Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program (OTD)

“IN LUCE TUA VIDEMUS LUCEM…In your light, we see light” is a value deeply instilled in us to go out into the world and be a Beacon of light. The occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) acts as the Lighthouse, being a venue for the occupational therapy students when they join the Valpo community on their journey to becoming the light. Much like the 1904 Michigan City lighthouse is the only public operational lighthouse in Indiana created to be Indiana’s first harbor on Lake Michigan, Valparaiso University’s OTD program will be the only entry-level doctoral program serving the Northwest Indiana community/region.

Much like the Light emitting from a lighthouse serves the community, OTD students will be able to enter the symbolic lighthouse of Valparaiso’s OTD program, guided by the lighthouse keepers (occupational therapy faculty), progressing up each step in the stairwell (each didactic, lab, and clinical experience) until they, as the light, arrive in the lantern room (doctoral capstone project), ready to be guided into place, letting their light shine (representing themselves as leaders through scholarship efforts with completion of their doctoral capstone project and degree completion) across the harbor (their community).

Curricular Threads: Scholarship, Service, Community, and Leadership

The Valparaiso University Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program will prepare practitioners to provide evidence-based occupational therapy services with integrity and interprofessional collaboration to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of diverse people, environments, and organizations.

Valpo OTD Mission – Valparaiso University’s occupational therapy program inspires students to develop a commitment to the profession of occupational therapy as a vocation, utilizing their strengths to meet the needs of their community through leadership, service, and scholarship.

Valpo OTD Vision – Valparaiso University’s occupational therapy aspires to light the way for community transformation through engagement in meaningful occupations.

Upon completion of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Degree, students will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Advocate for occupational therapy services for diverse populations, groups, and individuals as a member of a healthcare team.
• Assess occupational performance of individuals, groups, and populations using evidence-based concepts and principles.
• Provide therapeutic interventions based on client centered care and evidence-based principles.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team, client, and stakeholders to formulate a successful transition from service and document results.
• Complete all duties in an ethical, legal, safe, and professional manner in accordance with state, federal, and association rules/regulations.

Demonstrate the importance of professional development, support professional organizations, and advocate for the future of occupational therapy services.

• Goal 1: Prepare graduates with the skills to be compassionate and culturally competent, ethical occupational therapists.
• Goal 2: Provide a student-centered adult learner educational environment that enables student success.
• Goal 3: Prepare graduates to provide high-quality patient-centered care as collaborative members of an interprofessional healthcare team.
• Goal 4: Prepare graduates to lead and serve the profession and in dynamic healthcare environments.

Below is a sample schedule:

• Fees are subject to change
• According to FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), cost of attendance is defined as total amount of attending the program, which includes tuition and fees, books, supplies, transportation, loan fees as well as fees associated with distance education.

Admission Criteria

In addition to completing the requirements of the Graduate School, students applying to the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program must meet the following criteria:

• Minimum of a bachelors degree from an accredited institution
• Admission to Valparaiso University as a degree-seeking student
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher
• Letter of intent explaining why the candidate is seeking this degree and goals for using this degree (2-page max)
• Two letters of recommendation

Prerequisite Courses

The prerequisite requirements listed above are in reference to courses offered at Valparaiso University. An applicant may request a course equivalency audit at any time by emailing OT@valpo.edu. Applicants must earn a grade of “C” or higher to fulfill the prerequisite GPA admission criteria.

Application Process

In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements for the Graduate School, invited applicants will also be required to complete a virtual interview.

Admission Pathway with Priority. Valparaiso University alumni with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and who meet the admission criteria are eligible for admittance into the OTD program.  Application and acceptance through the Graduate School are required in order to finalize admission to the OTD.

Standard Admission Pathway. 

Students who have obtained a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and meet the prerequisite criteria are eligible to apply to the OTD program. Application and acceptance through the Graduate School are required to finalize admission to the OTD.

Student Technology Requirements

Student Support Services

Academic and student life policies as well as services for graduate students are listed in the GRADUATE CATALOG, which is administered by the Graduate School on behalf of the Graduate Educational Policy Committee.

1. Complete all requirements for didactic, fieldwork, and capstone project per the occupational therapy handbook
2. Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
3. Demonstrate professionalism during interactions with faculty, supervisors, and peers in accordance with Valparaiso University policy.
4. Complete all requirements for degree completion listed in the Graduate Catalog.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 510E, North Bethesda, MD 20814-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Program Outcomes

Entry-level graduates are 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 graduate is credentialed to use the title of Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. In order to be eligible to sit for the NBCOT examination, and become licensed in the state, an individual must hold a degree from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy program.

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

Entry-Level OTD Program Progression Outcomes

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) for the entry-level OTD degree can be found on the NBCOT website.

Entry-level OTD Program Student Continuance Data

Early Determination Review

Any applicant with a felony conviction or a record of illegal, unethical, or incompetent behavior may risk their ability to obtain certification or licensure to practice occupational therapy.

If you answer YES to any of the questions below, you must complete the NBCOT Early Determination Review process before applying to the entry-level OTD program at Valparaiso University

1.  a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony? (NOTE: Applicants must answer affirmatively even if  convictions have been pardoned, expunged, released, or sealed.)

b.  Do you currently have a felony charge or charges against you?

2. a. Have you ever surrendered any professional license, registration, or certification or had one denied, revoked, suspended, or subject to probationary conditions by a regulatory authority or certification board, including NBCOT?

b.  Do you currently have a professional license, registration, or certification under review for possible disciplinary action?

3. a. Have you ever been found by any court, administrative, or disciplinary proceeding to have committed negligence, malpractice, recklessness, or willful or intentional misconduct which resulted in harm to another?

b. Do you currently have a charge(s) of negligence, malpractice, recklessness, or willful or intentional misconduct that resulted in harm to another against you?

4. a. Have you ever been suspended and/or expelled from a college or university?

b. Are you currently under active investigation that could lead to being suspended and/or expelled from a college or university?

A copy of the NBCOT Early Review determination results must be included with the application to the OTD program.

Entry-level graduates are 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 graduate is credentialed to use the title of Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. In order to be eligible to sit for the NBCOT examination, and become licensed in the state, an individual must hold a degree from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy program.

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

Entry-Level OTD Program Progression Outcomes

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) for the entry-level OTD degree can be found on the NBCOT website.

Entry-level OTD Program Student Continuance Data