Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD)

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program is offered on the Emory & Henry University School of Health Sciences Campus in Marion. The OTD program is a 33-month program, consisting of eight consecutive semesters, including two 12-week clinical fieldworks and one 12-week experiential experience. 

Program Mission: Emory & Henry University's motto is "Increase in Excellence" and has an intention to be a learning community with a commitment to freedom and civic virtue. The mission of the Occupational Therapy Program is to graduate competent entry-level occupational therapists that are occupation-centered and possess leadership skills, advocacy, critical thinking and professional reasoning skills that will enable them to serve and meet the occupational therapy needs of communities. Graduates will have necessary skills to work in a variety of setting including rural healthcare settings to meet the needs of those who are underserved in areas of health disparities. 

Vision: The vision of the Occupational Therapy Program is to be innovative and national leader in occupational therapy graduate education and to transform the lives of others in order to promote a positive change in the region, nation and world communities. 

Requirements For Admission/Admission Policy: Applicants who meet the following minimum eligibility requirements for the OTD program at E&H may be invited for a formal interview (based upon competitiveness with other applications) pending:

• Hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Completed a minimum of 40 documented hours of observations with an Occupational Therapist.
• Have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) and 3.0 for prerequisite courses. 
• A minimum cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 (see required prerequisite course list below).
• Have a grade of 'C' or better in all required prerequisite courses. 
• *GRE is no longer required*
• Completion of CPR for Healthcare Professionals certification, immunizations, and background check prior to enrollment. 
• Three letters of recommendation from professionals with at least one from an Occupational Therapist.
• 300-word essay. 

The prerequisite courses are shown below. Applicants should have successfully completed all of the prerequisites, either as part of their baccalaureate degree or independently, prior to being admitted into the Program. 

*No AP or CLEP credit will be allowed for the prerequisite courses. All prerequisites are subject to evaluation. There may be a few course alternatives but these will need to be approved by the program director. Admission will be competitive and space available basis. The OTD Admissions Committee uses an internal rubric scoring system to score items such as overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, last 60 hours GPA, GRE scores, application essay, references, onsite interview, etc. Based on the admission rubric the Admissions Committee will select applicants for an admission interview. Additional points are scored for Emory & Henry College graduates, current residents of Southwest Virginia (as defined by Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority), and Northeast Tennessee (as defined by the program - Sullivan County, Washington County, Johnson County, Carter County, Unicoi County, Greene County, Hawkins County and Hancock County). A bachelor's degree can be in progress but must be completed prior to enrollment of the program. CPR for professionals, all immunizations must be current, and background check must be completed prior to enrollment in the program. At time of enrollment, each student must sign a Technical Standards/Essential Functions form. 

The Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program at Emory & Henry College participates in the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as OTCAS, for each admissions cycle. Applicants applying to the entry-level occupational therapist education program for a fall start should apply online using the OTCAS application beginning in July of the prior year (https://otcas.liaisoncas.com). Deadline for the application will be April prior to the next fall start. 

Early Decision (Non-Binding) Information: The early decision application deadline is September 1, of each year. Applicants must submit all required documents in OTCAS by the deadline including the OTCAS application, official transcripts, three references, and application additional questions with essay response. Supplemental fee must be paid by deadline. 

Applicants are required to have an overall prerequisite GPA of 3.5 higher in order to be considered for early decision. Applicants may be offered early admission, denied admission, or deferred to regular applicant status. Interviews will be conducted in September. Admission decisions on early decision applicants will be made by October of each year. The early decision program is a non-binding option. 

Early Assurance Program (Non-Binding) Information: The Department of Occupational Therapy Early Assurance Program (OTD-EAP) offers a select number of talented high school seniors and/or current E&H students a position in the Emory & Henry entry level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program. This program offers selected undergraduate students a position in the graduate Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program after completion of the OTD Program prerequisite course requirements and an undergraduate degree from Emory & Henry.

Initial Admission Criteria as a High School Senior

• General application to Emory & Henry
• High School GPA of 3.3 or greater computed by the Office of Admissions
• Complete the OTD Early Assurance Program Application for High School Seniors
• Interview for selected candidates

Admission Criteria as a Current Emory & Henry Student

• High School GPA of 3.3 as computed by the Office of Admissions if have not completed at least one semester at Emory & Henry
• Emory & Henry GPA of 3.0 or better as calculated by the Office of the Registrar
• 3.0 GPA in any Occupational Therapy Prerequisite courses (if any)
• Active involvement in Pre-Health Advisor
• Interview for selected candidates
• Complete the OTD Eary Assurance Program Application for Current E&H Students

Continuing Requirements during the Emory & Henry Undergraduate Program

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or last 60-hour cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application to the OTD Program)
• Occupational Therapy prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.0
• Completion of a bachelor's degree at Emory & Henry including Anatomy & Physiology I and II being completed at Emory & Henry. Completing Kinesiology at Emory & Henry is highly recommended.
• Complete online OTCAS application during senior year
• 40 hours of observation across a variety of OT settings
• Active participation in campus life and civic engagement
• Participate in designated activities with the Health Sciences Campus students and faculty

Selection Process
Application materials are reviewed on a rolling basis until the cohort in full. The Committee will invite up to 25 students for an initial interview. The ten most highly ranked of those interviewed will be selected to participate in the program. 

Academic Policies/Requirements for Promotion and Graduation: Attending the OTD degree requires the successful completion of all didactic courses, clinical fieldwork, and one capstone experience and project as sequenced into eight consecutive semesters. The two full-time clinical fieldwork and one capstone experience are completed at off-campus sites, and students are responsible for all travel and living expenses during the fieldwork and capstone experience.  Satisfactory progress through the Program requires a GPA of B(3.00) each semester. The minimum passing grade for each course is a C (2.00) as long as the semester GPA is maintained at a grade of B (3.00). Level two fieldwork and the capstone experience must be completed within a 24-month period of time after the completion of the didactic portion of the program. 

Transfer Credit: The Occupational Therapy Program may accept up to nine (9) credits of program-specific courses that will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The coursework must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution, and also from a program currently accredited by the program's accrediting body and taken within the two years prior to requesting consideration for transfer. The courses will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee of the program, including a faculty member with knowledge/expertise in the content area of the course being considered, to determine equivalency to program courses in the Occupational Therapy Program at Emory & Henry. 

In order to consider transfer of credit to these programs, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

1. An applicant cannot have been dismissed by another program secondary to not meeting academic or professional standards. 
2. An applicant seeking transfer to this program must meet the minimum standard requirements for acceptance into the program. 

Students are assigned an academic advisor within the program to monitor their progress and to recommend resources for students experiencing academic difficulty. Students who fail to maintain the academic requirement and/or ethical policies are subject to probation or dismissal. Students dismissed from the Program may apply for readmission after one year. 

Please refer to the Program's Student Handbook for details on all academic policies.

Accreditation: Graduation from an occupational therapy education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.

Emory & Henry School of Health Sciences Entry-level Doctorate (OTD) Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTA is located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA, and its Web address is https://acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be 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 an Occupational Therapist, Registered (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. 

The Entry-level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program is approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).