CATALOG - University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

TRANSITIONAL DOCTOR OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OTD) (EffectiveApril 1, 2012)Mission StatementThe mission of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is to graduate students with advancedknowledge in practice excellence who have the leadership, and clinical skills necessary to promote theprofession of occupational therapy. High priority is placed on active inquiry, critical thinking and reflectivepractice.Program ObjectivesThrough completion of this program, students will: Prepare students to think logically, critically, creatively, and independently in a manner that willpromote advanced practice of occupational therapy. Develop leadership in an area of clinical practice that will promote the profession of occupationaltherapy and the patients who receive care. Display professional skills such as life-long learning, ethical behaviors and interdisciplinarycollaboration within professional practice. Develop effective communication skills in the presentation of occupational therapy theories andconcepts in order to advance professional goals. Develop a systematic approach to solving problems in clinical practice through the culminatingCapstone Project. Advance competence in the interpretation and application of professional literature promotingevidence based practice.Admission RequirementsApplication to the OTD program is open to all occupational therapists who entered the profession with abachelor’s degree or master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited institution. It is expectedthat all applicants are licensed or eligible for licensure in the United States. Applicants must be currentlyemployed as an occupational therapist or have a minimum of one year’s experience as an occupationaltherapist. For more details on admission, see the Admissions to the University section of this Catalog.Official transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning must be submitted directly to theUniversity in accordance with the Application for Admission instructions.International Students Applying for AdmissionForeign-trained candidates who do not require a student visa to participate in University courses and/ordegrees can be considered for admission. To enter the OTD program, the following criteria will apply: Be a graduate of a program in a country that is a member of the World Federation of OccupationalTherapists. Submit transcripts and a credentialing evaluation from an agency recognized by the NationalAssociation of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) that provide evidence of training at a levelequivalent to that of a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Candidate must submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report iftheir education was completed in a language other than English or they reside in a non-Englishspeaking country. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based testing), 210 (computer-based testing) or 83 (IBT – Internetbased testing) is required on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).60