OT Doctoral Program

Welcome to the University of Louisiana at Monroe
Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral 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), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must have a preaccreditation 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 to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. 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: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

About the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

Recognizing the unique needs of our diverse student population and community, the purpose of the OTD Program at ULM is to educate students who function as competent entry-level occupational therapists in a dynamic and diverse society and a rapidly changing health care environment.

The new OTD program is a clinical doctorate consisting of six semesters of course work followed by 24 weeks of level II clinical fieldwork and a 14-week doctoral internship with a focus on scholarship, culminating in a capstone project. The entire program, including clinical fieldwork and capstone project, is 9 semesters (3 years). The mode of delivery will be primarily face-to-face with online education as appropriate.

The Level II Fieldwork and Capstone will occur off-site. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork and 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, Level II fieldwork and preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.