Post Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (ppOTD)

 

About the Program

The Division of Occupational Therapy asserts that New Mexico deserves occupational therapists that are prepared at the highest level. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy  (OTD) program will prepare post-professional occupational therapists to become clinical leaders and academic educators.

The OTD curriculum is designed for occupational therapists who desire a post professional advanced practice degree. The core courses are consistent with the goals of educating occupational therapists to be innovators in practice; evidence-based clinical decision makers; and leaders in practice, education, and public policy. The electives and capstone project afford students the opportunity to pursue specialty areas of interest, expand services, and develop new programs.

The goals of the OTD program are to prepare occupational therapists to assume leadership roles as:

• innovators in traditional and emerging areas of occupational therapy practice to better meet the health care needs of all of the people of New Mexico;

• educators who can effectively train the next generation of therapists;

• scholars who can create and synthesize evidence to develop best practice; and

• business, education, and policy leaders who help create systems that effectively serve the health needs of individuals and communities.

The online program is designed for working occupational therapists. Students can enter the program with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy. 

It is time to take your career to the next level. You have been on the front line of healthcare and now is your time to improve the system and make positive changes.  

Contact us at scburns@salud.unm.edu to learn more about degree requirements and course listings.

 

Apply to the ppOTD program today!

Degree Requirements

The OTD program ranges from 30 credits for occupational therapists who enter the program with a master's degree to 39 credits (30 plus 9 prerequisite credits) for occupational therapists whos highest level of education is a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy.
All students in the post-professional program must take 6 core courses (18 credits), 6 credits of electives, and complete 6 credit hours of a professional capstone project. For the 6 elective credits, and with approval from an academic advisor, you can design your own specialty track of courses offered in the Occupational Therapy Graduate Programs or from courses in other programs and colleges at UNM (e.g., hand therapy, pediatrics, geriatrics, community practice, public health, education, etc.). It is expected that the required capstone project will further support your specialty track.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for admission to the OTD program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Current occupational therapy license in any U.S. state or territory
• Bachelor's degree (BS/BA) or Master's degree (MS/MOT) in Occupational Therapy from an ACOTE-accredited program
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in prior degree work

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREE ONLY:

Applicants whose highest degree is a bachelor's in occupational therapy must complete three prerequisite courses (9 credits total) before matriculation:
• Graduate-level writing or grant writing course (3 credits)
• Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice (OCTH 534 or comparable course) (3 credits)
• Basic statistics within the past 5 years (3 credits)

Note: Applicants may apply while enrolled in prerequisite courses if all will be completed by the fall semester start date.

 

Degree Requirements

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The OTD program requires 30-39 credit hours depending on entry qualifications:

FOR MASTER'S-PREPARED OTs: 30 credit hours
• 6 core courses (18 credits)
• 2 elective courses (6 credits)
• Professional capstone project (6 credits)

FOR BACHELOR'S-PREPARED OTs: 39 credit hours
• 3 prerequisite courses (9 credits)
• 6 core courses (18 credits)
• 2 elective courses (6 credits)
• Professional capstone project (6 credits)

  LEARNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the OTD program, graduates will be able to:

1. Apply complex, theory-driven reasoning to solve occupational challenges affecting health and participation across diverse populations

2. Synthesize and generate evidence to inform innovative program development, policy advocacy, and systems-level change

3. Design and deliver effective education and training using contemporary educational methods

4. Conduct rigorous scholarly investigation and contribute to the occupational therapy knowledge base

5. Advocate for occupational justice and influence public policy

6. Develop, implement, and evaluate innovative programs that expand occupational therapy's reach

7. Collaborate effectively across disciplines to address complex health challenges

8. Demonstrate visionary leadership in advancing the occupational therapy profession

 

PROGRAM COURSEWORK

Course Number	Course Name	Credit Hours	Required/Elective
CORE COURSES
OCTH 615	Complex Reasoning in Practice	3	Required
OCTH 625	Scholarship of Practice	3	Required
OCTH 635	Advanced Advocacy and Leadership	3	Required
OCTH 645	Education in Occupational Therapy	3	Required
OCTH 655	Teaching Practicum	3	Required
OCTH 660	Applied Data Management and Research	3	Required
ELECTIVES (Select 6 credits)
OCTH 665	Scholarly Writing in Occupational Therapy	3	Elective
OCTH 680	Resilience for Clinical and Academic Occupational Therapists	3	Elective
Various	Specialty Track Electives (advisor-approved)	6	Elective
CAPSTONE
OCTH 695	Professional Capstone Project	6	Required
	TOTAL CREDIT HOURS (Master's entry)	30
PREREQUISITES (Bachelor's entry)
Various	Graduate Writing/Grant Writing	3	Required*
OCTH 534	Evidence-Based Practice	3	Required*
Various	Statistics (within 5 years)	3	Required*
	TOTAL WITH PREREQUISITES (Bachelor's entry)	39

*Required for applicants with bachelor's degree only, must be completed before matriculation

Professional Capstone

The professional capstone project provides students with scholarly opportunities to advance specialty knowledge, expand existing services, develop new programs, and/or receive mentorship in practice from expert practitioners. In many instantces, the capstone will be used to address the needs of underserved populations and/or communities in New Mexico. Students may engage in evidence-based practice/program development, program evaluation, systems change, and/or practice-based outcomes measurement. Students also must pass a Doctoral Comprehensive Examination which is the oral defense of the written paper for the professional capstone project.

Course Descriptions

Occupational Therapy (OCTH)

OCTH 615. Complex Reasoning in Practice (3 credits)

Addresses complex process of reasoning in practice to solve occupational problems that influence health and well-being. Case method explores the interplay of theory, evidence, context, and client perspective in defining problems and making practice decisions.

OCTH 625. Scholarship of Practice (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the professional literature surrounding outcome measures and the evidence supporting occupational therapy practice and education and the need for outcome studies.

OCTH 635. Advanced Advocacy and Leadership (3 credits)

Advanced occupational therapy practice includes being a change agent. Competencies include leadership skills and experience, knowledge and action abilities, advocate at multiple levels including public policy and high-level decision making and communication.

OCTH 645. Education in Occupational Therapy (3 credits)

This course introduces Occupational Therapy students to concepts of learning theory, applications to practice, assessments, educational ethics, curriculum development, and academic leadership within health professions.

OCTH 655. Teaching Practicum (3 credits)

This course builds on the knowledge and skills achieved in OCTH 645. Students will work closely with a faculty member or members to acquire practical teaching experiences either virtually, hybrid, and/or in person. This may include teaching parts of classes, facilitating problem-based learning, developing teaching materials and assignments, grading, and delivering continuing education courses.

OCTH 660. Applied Data Management and Research for Clinical Practice (3 credits)

This course presents critical concepts and practical methods to support planning, collection, storage, and dissemination of data to support marketing, evaluate service delivery and clinical research.

OCTH 665. Scholarly Writing in Occupational Therapy (3 credits)

This course involves developing scholarly writing skills that support effective research and dissemination. Students will learn about style, organization, logic, clarity, development of concise arguments, reference management, and foundational principles of scholarly integrity in occupational therapy.

OCTH 680. Resilience for Clinical and Academic Occupational Therapists (3 credits)

This course develops knowledge and skills for resilience and professional well-being in clinical and academic occupational therapy settings. Students explore the science of stress and burnout, learning evidence-based strategies, mindfulness, and organizational approaches to foster psychological flexibility and professional longevity.

OCTH 695. Professional Capstone Project (6 credits)

The professional capstone project offers students the opportunity to use and apply their knowledge of occupational therapy to transform practice. Students will identify the opportunities, limitations, requirements and need of a particular practice environment.