SSU Post-Professional OTD program will be offered in a distance learning format, and will be open to graduates from any ACOTE accredited entry-level occupational therapy program. This program will allow students to earn their doctorate-level education while continuing to work at their chosen occupational therapy profession. This program will be readily accessible to OT’s who wish to optimize their knowledge in the field of occupational therapy and continue to define the future of the profession in the health care environment. This program will prepare the practicing OT to:

1. Recognize disparities in current intervention strategies
2. Identify ways to improve thee deficiencies
3. Evaluate critically the evidence in one’s specialized area of practice
4. Evaluate judiciously the theory related to one’s practice
5. Create exemplar prototypes to supply the unmet needs of practice

All students entering this degree will have either a bachelor’s degree or a masters degree in occupational therapy from an accredited school. The accreditors are from the ACOTE association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

SSU Post OTD Graduate Outcomes

1. OTD students will synthesize theories of occupation and human development in analyzing evaluation data and formulating interventions to achieve health and wellness.
2. OTD students will integrate advanced evidence-based practice and ethical decision making into all aspects of the OT process to assist individuals and populations to achieve optimal occupational performance within diverse environments.
3. OTD students will develop innovation opportunities to deliver the best practice designs (or occupation-based services) to meet the needs of individuals and groups.
4. OTD students will be OT professional leaders who are change agents utilizing ethical and clinical reasoning, self-discovery, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills.