| Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Combining the best possible scientific foundation with unmatched clinical experience.
Become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) with a degree from the UIW School of Rehabilitation Sciences
The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at the University of the Incarnate Word is designed to inspire learning and transformational knowledge for competency in clinical practice, administration, advocacy, education, leadership and research.
Why Earn Your Entry-Level OTD Degree from UIW?
- Students are given the opportunity to provide high-quality care to underserved populations through hands-on experience at the UIW Community Clinic and health fairs.
- The OTD degree is a terminal degree, which means it's the highest level degree for clinical practice.
- UIW's OTD program is committed to creating learning opportunities for building social justice through advocacy projects that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion.
- OTD students will be engaged in numerous fieldwork experiences in healthcare, community, schools and mental health agencies.
The OTD program is pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Doctor of Occupational Therapy Capstone Experience
OTD students will be required to develop an individual capstone project after completing all didactic coursework and fieldwork experience. Capstone experiences can lead to career opportunities, research endeavors, professional publications, presentations and many other exciting career opportunities.
By the Numbers
12%
Projected growth rate in jobs between now and 2032
5
Separate fieldwork education experiences
$93,180
2022 median pay for occupational therapists
Take a Tour of the OTD Facilities
Our 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in San Antonio, Texas includes breakout rooms, lounge areas, a library, large lecture halls, a Neuromuscular lab, Cardiopulmonary lab, and a Movement and Gait lab.
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Our approach to the OTD degree will set you apart when you first enter the job market and long after.
UIW combines the best possible scientific foundation with unmatched clinical experience — delivered across many types of primary and specialty care settings and serving diverse patient needs and populations. You would advance a mission of care that began in 1869 with the founding of Santa Rosa Infirmary, the region’s first Catholic hospital, by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.
You’ll find our graduates working across a range of settings and specialties, both regionally and nationally.
- Hospitals and Medical Centers
- Rehabilitation Services
- Outpatient Practices
- Sports Therapy
- Higher Education
- Pediatrics
- Senior Services
Graduate Outcomes
Upon completion of all requirements of the OTD program at the University of the Incarnate Word, graduates will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate competency in scholarship, lifelong learning, evidence-based practice, occupation-based practice, education and research through advocating for the OT profession and consumers of occupational therapy services.
- Discover and define truth in communication and research, mutual understanding, self-realization and the common good through provision as a health and wellness provider within state and federal regulatory guidelines.
- Incorporate a global perspective for social justice and occupational justice through inclusion, diversity and equity to maximize health, well-being and quality of life for all people, populations and communities.
- Innovate using advanced, evidence-based, occupation-based clinical skills, technology and expertise to serve the spiritual, physical, mental health and material needs of a diverse population.
- Engage in interprofessional and interprofessional education and practice that addresses evidence-based, occupation-based, client-centered and cost-effective healthcare and demonstrates influence in changing policies, environments and complex systems.
Accreditations
The University of the Incarnate Word is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, doctorate and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of University of the Incarnate Word.
Doctoral-Degree-Level Occupational Therapy Program (Applicant Program)
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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.
Students must complete all graduation, fieldwork, and doctoral capstone requirements in a timely manner. Level II fieldwork and the doctoral capstone must be completed within two years. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program.
The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.