Responding to growing demand for occupational therapy and a shortage of therapists nationwide, Kettering College is in the final stages of preparation to launch a doctoral program in occupational therapy this fall.
It will be one of only 14 such programs in the United States, said its founding director, Terrance Anderson, who joined Kettering College in November 2013. An experienced educator and clinician with an OTD, Anderson has led curriculum development, accreditation efforts, and faculty recruitment.
“The program is in its final phase of accreditation,” Terrance says. “The last step is to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education. This will allow students to receive federal financial aid. We are accepting applications now and expect to welcome our first class in fall of this year.”
The American Occupational Therapy Association has been encouraging institutions nationwide to develop entry-level doctoral programs like Kettering’s.
“Occupational therapists need a great deal of didactic instruction and clinical experience to become proficient, and it is difficult to fit all of that into a master’s program,” says Terrance. “A doctoral program also has the advantage of giving students extensive training to improve participation in clinical research, which will help them gain a better ability to provide evidence-based care.”
Terrance anticipates full enrollment for the first 18-seat cohort.
“Our close connection with the 140 occupational therapists who work at Kettering Health Network hospitals will make this program stand out,” Terrance says. “Another big draw is that Kettering College’s values of trustworthiness, innovation, caring, competence, and collaboration mesh well with the values shared by occupational therapy practitioners.”
The OTD is Kettering College’s first doctoral program.
INFORMATION, APPLICATIONS ONLINE
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a health, education, or humanities field. Offered onsite only, the program includes five semesters of classroom instruction; a full year of field work; and the doctoral experience, which can include clinical practice, research, administration, and other areas of training.
For more information, see www.kc.edu. Applications will be accepted until March 2, 2015, at www.otcas.org