Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Students in the program earn a total of 117 credits, including 79 credits of core courses with virtual didactic coursework, 22 credits of fieldwork, and 16 credits representing the doctoral capstone experience. Upon successful completion of the OTD program, you’ll be eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination.

Residential OTD Curriculum

Flex OTD Curriculum

USAHS offers a series of scholarships designed to recognize outstanding academic achievement and reward personal accomplishments in community- and diversity-focused areas. These scholarships not only acknowledge past achievements but empower and motivate students to strive for continued excellence along their educational journeys towards earning an occupational therapy doctorate degree.

The following scholarships are available to all applicants for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), OTD Flex MOT, MOT Hybrid Immersion, and MOT Flex programs who meet the eligibility criteria:

• Occupational Therapy Dean’s Scholar
• Occupational Therapy Outstanding Academic Achievement

OTD Program Accreditation Status

San Marcos Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) program at the San Marcos, California campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. Students must complete an individual 14-week capstone experience within 18 months following completion of the remaining didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611 or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

St. Augustine Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) degree program at the St. Augustine, Florida campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. Students must complete an individual 14-week capstone experience 18 months following completion of the remaining didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611 or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an email addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Miami Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) program at the Miami, Florida campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. Students must complete an individual 14-week capstone experience within 18 months following completion of the remaining didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611 or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Austin Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) program at the Austin, Texas campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. Students must complete an individual 14-week capstone experience within 18 months following completion of the remaining didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611 or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Dallas Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) program at the Dallas, Texas campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. Students must complete an individual 14-week capstone experience within 18 months following completion of the remaining didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611 or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

State Approvals

Flex Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Dallas)

USAHS currently is accepting applications for enrollment in the Flex Doctor of Occupational Therapy for residents of the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. USAHS has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following locations:  American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

USAHS is not accepting applications from prospective students residing in states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program and the ability to be placed for on-the-ground activities or clinical field experiences.  Additionally, for states denoted with clinical field experience and other on-the-ground activity restrictions, USAHS does not have the necessary state authorization approvals to offer on-the-ground activities of this kind in those states at this time. However, these restrictions should not impact a graduates’ eligibility for professional licensure in his/her state, provided all other requirements are met. The OTD program satisfies the educational requirements for licensure in all 50 states.

It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to field education experiences, licensing or certification, authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides.

OTD (Austin, Miami, St Augustine, San Marcos, and Dallas)

USAHS currently is accepting applications for enrollment in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Austin, Miami, St. Augustine, San Marcos, and Dallas campuses) for residents of the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. USAHS has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following locations:  American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

USAHS is not accepting applications from prospective students residing in states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Current and admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the program and the ability to be placed for on-the-ground activities or clinical field experiences.

For states denoted with clinical field experience and other on-the-ground activity restrictions, USAHS does not have the necessary state authorization approvals to offer on-the-ground activities of this kind in those states at this time. However, these restrictions should not impact a graduates’ eligibility for professional licensure in his/her state, provided all other requirements are met.   As such,  the OTD program satisfies the educational requirements for licensure in all 50 states.

It remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to field education experiences, licensing or certification, authorization or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides.

OTD Student Outcomes

Graduation Rate

San Marcos, CA

St. Augustine, FL

Miami, FL

Austin, TX

Dallas, TX

NBCOT Exam Pass Rate

Graduates of the accredited University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences’ Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs are eligible to take the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

Program performance data from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Click a campus below to view the program data:

San Marcos, CA Residential
St. Augustine, FL, Residential
Miami, FL, Residential
Austin, TX, Residential
Dallas, TX, Residential | Flex