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Doctoral
Occupational Therapy
Post-Professional Degree for Practicing Occupational Therapists

Through NYU Steinhardt’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy for Practicing Occupational Therapists, motivated, disciplined, and creative OTs delve deeply into selected areas of specialization to build expertise as clinicians and leaders in the field. With this degree, you will have advanced competence that fosters excellence in practice.

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Occupational Therapy students attend a class lecture

Degree Details

Official Degree Title

Doctor of Occupational Therapy for Practicing Occupational Therapists

Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
27–36
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline

If you are an occupational therapist with a master’s degree, the clinically-focused doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) will prepare you to deliver optimal evidence-based practice and collaborate with interdisciplinary professionals. 

Specifically, you will:

  1. Develop advanced clinical competence in a specialty area with a faculty mentor

  2. Explore contemporary educational theories and strategies to enhance your teaching skills

  3. Assess the adequacy of existing measurement tools

  4. Assess the effectiveness of selected intervention principles and approaches

  5. Interpret research findings in the context of broader sociocultural issues related to interdisciplinary practice and functional outcomes.

Courses are online and can be taken in the late afternoon and/or evening to accommodate your work schedule.

Explore the full curriculum.

Through this practitioner-focused advanced degree, you will enhance your clinical and analytical skills, apply evidence to practice, and explore a clinical area of special interest through integrated core courses, electives, and the creation of an evidence-based professional electronic portfolio (ePortfolio).

Building the ePortfolio involves three steps:

  1. You will complete an analysis of your current practices to determine career goals consistent with an area of specialization and develop a professional development plan.

  2. You will use your academic coursework and clinical experience to collect, catalog, and reflect on “artifacts” that demonstrate the knowledge and skills gained through academic and clinical work throughout the degree.

  3. The chair of the committee and content member review the ePortfolio based on its consistency with evidence-based knowledge in the area of exploration and your professional development. You will then present and defend the portfolio in a public presentation.

With an OTD, you will be well-positioned for a range of careers, including becoming a faculty member for an occupational therapy program, a researcher, a practitioner or supervisor in a health facility, or a health planner or policy maker in government and public service agencies.

Advanced clinical degrees are increasingly recognized as an important health care credential in occupational therapy and other professions. As a result, you may qualify for more advanced positions in practice and administration with an OTD.

Paying for Your Education

Visit the NYU Steinhardt Office of Graduate Admissions site to learn more about financial aid, scholarships and grants, and other resources.

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New Variable Credit OTD Program

The Department of Occupational Therapy at NYU is pleased to announce that students can now earn a post-professional OTD degree with 27-36 credits. Learn more below about the Department's new post-professional OTD variable credit program.

Read More About the Variable Credit Program

 

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Research Spotlight

Learn more about recent OTD graduate and pediatric occupational therapist Jamie Friedman’s ePortfolio, The Handwriting is on the Wall, a comprehensive examination of handwriting development for beginning writers.

Meet Jamie Friedman

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DEPARTMENT OF

Occupational Therapy

Pless Hall, 82 Washington Square East, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-998-5825
Email: occupational.therapy@nyu.edu

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