Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT)

After the program, you’ll be qualified to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination — an exam you’ll need to pass if you choose to obtain a license to practice occupational therapy in the U.S. Our first-time pass rate is one of the highest in the United States for the DrOT program.

You can learn more about NBCOT program results across different institutions by visiting https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

You’ll participate in clinical fieldwork experiences in a variety of health care settings beginning the first semester of your professional year. This includes two 12-week level II fieldworks, working with patients of all ages from infants to the elderly, and a 14-week doctoral experiential component.

You’ll also get to work in simulation and clinical labs housed inside Glasser/Woodland Hall — from a pediatric sensory lab to a home care lab — giving you a taste of working in a professional health care setting.

Our established curriculum allows you to take six OT intervention courses rather than the typical two or three offered by other OT programs. Courses are hands-on and cover:

• Contextual and rehabilitation approaches to interventions
• Developmental, psychosocial and cognitive issues
• Assistive technology

You’ll learn from and work with award-winning OT faculty who bring a wealth of knowledge from their own clinical practice and research spanning a variety of topics — from technology to social and occupational justice issues.

As a doctoral OT student, you’ll conduct, publish and present research based on your interests. You’ll also get involved in grant-funded projects with noted professors. Graduates have investigated topics such as:

• Aging and health
• Technology use by children with disabilities
• Upper extremity orthopedics
• Integrative medicine

Interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities can be found as early as the first year of study. You’ll work with different health care professional students in the physical therapy, physician assistant and pharmacy programs at Saint Joseph's, as well as with students in other academic institutions. You'll also participate in medical mission trips with other health care professionals.

View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum, prerequisite courses and other requirements. The Professional Phase of the DrOT program does not accept transfer credit, credit for experiential learning, or work experience for courses at any level of the program. All courses with an OTH prefix must be completed at Saint Joseph’s University.

If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree in one of the sciences, sociology, psychology or other related fields and have taken our prerequisite courses, you can complete the DrOT program in three years of continuous study. You will need to attend class full-time and complete 121 hours of coursework. You’re also required to complete:

• Two level II fieldwork courses for a total of 24 full-time equivalent weeks off-site working with patients of all ages from infants to the elderly
• A 14-week experiential project, during which you complete the capstone project

Courses in the DrOT program are delivered primarily onsite, with lab and fieldwork experiences required off-site in the community, and two courses online (OTH 675 and OTH 711), which complements the doctoral capstone.

Technology Competency Requirements

It is required that students have internet access and satisfactory computer skills to complete course requirements. Assignments may include online work, presentation formats, researching the literature and sending files electronically. Communication with instructors is done via email or internet meetings.

To assist with online learning throughout the program, all new incoming DrOT students are required to complete the specified orientation course on the University’s learning management system.

Graduation Requirements 

To qualify for the DrOT degree, students must successfully complete all DrOT program requirements. All program requirements for the DrOT program must be completed within 6 years from starting the professional phase of the program.

BS to Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT)

Enter the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program as a first-year undergraduate student to earn a BS in health science (BSHS) and DrOT in just six years. Students who’ve taken college coursework but have not received a bachelor’s degree may also transfer into the pre-professional years of the BS/DrOT program if they meet all prerequisite requirements.

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Saint Joseph’s accredited Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree who seek to become a registered occupational therapist. The program takes less than three years to complete (two years of continuous study and a six-month off-site fieldwork component) if you already meet all prerequisites.

The tuition for DrOT students entering fall 2024 is as follows.

• $46,665 - Year 1
• $46,665 - Year 2
• $46,665 - Year 3

Additional information regarding fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning requirements: Students are expected to travel for fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning. Costs incurred for travel, housing, tolls, food, parking, etc. are the responsibility of the student. In addition, students are responsible for health and safety requirements such as fingerprinting, required by most fieldwork and doctoral experience sites.

Estimated costs to students for fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning requirements

Other Costs

In addition to school mandatory requirements, students may also need to complete site-specific requirements such as drug screens and personal protective equipment (PPE) fitting test. Some sites may also need you to redo your requirements before their expiration date, therefore you may have to complete school mandatory requirements again before their expiration date. These additional requirements may cost the students up to an additional $200 yearly.

Students should expect that their fieldwork site could be up to 45 miles from where they have housing/campus. Consideration should be taken when planning for expenses to include gas and toll money for each level I and level II fieldwork experience, as well as the doctoral experiential component. School mandatory requirements and other associated expenses are highly variable depending on location of fieldwork and doctoral experience sites. Students may use federal or alternative educational loan funding to help with the miscellaneous costs related to clinical and doctoral experiences. Contact the Financial Aid Office for further information. The OT department commits to helping students minimize these costs through all available methods.

*Pricing does not include room and board; health insurance; or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our Tuition & Fees page for a detailed cost breakdown. Please note that the Tuition and Fee page reflects the 2024-2025 costs.

Financial aid may be available to you to help offset the cost of your degree. Explore your options on our Financial Aid page.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). ACOTE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

More information can be obtained at:

ACOTE
c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-AOTA
www.acoteonline.org

All states in the United States require a license to practice occupational therapy. Each state also has specific legislation describing the process for obtaining a license to practice and specific licensure application requirements. The primary criterion for obtaining a license in any state is passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination (NBCOT). Learn more about OT licensure requirements and our NBCOT exam pass rates for the DrOT program.

View our learning outcomes and graduation rates for the DrOT program on the Department of Occupational Therapy website.

Requirements

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission to the DrOT program:

• Have a bachelor’s degree in one of the sciences, sociology, psychology or other related fields from an accredited university or college
• Complete all prerequisite courses listed below by the start of the program in May
• 3.0 Cumulative and 3.2 Prerequisite GPA with at least a C or higher in all prerequisite courses
• A minimum of 10 hours of in-person shadow experience with documentation from a licensed occupational therapist professional prior to the start of the program in May. More hours are encouraged.
  • You may use the Occupational Therapy Shadowing Form to document any additional or required shadowing hours that you complete. Forms from other schools are acceptable so long as they include all of the information needed.
• Two letters of reference are required (letters from OT practitioners highly preferred)
• OTCAS essay: A statement as to why the student wants to enter the profession of occupational therapy. Within this statement applicants are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of occupational therapy gained from observation, reading, and personal or family experiences.

Prerequisites

Required prerequisite courses should be completed by the end of the spring term preceding enrollment at Saint Joseph's University including:

• Anatomy & Physiology, with lab (8 credits)
• Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
• Intro to Sociology or Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
• Psychology of Human Growth and Development (Developmental Psychology course that covers the whole human lifespan) (3 credits)
• Statistics (3 credits)

GRE scores are not required. Candidates are also not required to interview.

Please contact us for a list of prerequisite courses that you need to complete by the end of the spring term preceding enrollment at Saint Joseph’s. This list will soon be available on the Academic Catalog. You must also have internet access and satisfactory computer skills to complete course requirements.

The application deadline for admission to Saint Joseph’s DrOT program is March 1. 

Applications are available via the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) each July for the incoming class the following May. No supplemental application is required. Please submit all documentation directly to OTCAS. 

Admission decisions are made as applications are completed, therefore it is recommended candidates apply early. Candidates are not required to interview.

If you’re applying as an international student, you must provide proof of English Language Proficiency and Certification of Finances along with your application. Check the Graduate Admission page for additional requirements.

Occupational therapy is a health profession focused on helping clients develop the functional capacity to live independently; care for personal needs; and participate in work, school or community activities.

OT is a growing, stable field. Employment prospects for OT are projected to grow 12% from 2022 to 2032 — much faster than the average of all occupations. It’s also considered one of the best health care jobs in the U.S.  

With an OT doctoral degree, you can work as an occupational therapist in a number of diverse environments, including:

• Hospitals
• Community health centers
• Social services
• Clients’ homes

OT professionals also work in research, academia, technology, communications, policy and administration.

Analyzing a workspace for ergonomic safety. Helping a patient, post-surgery, find a way to cook dinner that doesn't cause pain. Designing a community program that gets people with developmental disabilities living independently.

Occupational therapists can play a role in all this and more. Occupational therapists assist people in getting back into the flow of life. You’re vital in providing new solutions to doing everyday tasks and to preserving people’s independence as their physical abilities change. As an occupational therapist, you may work in a hospital, community health center or in social services. You can also pursue a career as an educator, trainer or researcher.

Courses in Saint Joseph’s DrOT are delivered primarily onsite at our University City location, with lab and fieldwork experiences required off-site in the community. You’ll take two courses online (OTH 675 and OTH 711), which complements the capstone experience.