Find answers below to some of the questions that we get asked frequently about the Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD), a post-professional program.
Students log into a passcode protected course site. The site is available at all times to the student. The course content is delivered through use of narrated power point presentations and videos on specific topics. Students participate with classmates and instructors in online discussion boards to analyze cases and discuss course topics and the application to clinical practice.
It is preferred that you enroll in the clinical doctorate program, but if you would like to take a few classes to see if the online format works for you that is acceptable.
You can take 1 or 2 courses, depending on how soon you want to complete your degree. Taking 2 courses a semester means you will finish in about 2 years; 1 course a semester will take 4 years.
Yes, as long as your degree is from a program accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT). You must provide documentation that you graduated from a school with WFOT accreditation. The Graduate School may require confirmation of degree equivalency. A transcript evaluation from World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators may be required.
We are accepting occupational therapy assistants into the program as long as they also have a bachelor’s degree as well as the OTA credential. The focus of the BS degree can be in another field.
To combine the programs, you must submit the required documents and be accepted into EACH program separately. If you are already enrolled in the certificate program, or if you completed it in the last five years then your coursework will apply to the clinical doctorate.
Yes, you can still enroll in the OTD program after you have started the low vision certificate program, and the credit hours completed in the certificate program will apply toward the clinical doctorate degree. However, please note that credits must be applied within 5 years of your completion of the certificate program and must meet the graduate school requirements for the clinical doctorate program. Students must complete applications for both programs and pay the application fee through the UAB Graduate School for the clinical doctorate program even if they have already been accepted into the low vision certificate program.