Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Program Mission

Our mission is to provide an inter-professional academic experience grounded in the core principles of occupational therapy and enriched by emerging knowledge and technologies. We prepare occupational therapists who are committed to lifelong learning, evidence-informed, and occupation-focused practice to meet the evolving occupational needs ofindividuals, communities, and populations.

Program Vision

To excel in occupational therapy education, research, and service by fostering practitioners, scholars, leaders, advocates, and innovators who promote health, well-being, and participation in meaningful occupations across diverse communities.

Curriculum Design

The entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at University of the Cumberlands is a 9-semester program. Students are required to complete 120 semester credits to graduate with the  Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree. The scope of the curriculum is designed to address the 2023 American Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards as well as the vision and mission of the School of Occupational Therapy, and the program prepares students to become client-centered, evidence-informed, and occupation-focused practitioners, leaders, and scholars in the field of occupational therapy.

Students enter the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program with a background in liberal arts and required prerequisite coursework in the basic, social, and behavioral sciences. The curriculum is organized across four overlapping and progressive phases: 1) Foundations of Occupational Therapy, 2) Participation and Practice, 3) Advanced Practice, and 4) Integration.

All courses build on the previous semester’s coursework. Students deepen their understanding of concepts and enhance their application across various learning and clinical practice contexts as they progress through the curriculum.

The courses in the first two semesters primarily focus on the “Foundations of Occupational Therapy,” where students build on prerequisite coursework. Students learn about foundational knowledge from the field of occupational therapy and other related fields, as well as research necessary for occupational therapy practice. The coursework focuses on the occupational therapy domain and process, body structure and function, clinical conditions, as well as research and evidence-based practice.

The “Participation and Practice” spans across semesters three, four, and five, where students begin to apply foundational concepts in clinical practice through coursework. Students develop clinical reasoning to select and provide interventions for mental health, adult, children, and youth conditions. Four Level I fieldwork experiences during this phase, ensuring students have ongoing opportunities to connect classroom learning to real-world practice. In the fifth, sixth, and seventh semesters, students engage in “Advanced Practice” coursework, where they learn to apply occupational therapy concepts and evidence-based interventions to individuals, groups, and populations experiencing complex health conditions across diverse settings. Coursework also focuses on leadership, advocacy, and a capstone project.

The final “Integration phase” spans across the last three semesters of the program. During the Integration phase students synthesize knowledge and skills from prior coursework through immersive clinical experiences and the implementation of their capstone projects. They further develop their professional identity and cultivate skills for lifelong learning essential for entry-level, autonomous practice.

Curricular Threads

Five curricular threads are woven throughout the OTD curriculum to ensure students graduate with competencies to become entry-level occupational therapy practitioners. These curricular threads interweave with the curricular phases throughout the OTD program, creating a cohesive and comprehensive learning experience and ensuring that students are well-prepared to enter the profession as competent, reflective, and occupation-centered entry-level practitioners. In addition, interprofessional activities, service-learning experiences, and innovative teaching approaches challenge students to prepare them to engage in lifelong learning, scholarship, and service.

1. Occupation, Participation, and Occupation-focused Practice

This thread is the foundational core of occupational therapy education and practice.This thread ensures that students develop the professional reasoning to deliver client-centered and occupation-focused care in a variety of settings, always grounded in the unique needs, roles, and goals of the individual or community. Through this thread, students gain a deep understanding of the relationship between occupational participation and health, well-being, and quality of life. This thread addresses content related to the use of theories, models, and frames of reference as the basis of professional reasoning, occupational analysis, occupation-focused and client-centered assessments, goal setting, intervention planning, and the use of occupation as both the means and the end of therapeutic intervention.

2. Critical Inquiry, Scholarship, and Innovation

This thread fosters the skills necessary for students to become evidence-informed practitioners and emerging scholars. The goal is to prepare graduates who not only consume research but also create and contribute to the profession’s body of knowledge, supporting continual growth and innovation in the field. The coursework and mentored research experiences focus on research methods, evidence-based practice, exploring innovative interventions, and models of service delivery, developing capstone projects and occupation-focused programs based on current and emerging evidence, and methods of dissemination of research.

3. Professional Formation

This thread reinforces the themes of other curricular threads and supports students’ continuous personal and professional growth throughout the occupational therapy program and beyond. Through structured activities, students cultivate reflective practices, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy to become lifelong learners. Coursework emphasizes the AOTA Code of Ethics and fosters the development of professional behaviors, interpersonal and interprofessional communication skills, and a professional identity rooted in ethical practice and cultural humility.

4. Community Engagement

Rooted in a commitment to service, this thread prepares students to become agents of change, dedicated to improving the quality of life and reducing disparities for underserved populations through interprofessional collaboration and community-centered occupational therapy practice. Coursework emphasizes the analysis of health, healthcare, and participation disparities through the lens of social determinants of health, and guides students in developing community-based interventions that enhance occupational engagement. Students learn to assess community needs and to design and implement programs that promote participation, health, and wellness across the lifespan and within diverse communities. Coursework also focuses on working in interprofessional teams and with community partners.

5. Leadership and Advocacy

This thread is designed to develop student capacity for advocacy, leadership, and sustained engagement in professional organizations. Coursework focuses on the examination of policies, regulatory systems, reimbursement structures, and societal frameworks that impact occupational therapy practice across clinical, educational, and community-based settings. Students analyze the role of professional organizations and explore their contributions to advancing the profession, establishing standards of practice, and promoting public awareness.

Program Learning Outcomes

The program educational objective is to prepare students to become client-centered, occupation-focused, and evidence-informed occupational therapy providers, researchers, consultants, educators, case managers, leaders, managers, and advocates. Graduates of the Entry-level OTD program at the University of the Cumberlands will show the following competencies:

1. Provide occupational therapy services driven by professional reasoning that is deeply rooted in the core values and principles of the occupational therapy profession.

2. Become evidence-informed practitioners and scholars who engage in innovative practice and add to the profession’s knowledge.

3. Foster commitment to personal and professional growth and ethical practice throughout the occupational therapy program and beyond.

4. Become agents of change through service, interprofessional collaboration, and community-centered occupational therapy practice to reduce health care disparities.

5. Advocate, lead, and actively engage in professional organizations to shape and advance occupational therapy practice across clinical, educational, and community settings.