SSU’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral (PP-OTD) is offered in a distance learning format, and is open to graduates from any ACOTE accredited entry-level occupational therapy program where the applicant has earned a Master’s Degree ( professional or post-professional). Our program allows students to earn their doctorate-level education while continuing to work in their chosen occupational therapy practice area. The program is 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. SSU’s OTD program prepares the practicing OT to:

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

All students entering this program will have either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in occupational therapy from an ACOTE accredited school. International occupational therapists are also welcome to apply and may need to submit additional documentation regarding their OT educational background.

SSU Post Professional OTD Graduate Outcomes

1. SSU OTD graduates will synthesize theories of occupation and human development in analyzing evaluation data and formulating interventions to achieve health and wellness.
2. SSU OTD graduates 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 graduates will develop innovative opportunities to deliver the best practice designs (or occupation-based services) to meet the needs of individuals and groups.
4. OTD graduates will be occupational therapy professional leaders who are change agents utilizing ethical and clinical reasoning, self-discovery, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills.