Learn to Maximize the Health of Others

Occupational therapy is in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 18% job growth through 2028, and U.S. News & World Report recently ranked occupational therapy #6 in its Best Healthcare Jobs list. 

Be at the forefront of this rewarding field through JWU’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, which serves as a pathway for bachelor’s degree recipients. Our program’s holistic approach addresses the vital importance of acknowledging people’s physical, psychological and emotional needs. 

Learn how to assist and inspire people to maximize their health, well-being and quality of life while increasing their independence, self-confidence and self-worth. Devise adaptive ways for clients to complete the work, recreational and self-care tasks they need to succeed; our facilities mimic home-like environments, allowing clients to practice in a familiar setting.

Benefit from small classes, active learning and expert faculty, as well as sequential fieldwork and a culminating capstone project. Gain the skills and expertise to help move the profession forward.

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How Is the Program Delivered?

FULL TIME FOR 36 MONTHS • COHORT MODEL • JUNE START

JWU’s program runs full time for 36 months, with a June start. The “cohort model” means that the small group you start with (your “cohort”) stays together through the duration of the program, forming a familial bond and growing as practitioners together.

What Is Unique about JWU’s Entry-level OTD Program?

• Three accelerated degree tracks — Biology B.S./OTD, Health Science B.S./OTD and Psychology B.S./OTD — allow qualified JWU students to earn a bachelor’s degree and an OTD in as little as six years.
• The program focuses on examining the needs of individuals and populations within the community and emphasizing the valuable connections across multiple JWU colleges — with particular emphasis on the Physician Assistant, Culinary Nutrition, Dietetics & Applied Nutrition and Physical Therapy programs, to name a few — to best serve societal needs in an interprofessional manner.
• Experienced and nationally recognized faculty teaching in a state-of-the-art facility that includes an occupations lab, a simulated hospital setting and a pediatrics sensory lab.
• Fieldwork and capstone work with lab experiences directly in the community and within emerging practice areas.

Gain Real World Occupational Therapy Experience

Occupational therapists help people overcome their challenges so they can fully engage in their occupations. You will learn to serve individuals, groups, communities and populations, while also developing programs that offer a preventive focus and influence a broader scope of the population. Then apply and practice what you learned in class through fieldwork focused on mental health, pediatric, adult and older adult populations.

Through mentorship with our experienced faculty, you’ll set personal goals that will influence your professional growth. In addition, complete a capstone project that will help you gain the practical and research skills needed to become a highly competent occupational therapy practitioner.

Take a Deeper Dive

Take a deep dive into what makes this program special, from our faculty to news (including faculty research and interdisciplinary work with other JWU colleges). Explore our academics, potential career pathways and program outcomes.

And if you’re ready to start your application, familiarize yourself with the process, prerequisites and costs.

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Amplifying Voices & Increasing Diversity in OTD

Monique Dawes, OTD, OTR/L, CPAM, has practiced occupational therapy across the country, but her roots remain here in New England. Now, she is leading the charge in training and diversifying the field of occupational therapists here at Johnson & Wales, and she is representing JWU as a local leader in the newest cohort of the Equity Leadership Initiative within the Rhode Island Foundation. Hear her story: