Occupational Therapy (Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy)
Gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to deliver high-quality, cost-effective interventions in occupational therapy practice with Creighton’s online post-professional occupational therapy doctorate program. Students combine coursework in a professional area of their choosing with expert mentorship—and can design a plan of study to fit busy schedules.
In one of the first clinical occupational therapy doctorate programs of its kind in the country, occupational therapists gain advanced clinical, practice management, teaching and administrative skills. Through this program, current practicing occupational therapists can prepare for upper-level management positions in a diverse range of practice environments.
Program Details
Program Goals
Upon completion of the POTD program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate entry-level occupational therapy clinical skills*
- Develop a new or refine an existing program that enhances occupational therapy practice
- Demonstrate positive interpersonal skills and insight into one’s professional behaviors to accurately appraise one’s professional disposition, strengths and areas for improvement
- Demonstrate the ability to practice educative roles for clients, peers, students, and others in community and clinical settings
- Influence policy, practice and education by advocating for occupational therapy services for individuals and populations and for the profession
- Demonstrate leadership aptitude and characteristics to assume leadership roles at the local, national and international levels in occupational therapy, health professions and the community
- Develop essential knowledge and skills to contribute to the advancement of occupational therapy through scholarly activities
- Apply principles and constructs of ethics to individual, institutional and societal issues, and articulate justifiable resolutions to these issues and act in an ethical manner
*Goal 1 is assumed to be accomplished by all post-professional OTD students.
Curriculum
The post-professional OTD distance curriculum consists of 42 semester hours of required didactic coursework for students with a master’s degree and 54 semester hours for students with a bachelor’s degree. Distance learners access the course through various technologies provided by the School. Courses are asynchronous and available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In addition to didactic courses, students engage in 15 semester credit hours of doctoral capstone experience, which offer the opportunity to extend and refine knowledge gained. The doctoral experiential component of the curriculum is tailored to each individual, based on a self-assessment of professional competencies. Students may elect to enhance generalist clinical skills or select a focused area for professional study. Whenever possible, doctoral experiential components will be arranged at practice sites in the student’s geographic region.
The post-professional OTD program enrolls new students each fall semester.
Learn More
Admissions Requirements
Prerequisites
For admission into the post-professional occupational therapy doctorate program at Creighton University, you must meet the following requirements:
- An entry-level bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy at an ACOTE-accredited institution (or WFOT approved OT program for international applicants)
- Successful completion of the certification examination
- Demonstration of access to necessary technology for the web curriculum
Dates & Deadlines
The deadline for fall admission is July 1. Learn more about the application requirements.
Tuition & Financial Aid
View a full breakdown of the cost of attendance.
Career Options
The post-professional occupational therapy doctorate program, which is open to students with bachelor’s or master’s OT degrees, can enhance your knowledge and skills as a practitioner, leading to an enhanced career in areas of:
- Leadership
- Research
- Academics
- Professional and advanced practice
faculty members are FAOTA
alumni serve as OT program chairs
of faculty hold doctorate degrees
of students complete a research project
