Department of Occupational Therapy and Health Science

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a science-driven, evidence-based profession that focuses on transforming lives and building independence by helping to enable people of all ages to participate in meaningful activities they need or want to do. Occupational therapists work with the client to restore function, identify strengths, design strategies for everyday living and customize environments in order to develop and maximize their potential to lead an independent, productive, and satisfying life. OT’s work in a variety of practice settings, including children and youth, rehabilitation/hospital settings, health and wellness, mental health, productive aging, work/industry, hand therapy and orthopedics.

Our vision is to make a difference in the lives of our students and the academic and professional communities we serve through an educational experience that supports, challenges, and mentors learning, leadership, and service. Rockhurst’s Occupational Therapy Program builds on this Jesuit tradition by combining a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with a professional master’s and entry level doctoral curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, problem solving, and ethics. These themes, integrated throughout the curriculum, culminate in the student’s ability to clinically problem solve in traditional and emerging practice settings. Occupational therapy practitioners are unique in the use of activity analysis and occupation-centered interventions to enhance quality of life.

As an OT student at Rockhurst, students will engage in service learning and leadership with various organizations, contribute to the community’s health and wellness, conduct research with a mentor and present findings  at state and national meetings. Students will complete fieldwork and capstone experiences at sites across the country. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of service-immersion experiences.
 

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the profession’s history and distinct value which supports an understanding of occupations across the lifespan, population groups, and cultural contexts.  

2. Students will apply occupation-based theories, models of practice, and frames of reference in a variety of practice areas to affect meaningful client outcomes.    

3. Students will assess the client’s ability to participate in occupations as they are mediated by client factors, performance skills, performance patterns, contexts, and environment utilizing evidence-based evaluations.   

4. Students will implement appropriate, evidence-based occupational performance intervention plans considering culture, client factors, performance skills, performance patterns, contexts, and environment. 

5. Students will demonstrate collaboration skills for client-centered care in traditional and emerging practice settings.  

6. Students will demonstrate professional reasoning skills for client-centered care in traditional and emerging practice settings.  

7. Students will apply professional practices (leadership, management, business, etc.) when working with persons, groups, and populations.   

8. Students will implement the scholarship process (identify, collect, analyze, synthesize, and disseminate) to inform occupational therapy practice.  

9. Students will apply ethical principles to promote inclusion, participation, safety, and well-being for all beneficiaries of service.  

10. Students will demonstrate the Jesuit principles of learning, leadership and service with persons, groups, and populations. 

Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) Program

The Rockhurst Occupational Therapy Program offers an Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree program in response to changes in healthcare and the profession.  The OTD program has an 8-semester curricular sequence.  

The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number is (301)-652-6611 and its website is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the Program will be able to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). States require licensure4 to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the NBCOT Certification Examination results. When you apply to take the certification examination with NBCOT, you will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of felonies. For further information, you can contact NBCOT at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, (301) 990-7979.

ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students graduating from an ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage. https://www.aota.org/Advocacy-Policy/State-Policy/Licensure.aspx

Admission to the Program

The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program takes approximately 30 months to complete, including summer classes.

Fast track (3+) Pathway: A five-and-a-half year OTD program is available to students consecutively enrolled at Rockhurst University from their freshman year. RU students need to contact the OT Department early if you are interested in this opportunity.

Points of Acceptance into the Program

The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program accommodates multiple points of acceptance for interested students. For the Rockhurst Undergraduate student, these include Freshman Direct Entry admission, or regular admittance during the final year of undergraduate coursework. Rockhurst students also have the option of completing their undergraduate degree and OT degree within our Fast Track (3+) Pathway program. Post-baccalaureate students from other accredited universities are also invited to apply as well as transfer students. Transfer students may qualify for the Transfer Pre-Admission program. Please see details below.

• Direct Entry
  • Freshman Direct Entry - Exceptional students who plan to attend Rockhurst University for their undergraduate degree may be awarded a freshman direct entry admission for the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program based a combination of ACT or SAT scores, high school grade point average, and prerequisite courses. 
• Post-Baccalaureate or Transfer Students
  • Post-Baccalaureate Students - Students from accredited universities are welcome to apply to Rockhurst University. Typically, students apply while in the last year of their undergraduate degree with a plan to enter the graduate program upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
  • Transfer Students - Students transferring to Rockhurst may apply for pre-admission if they have completed two years of undergraduate coursework. To apply, the student submits a letter of intent to the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program office before the conclusion of their first semester at Rockhurst. 

All applicants must apply through OTCAS at www.otcas.org the summer prior to the selection of a new class.

Requirements for Admission

Enrollment is limited, and meeting the minimal requirements does not guarantee admission into the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program. Admission is based on academic and personal qualifications considered necessary for successful, competent practice as an occupational therapist.

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree at an accredited university in a discipline other than occupational therapy.
• A minimum cumulative, natural science, and prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) is recommended.
• Completion of all prerequisites by the end of the spring semester prior to beginning the program.
• If you are an international student applying from a non-English speaking country, please also submit TOEFL score of at least 79 internet-based test.
• Professional references - three required.
• Personal essay.
• Observation hours - at least two different OT settings for a total of 16 hours.
• Completion of all materials in the online application (OTCAS.org).
• Participation in a personal interview.

All prerequisite coursework must be completed before the beginning of the program.

Prerequisite Courses: (numbers reflect semester credit hours)

• Fundamentals of Communication (3)
• Statistics (3)
• Ethics (3)
• Abnormal Psychology (3)
• Introductory Sociology or Anthropology (3)
• Developmental Psychology (3)
• Biology w/Lab (4)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I w/Lab (4)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II w/Lab (4)
   

Admissions Process

The admissions cycle begins the summer prior to the year of entry into the occupational therapy program. Applicants to Rockhurst University are required to apply to the program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) www.OTCAS.org. Current Rockhurst students are expected to submit (OTCAS) applications by September 1 of each admissions cycle.

The OT Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications each cycle once they are verified by OTCAS and received by the Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants are responsible for checking (OTCAS) www.OTCAS.org for the dates when the admission portal opens annually and for application deadline dates.

The OT Department will conduct an interview session as part of the application process.  Interview date will be announced at the start of the admission process and qualified applicants will be notified.

Interested students may request additional information about the program by contacting:

Rockhurst Graduate Admissions Office at:
graduate.admission@rockhurst.edu
www.rockhurst.edu/OT

Department of Occupational Therapy
Telephone: (816) 501-4059
Email: occupational.therapy@rockhurst.edu

OTD Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program

This program is designed specifically for RU undergraduate students. The Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program allows students to earn both their undergraduate degree and an entry level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) in a shortened length of enrollment at Rockhurst University. Contact Sierra Grady, sierra.grady@rockhurst.edu, OT Program Advisor, if interested in pursuing and applying for Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program.

Students electing to this option will complete their undergraduate major requirements, RU Wisdom Core curriculum, and prerequisites courses within their first three years of coursework on campus. If these requirements are met, students may apply to the program, and if accepted, enter the OTD program in their senior year.

After successfully completing the first year of occupational therapy graduate courses, the student is awarded a bachelor’s degree and continues on the Pathway Program to finish the OTD degree. This reduced time in school allows the student to graduate and enter the job market at an accelerated pace.

Students accepted into the Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program will have an undergraduate designation for their fourth year of study, even though the student will be completing graduate-level coursework in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program. Students may be enrolled for the first three semesters of the program as an undergraduate student. During this time, students may be eligible for undergraduate tuition and fees. In order to meet the 128-hour requirement for graduation, up to 30 hours of OT Program coursework can be applied as electives. The student will have a graduate-level designation starting their fifth year after they are awarded their bachelor’s degree. After graduation with an undergraduate degree, students will be considered a graduate student with all associated tuition and fees.

Any first-year Rockhurst student interested in pursuing Occupational Therapy may apply for the Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program. Students must be consecutively enrolled at Rockhurst University during their undergraduate coursework to remain eligible. The Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program may be combined with, but does not require, Direct Entry admission. Students must contact Sierra Grady, sierra.grady@rockhurst.edu, OT Program Advisor, if interested in pursuing and applying for the Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program.

Advancement Through the Program

To progress toward the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree, a student must:

1. Complete all prerequisite courses prior to entry into the OT Program.
2. For Rockhurst undergraduates accepted into the Fast Track (3+) Pathway Program, complete the baccalaureate degree by the end of the OT program’s first year. All other students must complete their baccalaureate degree prior to enrolling in the OT Program if the student is pursuing a baccalaureate degree from Rockhurst or an institution other than Rockhurst.
3. Maintain a 3.0 semester and cumulative grade-point average for all OT Program courses. All courses in the OT Program curriculum must be completed with at least a grade of “C”, including passing grades on all fieldwork experiences. Any grade below a “C” results in dismissal from the OT Program.
4. Comply with all requirements for fieldwork placement. These requirements will include at least one background check, to be completed within the first 6 months of the program. Additional requirements may include a drug screening, CPR certification, TB testing, and proof of immunizations and vaccinations.
5. Consistently demonstrate professional behavior when interacting with faculty, staff, students, and clients/patients. These behaviors reflect the capacity to deliver a high standard of health service and are as important as traditional academic standards in determining criteria for promotion and continuation in the OT Program.
6. Students should be aware that a criminal background check will be required. The presence of any criminal conviction on the student’s record may affect his/her/their eligibility for participating in clinical internships, becoming certified or licensed, and/or securing a job in the student’s field.
    

Graduation

The Doctoral of Occupational Therapy degree requires a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater to graduate. All degree requirements must be completed within 48 months for full-time students and 60 months for part-time students from the beginning of the first semester in which a student is enrolled. The Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months after completion of academic preparation. The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program Student Handbook contains additional supplementary information about the OT Program.

Dual OTD/MBA and OTD/MA Program

Students enrolled in Rockhurst’s Occupational Therapy programs may complete a joint degree program in conjunction with the Helzberg School of Management. Rockhurst is one of only a few universities in the United States to provide students with this very unique opportunity, which will enhance the graduate’s ability to assume administrative, supervisory, and leadership roles in health care.

The Helzberg School of Management offers two degree programs: a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MA). Both programs are taken concurrently during a student’s occupational therapy studies and include a concentration in Health Care Management. The MBA and MA programs offer flexibility in timing of enrollment and structuring class schedules.

The length of time to complete the dual degree program is dependent on multiple factors, including the business degree selected and the student’s previous education. However, the program is designed for a student to complete the OTD degree in time to graduate with the cohort class in which they started.