Occupational Therapy, OTD
The Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD) prepares licensed clinicians to become experts in an identified specialization area and will prepare them to become clinical leaders, translating new findings and evidence into practice. In this post-professional program, students will develop and demonstrate more advanced knowledge and skills, beyond those learned at the master’s level, in an occupational therapy concentration area.
UWM's PPOTD Program welcomes licensed clinicians who have completed an ACOTE-accredited MSOT or MOT degree program (or WFOT equivalent). See "Requirements" for additional applicant eligibility information.
For more information, please contact us.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
Primary entry requirements are:
- MSOT or MOT degree from an Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®)-accredited program (or equivalent recognized by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, WFOT).
- Occupational therapy licensure (or international equivalent approved by WFOT). Current master’s students may apply but cannot formally matriculate to the OTD program until they have achieved NBCOT initial certification and are licensed in at least one state. Graduate students may be provisionally admitted to the post-professional OTD program and accumulate credits toward graduation for one semester while required documentation is being prepared or approved.
- The admission process also includes evaluation of GPA, prior coursework, and professional experiences, and a statement of personal interests.
Credits and Courses
The OTD program requires 33 credits, including 16 credits of required occupational therapy core courses beyond the level of the MS degree and 17 credits of electives in a concentration area chosen by students and their advisors. Students may transfer up to 12 graduate level credits toward the degree, pending approval.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| OCCTHPY 701 | Advanced Measurement and Instrumentation in Health Care | 3 |
| OCCTHPY 790 | Design Project | 3 |
| OCCTHPY 820 | Occupational Science Evidence When Serving Individuals and Populations | 3 |
| OCCTHPY 901 | Seminar in Occupational Therapy | 1 |
| OCCTHPY 989 | Doctoral Capstone | 3 |
| NURS 804 | Health Systems Leadership | 3 |
| Area of Concentration Electives 1 | 17 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
- 1
Students meet regularly with their faculty advisor to define their area of concentration, select elective courses, and develop their capstone project.
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
The Graduate School requires that each student have a major professor to advise, supervise, and approve the program of study. Students are assigned faculty advisors in the OTD program upon acceptance into the program.
Time Limit
The OTD curriculum is designed to be completed in four semesters. Some students may require two or three years of combination full- and part-time coursework, especially if they choose to work part time, take additional courses, or want to invest more time to complete their capstone project.
Because circumstances beyond a student’s control may prevent completion of requirements according to this timeline, students will be granted a maximum of ten years to complete the degree.