstone is designed to demonstrate integration of advanced knowledge as transformative practice scholars.

Future opportunities:

  • The OTD is a clinical doctorate that prepares students to take the national licensing examination required to practice occupational therapy in the U.S. Students are prepared as generalists with the skills necessary to enter clinical practice in diverse settings, including outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, community based mental health agencies, integrated care clinics and home health agencies. From 2024-2034, there is a projected 12% employment growth in the field of occupational therapy.  

Population best suited:

  • Students entering the OTD Program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college and completed the necessary prerequisite courses. It is a rigorous full-time program that requires strengths in science, psychology, communication, and teamwork. Professional and ethical behavior is essential.

Details Accordion Closed
Graduate Admission Information

  • The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

    Admission requirements include the following:

    • Transcripts.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.


    Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

    Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

    International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

      • Complete the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) application.
      • 2 letters of recommendation.
      • Prerequisites, completed prior to enrollment, with a Grade of  "C" or better in each.
        • 6 units of human anatomy and physiology
        • 3 units of research methods
        • 3 units of abnormal psychology
        • 3 units above the introductory level of human development, which must encompass the entire lifespan from birth to end-of-life.
        • 3 units above the introductory level of sociology or social justice covering problems, development, structure and/or functions of society of the present day.
      • 40 hours observing two different occupational therapists each practicing in a different type of setting with different age-groups (minimum of 20 hours in each setting).
      • 40 hours in at least two different community settings (agencies, programs, camps, etc.) serving vulnerable, disabled or disadvantaged individuals or populations that address health, rehabilitation, disability, quality of life or community issues or sustainability initiatives.
      • Health requirements verifications: physical with physician signature
      • Completion of the departmental online matriculation competency.
      • Fingerprint clearance card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
      • Provide evidence that a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution has been awarded.


      Students graduating from one of the following NAU programs will be given priority admission.

Doctoral Requirements

  • This Doctoral degree requires 95 units distributed as follows:

    • Foundations of the OT Process: 11 units
    • Client Factors and Performance Skills for Participation: 16 units
    • OT Intervention and Outcomes Series: 27 units
    • Scholarship and Leadership for OT Practice: 11 units
    • Fieldwork Education: 19 units
    • Capstone Experience: 11 units


    Take the following 95 units:

Additional Information

  • The NAU entry-level doctorate degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 6116 Executive Board Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (301) 652-6611, acoteonline.org

    Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for certification by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.
     
    State Licensure: Students must apply for and pay a fee to be licensed in the state in which they desire to practice. To obtain a license, the graduate will need to:

    • Apply for and pass the NBCOT® Certification Examination.
    • Complete state licensure application requirements


    Information on state regulatory agencies and processes for occupational therapy can be found through the state government or the American Occupational Therapy Association's, "How to Get a License' site.

  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Program Fee Information

  • Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee has been approved for this program. See program fee details. Program fees are subject to change and updated July 1 for the next academic year.

Availability Accordion Closed

Curriculum

Beginning in the Fall of 2025, the length of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program is reduced by one semester (totaling two years plus capstone). As a result, NAU offers the most affordable OT graduate program in the state of Arizona.

Learn more about Occupational Therapy's Program Philosophy

The program is designed to produce transformative, competent, entry-level practice scholars who innovatively and skillfully use meaningful occupational therapy as the mediator and facilitator between the person and environment. As practice scholars, graduates will demonstrate the requisite skills and habits of implementation science to use and create evidence to support their practice, as well as think critically and creatively as doctoral-prepared practice innovators to proactively facilitate sustainable change as transformative leaders. Graduates will be empowered as ‘change agents’ and advocates across a variety of health care settings, contexts, and related issues applying interprofessional collaboration and leadership skills.

Curriculum Sequence

The curriculum will take 28 months to complete, including fieldwork education and the required capstone experience in the final semester. The semester matrix identifies the courses and curriculum sequence across each semester leading to graduation with a doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) degree. Semester Matrix

Curriculum threads & course sequence

The goal is to provide an educational experience preparing transformative practice-scholars to lead practice and the profession. To prepare for practitioner excellence, the majority of the courses will have laboratory experiences and community experience in natural context. Some of the coursework will be blended learning to maximize student’s hands-on learning under the guidance of faculty supervision and mentoring. The curriculum is structured into six major content threads leading to the OTD degree.
  • Foundations of the Occupational Therapy Process
  • Client Factors & Performance Skills for Participation
  • OT Assessment & Intervention Series
  • Scholarship & Leadership for OT practice
  • Fieldwork Education Series
  • Capstone Series

Requirements to Complete Degree

Students who are admitted to the OTD program with an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree have six years to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree, including all level II fieldwork rotations and capstone. The time limit starts with the student’s first semester of doctoral study at Northern Arizona University. If the student does not complete the degree in the established timeframe, the student may petition the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies for one extension of this time limit (NAU Policy 100815).

Good Academic Standing

All occupational therapy students are subject to the policies and regulations as identified in the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Policies and the NAU Student Handbook. Graduate students must maintain “Good Academic Standing” to be eligible to continue in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, which includes maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0, no course grades of “D” or “F”, and no more than 11 credit hours of “C” grades. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to enroll in Level II Fieldwork and capstone.
Occupational Therapy
Location
Room 6th floor Building
Health Sciences Education Building
435 N 5th Street Phoenix AZ
Phoenix, AZ 85004
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