Occupational Therapy Doctorate

The entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program is a 105-credit program where faith, learning, and service converge to prepare students to be leaders in the field of occupational therapy. The OTD program at IWU believes dynamic, occupation-centered learning happens in community, when ideas are presented, challenged, and applied with opportunities for practice, reflection, revisiting, and redoing. (AOTA, 2021; AOTA, 2018; Taff, Grajo & Hooper, 2024). Students in the OTD program are supported intellectually, physically, and spiritually as they are also challenged in all three areas with the goal of holistic personal and professional enlightenment, maturity, and skill development for occupational therapy practice. As students grow in their understanding of themselves and their worldview as occupational beings, they are able to appreciate and respect the values, beliefs, and occupational identities of others, allowing them to deliver evidence informed, holistic occupational therapy (Taff, Grajo & Hooper, 2024). Through intentional collaboration and an immersive curriculum, OTD students learn to harness the transformative potential of active engagement in meaningful occupations as a cornerstone of rehabilitation practice.

The curricular threads of the OTD program at IWU include:

1) Meaningful occupation as therapy
2) Holistic care
3) Global occupational justice

The OTD program at IWU includes 5 trimesters of on-site courses, lab experiences and Level I fieldwork, 2 trimesters of full-time Level II fieldwork, and a 1-trimester doctoral capstone experience totaling 8 trimesters. Upon graduation, OTD students are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam to earn certification as a registered occupational therapist OTR.

Vision and Mission

The vision of the Indiana Wesleyan University Occupational Therapy Program is to glorify God by changing the world of healthcare through the preparation of students who fully embrace the art and science of the occupational therapy, thus enabling graduates to provide compassionate, creative, ethical, and evidence-based services in an increasingly diverse and technologically advanced world. 

The mission of the Occupational Therapy Program is to educate practitioners who will collaborate professionally to promote client-centered, occupation-based practice and provide servant leadership within their communities. We value an active learning environment that fosters the holistic personal and professional development of students, faculty, and community members.

Accreditation

The occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD, 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. The OTD program’s graduates 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 a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

 

OTD Program Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of the proposed program mirror outcomes developed by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), and the desired outcomes of Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) graduate education. Upon completion of the OTD program, graduates are expected to demonstrate competence in the following areas:

• Servant Leadership/Advocacy: Graduates of the OTD program will advocate, on behalf of consumers and the profession, as servant leaders who are actively involved in professional and community organizations.
• Moral Character: Graduates of the OTD program will promote occupational justice as people of moral character who apply Christ-like attitudes and ethical values.
• Scholarship/Research: Graduates of the OTD program will increase the body of knowledge in occupational therapy through scholarship and research in preparation for practice and life-long learning.
• Global Perspective: Graduates of the OTD program will address global and diverse occupational needs from a global perspective.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Graduates of the OTD program will apply occupational therapy scientific knowledge to create evidence-based intervention programs and/or protocols that are culturally responsive and client-centered.
• Occupational Therapy Theory: Graduates of the OTD program will apply theoretical models and practice frameworks when developing systems for the delivery of occupational therapy services.
• Residency Project: Graduates of the OTD program will demonstrate advanced practice competency in a chosen residency area.

*To have a Christ-like character is to possess the “fruit of the Spirit” as enumerated in Galatians 5:22 and 23. The Fruit of the Spirit is love, which includes the qualities of “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” We strive to embody all of these qualities in our lives, thereby treating others as Christ would treat them. Jesus Christ was humble (John 13:1-5) and compassionate in His service to those He came into contact with (Ephesians 4:32). He also taught His followers to be forgiving to those who have wronged them (Colossians 3:13). Being Christ-like involves following Christ’s example of reaching out in love and serving others.