About
Be empowered to make a difference in the lives of your clients and meet the needs of your community with an entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is accessible to any student with a bachelor’s degree in any field. Spalding’s OTD prepares you to pass your national board certification–see our past MSOT program outcomes (PDF). You’ll enter the field as an advocate, equipped to promote health and wellness for a diverse population of clients.
Program details
- 3 years (36 months)
- 9 trimesters
- 110 credit hours (84 didactic hours and 26 clinical hours)
- 35 students per cohort
Map out your future, download our Program of Study and Course Descriptions (PDF)
Features
Become a skilled decision maker as you progress through the program and gain a deeper understanding of occupational therapy.
Engage with your peers and interact with on-campus teaching clinics Kosair Charities enTECH, Spalding’s Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility, and the Center for Behavioral Health.
Enhance your understanding of societal needs through practice-based scholarship and research.
Benefit from on-site deep physical agent modality (DPAM) specialty certification courses that take place throughout the year.
Enjoy everything downtown Louisville has to offer, including access to a thriving health care community. Learn more about Louisville.
Facts
- We’re the first entry-level OTD program in the state of Kentucky. (We’ve met and surpassed the 2027 ACOTE mandate for an entry-level OTD as the single point of entry into the profession.)
- Over 96% of our school’s graduates are employed within six months of graduation.
- Our national board certification pass rate for the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy has been 95% or higher over the past five years.
Career Options
As an OTD, you can serve in a wide range of practice settings:
- hospitals
- community agencies
- ambulatory healthcare centers
- independent living centers
- public and private schools
- rehabilitation centers
- skilled nursing facilities
- education
Program Accreditation and Examination Eligibility
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has accepted Spalding University’s Supplemental Licensure Application has been approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and conditioned on Spalding University obtaining Candidacy Status, then full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). As of January 2018, Spalding University’s entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy is considered to be a transitioning program by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (telephone: 301-652-2682; www.acoteonline.org) of the American Occupational Therapy Association located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, Maryland, 20824-1220.
Upon approval, entry-level OTD graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. After passing this exam, the graduate is credentialed as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTD) and may apply for state licensure. View the prospective applicant letter published by ACOTE.