Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Please note that the DrOT program has two entry-pathway options. The accelerated entry is for freshman and transfer applicants who enter as a health science major for the first three years of study and then transition into the professional program curriculum to complete their combined Bachelor of Health Sciences and Doctor of Occupational Therapy degrees in 6 years. There is also a post-baccalaureate Doctor of Occupational Therapy entry pathway for those who have earned a bachelor's degree and meet all program prerequisite requirements. These students complete a 3-year plan of study to earn the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) is a doctorate degree that prepares you to become a successful OT practitioner, researcher, and leader in a variety of medical and community settings. It’s the highest level of formal education available to entry-level occupational therapists. By earning your occupational therapy degree from Saint Joseph’s University, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact on patient care.

Saint Joseph’s accredited DrOT program offers the opportunity to work with patients of all ages in the Greater Philadelphia area and neighboring states every semester starting in your first semester through fieldwork experiences and a doctoral capstone project. You’ll also have opportunities to publish research and collaborate with noted professors on grant-funded projects and network with students and alumni in student organizations like the Student Occupational Therapy Association.

The University reserves the right to alter the curriculum outlined in this catalog based on student needs, curricular needs, and ACOTE guidelines (and government regulation/recommendation, etc.). Students must progress in a stepwise fashion through the professional curriculum unless there is Departmental approval. 

Goal 1: Graduates of the DrOT Program will be informed practitioners in current healthcare systems.

Outcome 1.1: Graduates will use advocacy and leadership principles and practices to advance the profession of occupational therapy.

Outcome 1.2: Graduates will be able to describe and integrate relevant occupational therapy historical concepts to inform current clinical practice. 

Goal 2: Graduates of the DrOT Program will have the foundational knowledge of human systems, environmental contexts, and systems integration to establish good clinical reasoning and therapeutic practice for those they serve.   

Outcome 2.1: Graduates will develop literacy in the language of health professions and be facile users of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework.

Outcome 2.2: Graduates be able to evaluate diverse individuals, groups, and populations for the provision of client-centered and evidence-based practice.  

Outcome 2.3: Graduates will know and understand the application of therapeutic intervention for the practice of occupational therapy. 

Goal 3:  Graduates of the DrOT Program will follow and promote ethical conduct reflecting Jesuit values, specifically the values of honesty, respect for persons, and justice.

Outcome 3.1: Graduates will be able to know, understand, and apply to client care and professional practice the moral and ethical principles outlined in the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics.

Outcome 3.2: Graduates will be able to learn, grow, and develop their roles as a leaders, competent professionals, and service providers through opportunities present in the DrOT Program.  

Goal 4: Graduates of the DrOT Program will be innovators and leaders within the field of occupational therapy

Outcome 4.1: Graduates will develop competency in the dissemination of scholarship for continued contribution toward evidence-based occupational therapy practice and professional longevity. 

OTH 500Level I Experiences Sem1
OTH 501Doctoral Seminar 11
OTH 502
& 502L		Human Development & Perform
and Human Dev & Perform Lab		3
OTH 505Overview of OT Practice2
OTH 508
& 508L		Movement Analysis
and Movement Analysis Lab		3
OTH 510
& 510L		Neuroscience
and Neuroscience Lab		4
OTH 519
& 519L		Intro to Clinical Skills
and Intro to Clinical Skills Lab		3
OTH 531Clinical Medicine3
OTH 551
& 551L		Human Occ: Cncpts & Prctice
and Human Occ: Cncpts & Prctce Lab		3
OTH 555
& 555L		Evaluation & Assessment: OT
and Evaluation & Assessment: OTLab		3
OTH 562Theories of OT3
OTH 590Fieldwork Level I:Clinical Exp1
OTH 603Doctoral Seminar 22
OTH 615
& 615L		Therapeutic Groups
and Therapeutic Groups Lab		3
OTH 620Fieldwork Level I: Clinical1
OTH 623FWK1:Comm Service Learning1
OTH 624
& 624L		Interventions I: Contextual Ap
and Interventions I: Cntxtl Ap Lab		4
OTH 634
& 634L		Interventions II: Developmenta
and Interventions II: Develop Lab		4
OTH 636Clin Ldrshp, Mgmt,&Supervision3
OTH 644
& 644L		Interventions III: Psychosocia
and Interventions III: Psychosoc L		4
OTH 650Applied Research Methods3
OTH 652
& 652L		OT Interventions IV: Cognitive
and OT Interventions IV: Cogni Lab		3
OTH 660Applied Research II3
OTH 664
& 664L		Interventions V: Rehab Approac
and Interventions V: Rehab App Lab		4
OTH 665Applied Research III3
OTH 668Evidence-Based Practice3
OTH 672
& 672L		OT Interventions VI:Technology
and OT Interventions V: Tech Lab		3
OTH 677Capstone Development 23
OTH 681OT: Past, Present, & Future2
OTH 682Fieldwork I: Community Client1
OTH 693Capstone Development 12
OTH 694Fieldwork Level IIa9
OTH 698Fieldwork Level IIb9
OTH 699Special Topics in OT (DrOT students must complete 3 credits of an OT Elective or an approved elective from another program.)1-3
OTH 704Doctoral Seminar 33
OTH 706Doctoral Experiential12
OTH 711Doctoral Capstone Project3
Total Hours119-121
Plan of Study Grid
First Year
SummerHours
OTH 505 Overview of OT Practice 2
OTH 510
& 510L		 Neuroscience
and Neuroscience Lab		 4
 Hours6
 Total Hours6
Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallHours
OTH 500 Level I Experiences Sem 1
OTH 502
& 502L		 Human Development & Perform
and Human Dev & Perform Lab		 3
OTH 508
& 508L		 Movement Analysis
and Movement Analysis Lab		 3
OTH 519
& 519L		 Intro to Clinical Skills
and Intro to Clinical Skills Lab		 3
OTH 551
& 551L		 Human Occ: Cncpts & Prctice
and Human Occ: Cncpts & Prctce Lab		 3
OTH 562 Theories of OT 3
 Hours16
Spring
OTH 501 Doctoral Seminar 1 1
OTH 650 Applied Research Methods 3
OTH 531 Clinical Medicine 3
OTH 555 Evaluation & Assessment: OT 3
OTH 590 Fieldwork Level I:Clinical Exp 1
OTH 615
& 615L		 Therapeutic Groups
and Therapeutic Groups Lab		 3
OTH 636 Clin Ldrshp, Mgmt,&Supervision 3
OTH 681 OT: Past, Present, & Future 2
 Hours19
 Total Hours35
Plan of Study Grid
Second Year
SummerHours
OTH 603 Doctoral Seminar 2 2
OTH 624
& 624L		 Interventions I: Contextual Ap
and Interventions I: Cntxtl Ap Lab		 4
OTH 660 Applied Research II 3
OTH 682 Fieldwork I: Community Client 1
 Hours10
 Total Hours10
Plan of Study Grid
Second Year
FallHours
OTH 623 FWK1:Comm Service Learning 1
OTH 634
& 634L		 Interventions II: Developmenta
and Interventions II: Develop Lab		 4
OTH 644
& 644L		 Interventions III: Psychosocia
and Interventions III: Psychosoc L		 4
OTH 665 Applied Research III 3
OTH 704 Doctoral Seminar 3 3
OT Elective or Approved Elective from another program 3
 Hours18
Spring
OTH 620 Fieldwork Level I: Clinical 1
OTH 652
& 652L		 OT Interventions IV: Cognitive
and OT Interventions IV: Cogni Lab		 3
OTH 664
& 664L		 Interventions V: Rehab Approac
and Interventions V: Rehab App Lab		 4
OTH 668 Evidence-Based Practice 3
OTH 672
& 672L		 OT Interventions VI:Technology
and OT Interventions V: Tech Lab		 3
OTH 693 Capstone Development 1 2
 Hours16
 Total Hours34
Plan of Study Grid
Third Year
SummerHours
OTH 694 Fieldwork Level IIa 9
 Hours9
 Total Hours9
Plan of Study Grid
Third Year
FallHours
OTH 677 Capstone Development 2 3
OTH 698 Fieldwork Level IIb 9
 Hours12
Spring
OTH 711 Doctoral Capstone Project 3
OTH 706 Doctoral Experiential 12
 Hours15
 Total Hours27