Frequently Asked Questions

An ideal candidate will be academically prepared for the program’s challenging curriculum, possess the relevant health care experience, and demonstrate compassion for others.  The candidate will be a well-rounded individual, who can communicate effectively with others.  Demonstrating an interest in practicing in Arizona following graduation is also highly attractive for an ideal candidate.

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.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-6611 x2914, 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://www.nbcot.org/

The OTD program is based on the 30-acre Phoenix Bioscience Core, where students have access to cutting edge technology, facilities and labs. The Phoenix Bioscience Core is located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, with nearest crossroads of Van Buren and 7th Street. The urban environment presents numerous opportunities for inter-professional education with other programs on campus, including the NAU Doctor of Physical Therapy program, the Masters of Physician Assistant program, the NAU Master of Athletic Training and the University of Arizona Medical School program.

At this time, it is not anticipated that the program will be offered in Flagstaff.

Upon successful completion of the program requirements, students will earn a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree.

Yes, the program will accept any courses taken online at a regionally accredited institution with a grade of “C” or better. This includes both online lectures and lab courses.

Yes, the program accepts Advanced Placement credits as long as the student received a grade of “C” or better and the credit is listed on an official college transcript from a regionally accredited institution.  The transcript must also be specific in what the student is being offered Advanced Placement credits for.  As an example, to receive credit in our program for the Statistics prerequisite the official transcript with Advance Placement credits must say the student earned credit for Statistics and not just a general term like Mathematics.

Forty hours observing two different occupational therapists each practicing in a different type of settings with different age-groups (minimum of 20 hours in each setting). You are encouraged to do this no later than two months before the application deadline.

Forty service 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. See the application process page for alternative hours.

No, applicants may apply with coursework still in progress.  However, it is recommended that applicants complete as much of the prerequisite coursework as possible before applying.  If you are admitted to the program prior to completion of all requirements, it will be a conditional admission, and subsequently denied if you do not successfully complete all admissions requirements prior to June 15th and evidence such as found in transcripts received by June 30th prior to matriculation.

The application process is completed through OTCAS and the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.  Students must complete an OTCAS application and an NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies application to be eligible for the program.  For more information, visit the Application Process Page.

We enroll 45 students for the Traditional option, and up to 35 students for the Hybrid modality.

Fieldwork rotations are supervised clinical practice under the supervision of a preceptor who is responsible for training students.  Students will be required to complete multiple fieldwork rotations. These include three separate one week academic and service learning rotations; as well as multiple six week rotations and a residency in the final semester.  The hours required each week could be as little as four, during once week rotations, and over 40 hours in more advance fieldwork rotations or during residency.  The student is also expected to do additional studying after hours to meet the expectations of the rotation and the program.

Students will work with patients from a variety of different settings learning multiple intervention techniques.  Patients will vary in age, gender and diagnoses.  Students having interest in particular areas (i.e. pediatrics, hand therapy, etc.) will be encouraged to work with the clinical fieldwork coordinator to gain more experience in their particular area of interest.  All the rotations assignments will ultimately be determined based on availability and quality of the site, and will be located in Arizona.

The program is an intensive and demanding course of study.  Students are strongly discouraged from working while attending the program. We do offer a Hybrid option for those who do choose to work.

The program will be responsible for the assignment of all fieldwork rotations.  Fieldwork rotations will be available throughout Arizona, and in a variety of settings.  Students are expected to be flexible and although the program will make all reasonable attempts to accommodate student preferences, students may not always be assigned their choice of sites.  When feasible and at the students’ request, placements will be made in locations close to or within the communities where students have ties.  This is in support of the programs mission to develop healthcare providers for the underserved areas of Arizona.

Students are responsible for the cost of housing and transportation during this phase of the program.

The program will accept transfer students who have been attending an accredited program at the masters or doctoral degree level.  There are a number of standards for admission and a limited amount of credits the program can accept in transfer based on NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies policy.  The program asks that any student interested in transfer contact the department at OT.OTD@nau.edu to discuss the admissions standards and policies surrounding the acceptance of transfer students.

The program only accepts transfer credits from those students who have been enrolled in an accredited program at the doctoral degree level, have completed the application process to become a transfer student, and have subsequently been accepted into the program.  Further, students can only transfer credit for required courses in the first two semesters of the curriculum, up to a maximum of 12 semester hours total, with grades of “C” or better.