Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program consists of 114 semester hours and is eight consecutive semesters long. For example, students who enter the program in Fall 2024 will graduate in May 2027. A new class of occupational therapy students begins each year in the Fall semester. Applications are available in the summer the year prior to the fall start date (example- summer 2023 and spring 2024 applications due for fall 2024 admissions). Selected applicants, who meet all academic admission requirements, may be invited for an interview. Students who are offered admission may choose to guarantee a seat by submitting a matriculation fee (applied towards tuition) or be placed on the alternate list. All students accepted to the program must complete a criminal background check. Admission is contingent on the background check being clear of criminal charges.
The OTD program includes 24 weeks of full-time Level II Fieldwork as accreditation standards require. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 12 months following completion of academic requirements. Level II Fieldwork is available in various medical and community sites, representing diverse learning opportunities for students. Students must meet the specific site requirements (immunizations, background checks, drug screens, prior training, etc......… ) for each clinical fieldwork site to be eligible to attend these sites.
The OTD program also includes the required 14-week doctoral capstone (experience and
project) affording a variety of options for in-depth exposure to one or more of the
following focus areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration,
leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, or theory development.
Students must successfully complete all coursework, successfully pass both level II
fieldwork rotations, and complete all preparatory activities as required prior to
beginning the capstone experience. The Capstone Experience must be completed within
12 months following completion of all level II fieldwork and academic requirements.
- The Department of Occupational Therapy will not process any application that is incomplete (for any items noted above) or that is not submitted by the deadline.
- Preference MAY BE shown to Alabama residents, however, highly qualified out-of-state applicants whose academics and experiences indicate that they may be a success in both the program and the OT profession will be given the same consideration as residents.
- Students accepted to the program must submit completed health and physical forms to include required immunizations by July 15, 2024. Accepted students must also read, sign, and submit the Core Performance Standards document outlining fundamental tasks of which applicants should be capable upon entering the OT program.
- Acceptance into the OTD program is provisional pending a clear background check, submission of required medical forms, and completion of bachelor’s degree by May 30, 2024.
- Acceptance into the OTD program is provisional pending completion of any additional required prerequisite courses with a grade of "B-" or better and submission of required medical forms as supplied in the acceptance packet. Failure to make a grade of "B-" or better in any required prerequisite course will result in a nullification of acceptance into the professional program. **Spring Semester 2020 only, courses listed as Pass in the Pass/Fail grading system or Satisfactory in the Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory grading system will be accepted for prerequisite courses.
- Accepted students must submit a $300 matriculation fee with the Statement of Intent to reserve a seat in the class. This fee is non-refundable and is applied to the student’s first semester tuition. Students offered admission may elect not to pay the matriculation fee and be placed on the alternate list.
- PLEASE NOTE: A record of criminal charges, including misdemeanor and felony charges, may result in denial of access to fieldwork sites, inability to sit for the NBCOT board exam, inability to obtain a state license to practice, and/or limit job opportunities.
Minimum Requirements
All applicants must complete the OTCAS admissions application for our program.
The candidate is expected to satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university by May 30, 2024.
- Extensions can be made for students completing hours for clinical/ internship experiences that require summer hours with degree completion by first week of August 2024, permission from admissions team required.
- Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 (A=4.0) overall cumulative GPA. Minimum 3.0 GPA OT prerequisite courses.
- Applicants must have a minimum grade of “B-” in each of the OT prerequisite courses (see list below).
- OT Observation Hours completed on documented forms.
Program Requirements
- Occupational Therapy is a full-time doctorate program that provides scientific evidence and clinical education needed for clinical practice. Course work and clinical fieldwork placements are full-time in nature. Students must be able to manage full-time clinical placements which are scheduled both on weekdays and weekends, between semesters and within semesters, not always following the academic calendar. Students should have the resources to commute to clinical placements that are not local to the Mobile area.
- Students matriculating into and within Occupational Therapy will be required to have continuous health coverage and provide documentation of this throughout the program of study. Students are responsible for the cost of this health insurance coverage.
- Students matriculating into and within Occupational Therapy will be required to complete background checks, drug screens, immunizations, and specific trainings at various times within the program and clinical fieldwork placements. We are unable to accept students into the clinical programs that are unable to sit for the NBCOT exam or achieve licensure in the US. Students are responsible for the costs of these.
- The University of South Alabama, Department of Occupational Therapy utilizes the online management system of Canvas for all courses. Each OT student is expected to have a personal computer for the completion of web-based assignments, exams, and online courses during the OT program. USA has a contracted service with Microsoft to allow enrolled students some specific free software downloads. Students should be familiar with MS Office for Word and Excel, be familiar with uploading and downloading documents into course learning management sites such as Canvas, and be familiar with Google Calendar.
Prerequisite Courses must be completed by May 30, 2024. Prerequisite Courses are required for ALL Applicants.
A minimum grade of "B-” is required in these prerequisite courses:
Developmental (life span) psychology (PSY 250)
Abnormal psychology (PSY 340)
Statistics (ST 210)
**Anatomy & physiology I (BMD 251)
**Anatomy & physiology II (BMD 252)
**Kinesiology (biomechanics) preferred / or physics with algebra/trigonometry (KIN 380 or PH 114)
** These prerequisite courses must be taken no more than ten years prior to submitting
your application.
AP credit and CLEP scores are not accepted for any of the prerequisite courses.
Pass/Fail and/or Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory grades accepted for course grades for
Spring 2020 only.
The application process is a rolling application process. Students will be viewed at three points for consideration for entrance for Fall 2024.
Fall review of qualified applicants - OTCAS deadline for materials is Sept. 22, 2023.
- all above admissions criteria met and deadlines for receipt of information completed, no more than two pre-requisite courses in process for the Fall 2023 semester (all others are completed)
- must have submitted all official transcripts and OTCAS verification completed through Summer 2023
- will complete OTCAS academic update after Fall grades are issued and courses completed
- seats for Fall 2024 admissions will begin being offered in Nov. 2023
- interviews for selected candidates will be held on Oct. 20, 2023
Spring review of qualified applicants - OTCAS deadline for materials is Jan. 12, 2024.
- all above paperwork is completed and no more than two prerequisite courses in process during the Spring 2024 semester
- must have submitted all official transcripts through Fall 2023 and OTCAS verification completed
- will complete OTCAS academic update after Spring grades are issued and courses completed
- enter the pool for seats for Fall 2024 admissions
- interviews for selected candidates will be held on Feb. 2, 2024
Late Spring review of qualified applicants - OTCAS deadline for materials is April 5, 2024.
- all above paperwork is completed and no more than two prerequisite courses in process during the Spring 2024 semester
- must have submitted all official transcripts through Fall 2023 and OTCAS verification completed
- will complete OTCAS academic update after Spring grades are issued and courses completed
- enter the pool for remaining seats (if available) for Fall 2024 admissions
- interviews for selected candidates will be held on April 12-19, 2024
Summer Review of qualified applicants - OTCAS deadline for materials is June 5, 2024.
- all above paperwork is completed
- must submit all official transcripts through Spring 2024 to OTCAS
- Must complete Bachelor’s degree by August 2024
- Must complete all prerequisite courses by August 2024
- enter the pool for remaining seats (if available) for Fall 2024 admissions
interviews for selected candidates will be held via Zoom as soon as processed.
In order to be considered for admission to the OTD program at University of South Alabama, applicants should submit to OTCAS the following:
- completed USA OT Supplemental Application which will be uploaded in the documents section
- pay the $75 non-refundable supplemental application fee and upload the receipt in the documents section
- upload all transcripts in OTCAS for all colleges/universities attended
- complete the OTCAS application process
- have your transcripts verified by OTCAS (start as soon as your application is submitted)
- Please note that the OTCAS verification process may take 4-6 weeks.
- submit OT Observation Hours documentation
- submit Volunteer/Internship/Work Hours documentation (optional)
HRSA Questions
Applicants are asked to respond to HRSA questions as part of the OTCAS application. Applicants should answer these honestly as these responses will be considered as part of the application process.
OT Observation Hours (minimum of 20 hours) are required at the time of application.
Students can submit up to 60 hours of observation. Please complete and submit the
required documentation forms. If students can not complete the required hours due
to clinic restrictions, you can complete an alternative assignment. Please contact
the Admissions Department if you need the alternative, but we highly encourage you to see real OTs in action
as much as possible. We want you to know what OTs do and make the best decision for
your career choice.
The following are not required but these experiences will enhance your application for consideration into the OTD program.
Volunteer Hours
Volunteer experiences (1-100 hours) are part of our holistic admissions process. Applicants should document only volunteer (unpaid) hours that involve serving individuals with disabilities, individuals that are underserved or underprivileged, and hours with charitable organizations serving people. Paid employment does not count for this. Applicants should upload documentation from the agency or your university/college volunteer services (Ex South Serves) that indicates the agency you volunteered for, the dates, and the hours you provided. Only provide a maximum of 100 hours even if you did more than this.
Internship Experiences
College level internship experiences that required direct interactions with individuals with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds should be submitted. A letter on letterhead from your professor that indicates your name, the course name, course number, semester completed, agency you were assigned to, and number of hours completed is required. The professor should also sign the form.
Work Related Experiences
Paid employment that provided opportunities for you to work directly with individuals with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds (Ex. rehab aide, nurses aide, teachers aide or assistant) should be documented. Provide a letter from the employer on letterhead stationary that indicates your name, job position, months/years of employment, and basic job responsibilities. It should be signed by the employer and include contact information such as phone number and email for verification.
Bonus Course
OT 201 Introduction to Occupational Therapy
International students must meet the minimum requirements for admission and apply to the International Admissions Office with certified translations of transcripts at least 60 days before applying to the occupational therapy program. International coursework must be evaluated by the USA Office of International Services to verify equivalency to USA courses. International applicants must have a TOEFL score = 100 on Internet-based tests, OR iTEP Academic = 4.9, OR IELTS = 7.5, OR PTE Academic = 75. Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution are not required to submit TOEFL results.
View the USA Transfer Evaluation System to see how your classes will transfer.
The University of South Alabama entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
ACOTE Contact InformationAddress:
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
Phone:
(301) 652-AOTA
Website:
www.acoteonline.org
Current Status: Candidacy Granted
This new OTD program must 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.
OTD students must successfully complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork, as well as, the individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all required coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in the 2018 OTD Standard D.1.3.
ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students graduating from an ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage.
Phone: (251) 445-9222
Email the Dept. of OT