ºÚÁÏÉç

 
 
 

 

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

 

 

The program in the College of Health and Human Services was established 2008 and received approval from the Illinois Board of Education and Higher Learning Commission to grant the degree. The DrOT is a post-professional advanced practice degree. The DrOT program prepares you to evaluate and produce research, collaborate as a leader in the field, prepare to teach, and act as an advocate in healthcare through knowledge building with real-life applications aligned with your current professional roles or anticipated professional desires.

To learn more about our post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program attend our monthly Information Sessions!

Register for Information Sessions, then use this link below for virtual sessions:

ATTENTION FOR THEÌý THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12th Meeting :

Please click the below Post-Professional Guest Link to Doctor of Occupational Therapy Information Session:

ÌýCynthia Carr, DrOT
Associate Professor

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft (other) Teams

Meeting ID: 287 252 548 133

Passcode: ex7ER9wM

ÌýDate

ÌýTime

ÌýLocation

February 12, 20256:00pmVirtual
March 12, 20256:00pmVirtual
April 9, 2025
6:00pmVirtual
May 14, 20256:00pmVirtual
June 11, 20256:00pmVirtual
July 9, 20256:00pmVirtual
August 13, 20256:00pmVirtual

Improving Lives Through Advanced Practice

The dynamic nature of health and human services offers challenging opportunities for advanced and specialized occupational therapy practice. There is a compelling need for the practice scholar – the advanced practice occupational therapist will actively enrich current clinical practice through knowledge building and skill development to aligned with current or anticipated professional desires.

Consider the College of Health and Human Services’ Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) program if you are ready to take your expertise to the next level. Students in our program explore, apply, and develop the best practice models, knowledge, and expertise they will need to take on Leadership, Education, Research, and Advocacy roles in the profession. The DrOT program will prepare you to be an innovator in both traditional and emerging areas of occupational therapy using real-life applications.

Welcome Enrichment

If you are a certified and licensed occupational therapist with a master’s degree in occupational therapy (or a bachelor’s in occupational therapy and a master’s in another field) and are looking for a way to progress in your field, consider our program. Refine your current clinical practice and begin to welcome new opportunities by further developing your education of occupational therapy.

The ºÚÁÏÉç University DrOT sequence of courses provides you with the knowledge and skills that will open opportunities in leadership, education and research.

Reach Your Career Goals

After completing the program, you will have doors open for opportunities through:

  • Enhanced knowledge and ability to evaluate, apply and conduct research in occupational therapy
  • Leadership capabilities developed for today’s healthcare environment
  • Preparation to pursue employment in higher education
  • Advocacy practices

Doors will open for opportunities in Leadership, Education and Research.

Accreditation

The DrOT program has approval from the Illinois Board of Education and Higher Learning Commission to grant the degree of Doctor of Occupational Therapy.

Degree Requirements

Ìý

Required DrOT Courses (30 credit hours)

ÌýÌýÌý Advanced OT Models, Concepts, and Application (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Advanced Research in OT (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Seminar I (1)
ÌýÌýÌý Leadership & Advocacy in OT (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Evidence-based Practice & Innovation (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Seminar II (1)
ÌýÌýÌý Introduction to Online Teaching (3)
ÌýÌýÌý The Role of the Online Instructor (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Seminar III (1)
ÌýÌýÌý Applied Scholarship I (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Applied Scholarship II (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Applied Scholarship II (3)
ÌýÌýÌý Applied Scholarship II (3)(if needed

Admission Requirements

Ìý

APPLICANTS WITH AN ENTRY-LEVEL MASTER OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEGREE MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Graduation from an occupational therapy program accredited by the . International students must have graduated from a program and have received certification from the .
  2. A minimum graduate GPA of 3.0, on a 4.0 point scale.
  3. Evidence of current certification from .
  4. Evidence of current state occupational therapy license.
  5. An application essay.
  6. Curriculum vita or resume.
  7. Three letters of recommendation.
  8. A virtual interview with a graduate program faculty advisor/mentor.
  9. Pay the $75 Application Fee.
Ìý

How to Apply

Ìý

Application Procedure

Application for admission to the DrOT program is rolling allowing students to apply any time during the year. A cutoff date for applications, allowing for applications to be reviewed for admission, will be November 15. Admission decisions are made by December 1, for entry into the program in the Spring semester.

Interview Procedure

The Program Admission Committee will invite applicants to be interviewed. Committee recommendation will be based on the review of the admission materials, recommendations, essay, and interview. The committee will recommend those candidates who are the best qualified to the DrOT Program Coordinator. Applicants will be notified of the decision.

To apply to the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program, follow the steps below:

  • Complete the ºÚÁÏÉçonline application
  • These items are required to complete your application:
    • NBCOT Certificate (Upload in application portal)
    • State Occupational Therapy License (Upload in application portal)
    • A vitae or resume (Upload in application portal)
    • An application essay: a one-page, double-spaced essay addressing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree (Upload in application portal)
    • An official transcript indicating a completed master’s degree from an accredited program. 3.0 GPA or higher is required may be sent to apotranscripts@govst.edu
    • Three letters of reference forms (one must be from an employer/supervisor; one from an OT colleague; and one from a person who can attest to your scholarly potential (Upload in application portal)
    • Pay the $75 application fee
    Ìý
Ìý

Learn More!

If you would like to speak to a program representative to learn more about the DrOT program, contact Dr. Cynthia Carr, Department of Occupational Therapy - Doctor of Occupational Therapy program coordinator atÌýccarr@govst.eduÌýor (708) 534-7292