Students log into a passcode protected course site. The site is available at all times to the student. The course content is delivered through use of narrated power point presentations and videos on specific topics. Students participate with classmates and instructors in online discussion boards to analyze cases and discuss course topics and the application to clinical practice.

Yes, the credential UAB will use is OTD.

It is preferred that you enroll in the clinical doctorate program, but if you would like to take a few classes to see if the online format works for you that is acceptable.

You can take 1 or 2 courses, depending on how soon you want to complete your degree. Taking 2 courses a semester means you will finish in about 2 years; 1 course a semester will take 4 years.

Yes, as long as your degree is from a program accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT). You must provide documentation that you graduated from a school with WFOT accreditation. The Graduate School may require confirmation of degree equivalency. A transcript evaluation from World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators may be required.

We are accepting occupational therapy assistants into the program as long as they also have a bachelor’s degree as well as the OTA credential. The focus of the BS degree can be in another field.

No – this is a post-professional degree and does not have the elements you would need that are included in an entry level OTD or master’s program.

To combine the programs, you must submit the required documents and be accepted into EACH program separately. If you are already enrolled in the certificate program, or if you completed it in the last five years then your coursework will apply to the clinical doctorate.

Yes, you can take coursework for both programs concurrently depending on your schedule.

Yes, you can still enroll in the OTD program after you have started the low vision certificate program, and the credit hours completed in the certificate program will apply toward the clinical doctorate degree. However, please note that credits must be applied within 5 years of your completion of the certificate program and must meet the graduate school requirements for the clinical doctorate program. Students must complete applications for both programs and pay the application fee through the UAB Graduate School for the clinical doctorate program even if they have already been accepted into the low vision certificate program.

OT 701: Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice (3 credits, core course)
Occupational therapy frameworks, theory, philosophy, conceptual models, and practice models as guides to clinical reasoning; integration into clinical practice.

OT 702: Leadership for Advanced Practice Excellence (2 credits, core course)
Leadership competencies for the occupational therapist; leadership and management theories to guide and enhance professional practice.

OT 703: Advocacy and Healthcare Policy in Population Health (3 credits, core course)
Broad overview and challenges of the current U.S. healthcare system; impact of regulation on health care access, delivery, cost, and quality; effective patient-professional relationships.

OT 704*: Research Design for Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice (3 credits, core course)
Emphasis on study designs, advanced statistical concepts, internal and external validity, confounding variables, extrapolation of findings from sample to population; critique of the professional literature.

OT 705: Evidenced-based Practice Design and Application for Advanced Practice (3 credits, core course)
Strategies for evidence-based service delivery; critical analysis of the literature to support clinical practice.

OT 706: Management for Occupational Therapy Practice (3 credits)
Managing people and resources in a practice environment changing due to politic, regulatory, economic and social drivers.

OT 707: Occupational Therapists as Educators (2 credits)
Role of the occupational therapist as educator; teaching and learning styles; effective organization of educational experiences.

OT 798: Final Project Coursework (1-3 credits per semester, minimum total of 6 hours)
Focused investigation of an occupational therapy problem in a professional practice setting; application of concepts and tools presented in the program courses. Written project report required.

*Note: OT 704 is a prerequisite for OT 705

All OTD applicants must have:

• Current master’s or bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited program (this includes applicants who have an OTA degree and a BS degree in a related field).
• Applicants must be currently or have been previously employed as an occupational therapist or OTA with at least one year of clinical experience.
• The ability to complete essential tasks, with or without reasonable accommodation, associated with performing as an occupational therapy student. View the list of essential tasks and reasonable accommodations.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) / Resume.
• GPA of 3.0 in their most recent degree.
• A Letter of Intent (minimum of two double‐spaced pages and maximum of four pages in length to be submitted before interview) providing a description of how the program aligns with the applicant’s intended career goals.
• Three letters of reference from professionals you have worked with.
• Interview (online or in-person).
• Computer skills.

*No GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is required.

**Students planning to take the Low Vision Graduate Certificate track must also submit a copy of their US license. This does not apply to international students.

All international applicants must have:

• Must have graduated from a World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) approved school.
• International applicants from non-English-speaking countries only must have official copies of the applicant's scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 550 on the paper test, 213 on the computer version, or 80 on the internet based test of the TOEFL or a minimum score of 6.0 - 6.5 on the IELTS test is recommended.
• The UAB Graduate School may require confirmation of degree equivalency. A transcript evaluation from World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators may be required.