In 1940, prompted by Eleanor Clarke Slagle, then president of the New York State Occupational Therapy Association, NYU's School of Education established a program to educate occupational therapists. This initiative positioned NYU among the select few universities offering such education. From 1941 to 1942, Susan Colson Wilson, Director of OT at Brooklyn State Hospital, taught the first OT courses.
In 1942, Frieda J. Behlen assumed the role of the first full-time instructor of the OT program, which she was concurrently developing. By 1943, she secured its approval from the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association in collaboration with the American Occupational Therapy Association. During those early years of the program’s inception, Behlen taught all applied OT theory courses. NYU’s Department of Occupational Therapy stood out as the sole program at the time offering courses for both day and evening students and accepting male students and black students.
In 1953, NYU's Department of Occupational Therapy introduced a post-professional master's degree program. Then, in 1973, it made history by establishing the world’s first doctor of philosophy program in occupational therapy. In 1981, the Department pioneered innovative work-study post-professional master's programs, drawing students from around the world. A key aspect of these programs was the requirement to complete a master's research project focused on practice specialization.
In 1993, the Department initiated phasing out its bachelor's degree program, mandating that all professional-level training be conducted at the master's degree level. This strategic move, focusing solely on master's and doctoral students, reaffirms the Department’s commitment to providing innovative and high-quality professional education.
Adapting to evolving trends in the profession, the Department launched a practice doctoral degree program in 2007. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program aims to provide therapists with opportunities to develop advanced knowledge and skills necessary for competent and ethical practice.
In Fall 2023, the Department welcomed its final entry-level master’s cohort. Then, the Department was excited to admit its first Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (EL-OTD) cohort for Fall 2024. This three-year EL-OTD program is designed for students holding bachelor's degrees in other fields, preparing them to become licensed occupational therapists equipped with enhanced abilities in leadership, scholarship, advocacy, and advanced clinical competence.
Located in the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, the Department of Occupational Therapy continues to provide opportunities to prepare innovative practitioners, benefiting from the school’s extensive range of programs in education, health, and the arts professions. Today, alumni throughout the world practice with the knowledge that their education has provided them with in-depth expertise to serve society effectively.