The entry-level Occupational Therapy program is built on the foundation provided by the current, accredited masters’ program. The OT masters’ curriculum is designed to provide students with the general knowledge and skills needed to be successful entry-level practitioners. The OT doctoral curriculum is designed to build on this foundation while providing in-depth course work in several areas which collectively provide the students with the necessary knowledge and skills to act as change agents within the profession, the community, and society.
The first two years (current masters’ curriculum) is based on a developmental perspective with courses in the first year focusing on content preparing students for practice with adolescents and adults. This first year is followed by a three-month full-time fieldwork level II in a setting providing OT services to adolescents and adults. The second year focuses on content preparing students for practice with children and their families. The didactic portion of the second year is 1 ¼ semesters with the other ¾ of the second semester comprised of the second level II fieldwork, this time in a setting providing OT services to children.
The third year focuses on the role of change agent, providing content and developing skills as advocates, educators, leaders, developers of theory, and advanced practice therapists.
Program Goals and Curricular Threads
The following program goals and curricular threads apply to the foundation knowledge and skills obtained in the first two years of the graduate program.
Curricular thread #1: Occupation is the integral thread in the fabric of the curriculum for occupational therapy. Successful graduates from this program will……
Program goal 1: Demonstrate an understanding of how engagement in occupation supports participation in context.
- At the end of the first year: Articulate a working definition of OT and apply occupationbased concepts to the occupational therapy process within practice settings.
- At the end of the second year: Evaluate and facilitate occupation-based practice with people, populations and communities.
Curricular thread #2: Autonomous, critical thinking serves as an essential foundation for the development of the clinical reasoning, reflective thinking, and synthesis of research needed for evidence-based practice. Successful graduates from this program will…….
Program goal 2: Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis for innovative, evidence-based practice.
- At the end of the first year: Develop reflective thinking and apply circles of evidence to the occupational therapy process within practice settings.
- At the end of the second year: Analyze and synthesize evidence to support innovative, occupation-based practice for people, populations and communities.
Curricular thread #3: Professional development is critical to the continuing competency of an occupational therapist who responds in a professional, effective, and ethical manner. Successful graduates from this program will……
Program goal 3: Demonstrate ethical and professional behaviors.
- At the end of the first year: Develop awareness of ethics and professional behaviors and apply concepts in a variety of practice settings.
- At the end of the second year: Identify and navigate ethical and professional dilemmas to support positive outcomes for people, populations and communities.
Curricular Thread #4: The appreciation of diversity is a foundation for cultural responsiveness and respectful engagement with people, populations and communities. Successful graduates from this program will……
Program Goal 4: Demonstrate cultural responsiveness and an appreciation of diversity to promote occupational justice and inclusion.
- At the end of the first year: Demonstrate an appreciation of diverse social and environmental factors impacting health, occupational justice, and participation in occupations across contexts.
- At the end of the second year: Demonstrate skills in addressing occupational needs of diverse people, populations and communities in a way that considers social and environmental factors.
Curricular Thread #5: The program supports practice competencies across the occupational therapy process in varied settings. Successful graduates from this program will……
Program Goal 5: Demonstrate competent occupational therapy practice in settings across the occupational therapy process for people, populations, and communities and in collaboration with other professionals.
- At the end of the first year: Demonstrate competency in the roles and activities required of a highly effective, collaborative entry-level occupational therapist practicing in a variety of adult contexts.
- At the end of the second year: Demonstrate competency in the roles and activities required of a highly effective, collaborative entry-level occupational therapist practicing in a variety of children contexts.
Curricular Thread #6: The program places an emphasis on research and evidence to support decision-making inherent to the practice and scholarship of occupational therapy. Successful graduates from this program will……
Program goal 6: Demonstrate the skills necessary to assume the role of beginning research investigator.
- At the end of the first year: Demonstrate the skills necessary to be an informed consumer of research.
- At the end of the second year: Demonstrate the skills necessary to be an informed consumer of research, synthesizing existing evidence for decision making, and life-long scholarship.
In-depth learning in the third year, builds upon these foundational threads. Keeping with the intent of the curriculum and mission of the program, students continuing on to year three will develop advanced competencies in the roles of an agent of change. Successful graduates from this program will become change-agents demonstrating the knowledge and skills to competently perform as:
- Advanced Best-Practice Occupational Therapists. Graduates will be able to analyze and evaluate best practices, synthesizing information from a variety of sources in order to apply those practices to individuals, populations and communities in multiple contexts and across systems.
- Educators. Graduates will be able to analyze and evaluate educational theory, applying that understanding, as well as instructional design, to the creation of educational experiences.
- Advocates. Graduates will be able to apply an understanding of systems analysis to identify when such systems either impede or facilitate occupational justice and health equity. Students will select and appraise strategies for their ability to advocate for systems change.
- Theory Developers. Graduates will be able to apply the process of theory development to an identified area that would benefit from an alternative perspective or model of practice to ensure occupational justice for individuals, populations and communities.
- Leaders. Graduates will be able to analyze and evaluate current models of leadership in order to adopt a model appropriate to a specific context, enabling them as leaders to enact beneficial changes.
