Occupational Therapy (Post-Professional Program: OTD)

Mailing Address: 
Department of Occupational Therapy (MC 811) 
1919 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612-7250

Contact Information: 
Campus Location: 355 AHSB 
(312) 996-7538 
 
ahs.uic.edu/occupational-therapy

Administration: 
Head of the Department, Interim: Kelly Tappenden
Director of Graduate Studies: Joy Hammel

Program Codes: 
20GF5000OTD (degree-seeking students)
20GF5000DNEG (nondegree-seeking students)

The College of Applied Health Sciences offers the post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (P-OTD) degree. The P-OTD focuses on developing advanced professional skills for occupational therapy practice, leadership, management, scholarship, and education. The P-OTD program can be done completely online or as hybrid in person/online combination depending on the student's interests.  For the currently practicing occupational therapist, an OTD offers opportunities for career development and advancement, and for innovative program development and evaluation. In comparison to a PhD, the P-OTD focuses less on conducting original research and more on applying existing research and evidence to improve everyday OT practice and participation opportunities for diverse people and communities.

The P-OTD program emphasizes UIC’s scholarship of practice and mentoring model. Students work closely with faculty members within their lines of inquiry, which assures that students have top-quality experiences doing mentored work that is relevant, forward-thinking, and that will make a difference in practice and in the lives of diverse occupational therapy clients. Students are admitted based on demonstrating a good match between student interest and faculty scholarship and expertise.

The P-OTD is composed of five major components, which can be done online:

  1. Core courses (research, theory, proseminar)
  2. Advanced practica (clinical, teaching/education, leadership/management, and scholarship of practice applied research)
  3. Elective courses
  4. Field exam
  5. OTD Project (major work in advanced area of specialization)

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy at UIC is considered a professional clinical doctorate degree program, not a graduate program. Applications for this program are processed through the Department of Occupational Therapy. For more information on the P-OTD program, admission requirements, and the application process, please consult the Department of Occupational Therapy website.

Interdepartmental Concentration

Students earning the Doctor of Occupational Therapy at UIC may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: