Department Chair: Marian Gillard, Ph.D. OTR/L, FAOTA

Graduate Program Director: Kayla Collins, Ed.D., OTR/L

Director of Administrative Affairs: Lori McNamara

Overview

The Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program of study provides meaningful, obtainable, and affordable post professional education to licensed occupational therapists. The Program is offered through an online format and can be completed in sixteen months.

The program is structured to facilitate the student’s personal and professional development, to encourage change and adaptation, and to ensure the mastery of the discipline through advanced coursework including development as leaders and advanced scholarly practitioners in occupational therapy. Coursework is organized to prepare students to identify client’s potential or actual occupational needs and to intervene with a client-centered, evidence-based approach. Student completion of the doctoral capstone project is designed to strengthen the integration of evidence and practice. Students graduate as doctoral-level practice-scholars with the capacity to transform occupational therapy practice and to teach in the discipline.

The curriculum promotes synthesis of professional trends, occupational science, and technologies that support health and participation. Students are required to complete 30 credits of Occupational Therapy courses including the doctoral capstone series and 6 advanced practice courses focused on developing hybrid teaching and learning skills for the healthcare clinic and classroom.

Mission

To prepare practice scholars, educational innovators, and professional leaders who utilize clinically meaningful research in the implementation of best practice to meet the changing demands of the Occupational Therapy profession.

Admission Requirements

The PP-OTD program is designed for qualified individuals who wish to further their academic studies in occupational therapy. Students accepted into the PP-OTD Program must meet the following criteria. All applicants will:

1. Provide a current and valid license to practice occupational therapy in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands. This license must be in good standing.
2. Submit an online application.
3. Submit official transcripts from an entry-level, accredited occupational therapy program at the master’s level.
4. Submit a CV/resume.
5. Submit 2-3 letters of recommendation.
6. Submit an application essay or personal statement expressing the student’s professional goals and reasons for pursuing a PP-OTD degree with Baylor University.

Applicants for whom English is not a primary language must take either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant evidence, diagnostic considerations, and regulations that inform and guide best practice in the identified practice area.
2. Implement instructional design and teaching and learning principles to provide occupational therapy education in the healthcare clinic or classroom while demonstrating cultural relevance; knowledge of current occupational therapy practice; integrating available evidence; and leveraging occupation-based theoretical perspectives.
3. Identify ethical implications associated with the delivery of client-centered and student-centered services and articulate a process for navigating through fiscal, regulatory, scope of practice, or organizational issues.
4. Promote services for individuals, populations, or institutions in the identified practice area through education or advocacy activities.
5. Demonstrate a commitment to scholarly practice and research through lifelong learning and critical inquiry.

Post-Professional OTD Courses

Courses are structured to guide the student’s personal and professional growth, to encourage change and adaptation, and to ensure the mastery of the discipline through synthesis of theory and research.

Occupational Therapy Core Courses

Seven core courses (17 credit hours) promote synthesis of evidence-based practice, professional trends, occupational science, and technologies that support health and participation in life.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
OTD 6310	Advances in Occupational Therapy Practice	3
OTD 6210	Evidence-Based Practice	2
OTD 6320	Occupational Therapy Conceptual Foundations	3
OTD 6220	Professional Development and Leadership	2
OTD 6230	Teaching and Educational Theory in Occupational Therapy	2
OTD 6330	Clinical Reasoning: Forms of Inquiry in Advanced Practice	3
OTD 6240	Program Evaluation & Development	2

Doctoral Capstone Projects

Three doctoral capstone courses (7 credit hours) guide the student through completion of a scholarly capstone project that reflects synthesis of knowledge, reflective practice, and skills developed during post professional studies to demonstrate in-depth knowledge in a practice area that relates to the student’s professional goals. Capstone projects are a faculty-mentored experience that may be completed either individually or in project teams.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
OTD 6340	Doctoral Capstone 1	3
OTD 6272	Doctoral Capstone II	2
OTD 6280	Doctoral Capstone III	2

Advanced Practice Courses

Three advanced practice courses (6 credits) develop the student’s teaching skills for the healthcare clinic or classroom with a focus on incorporating digital technologies in hybrid learning environments.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
OTD 6196	Hybrid Learning in the Healthcare Clinic and Classroom	1
OTD 6298	Hybrid Teaching Strategies for the Healthcare Clinic and Classroom	2
OTD 6396	Developing Hybrid Teaching Skills for the Healthcare Clinic and Classroom	3