Apr 30, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Pre-Occupational Therapy “Three Plus” Pathway


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Special Undergraduate Academic and Co-Curricular Programs

OTD Accelerated “Three Plus” Admission Information

This program is designed specifically for undergraduate students who meet the criteria and are accepted into the accelerated “Three Plus” OTD program, allowing them to earn both their undergraduate degree and an entry level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree in a shortened length of enrollment at Rockhurst University.

Eligible students who gain acceptance into the “Three Plus Accelerated” program may enroll in the first year of graduate level OTD courses during the final year of their undergraduate program.

These students complete all major and core requirements of their undergraduate program during the first three years of enrollment (note: students who enter Rockhurst with transfer credits may fulfill their undergraduate degree requirements in less time).

These students are then able to begin completing their first year of  OTD courses while in their final undergraduate year. These ‘dual credit’ courses may count as “dual credit”, counting towards undergraduate electives to complete the bachelor’s degree while also counting towards requirements of the Doctor of OccupationalTherapy program.

This reduced time-program allows the student to graduate and enter the job market at an accelerated pace.

Any first-year Rockhurst student interested in pursuing OT may apply for the Accelerated Admission Program. Students must be consecutively enrolled at Rockhurst University during their undergraduate coursework to remain eligible for Accelerated Admission.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any student entering Rockhurst with transfer credits may fulfill their undergraduate program requirements in less than the standard four years. In such cases students must apply to graduate with the bachelor’s degree within the term in which all 128 credits are fulfilled.

The accelerated admission program may be combined with, but does not require, a pre-admission guarantee (e.g. Freshman Pre-admission Award or OT Scholars Award). Students must contact Liz Zayat, OT Program Advisor, if interested in pursuing and applying for the accelerated admission option.

Interested students should contact the Occupational Therapy department for further details.  A sample of the current first year of OTD courses to be taken during the final undergraduate year are as follows: 

Year 1 OTD: Summer Semester of 4th Undergraduate Year


First-time undergraduate students who are pre-accepted in the “Three Plus” OTD program may qualify to begin their first term of OTD graduate courses in the summer semester following their third undergraduate year, while still classified as undergraduate seniors. Note: all undergraduate major and core requirements must be met by this time.

Qualifier: Students who entered Rockhurst with accumulated transfer credits may not require four full years to complete all bachelor level requirements. Federal financial aid requirements dictate that once all undergraduate degree requirements are met, students are required to apply to graduate with their undergraduate degree in that semester.

 The following is a sample list of courses to be taken during this summer semester:

  • OTD 6100 Introduction to Occupations (Co-requisite: OTD 6105) (2)
  • OTD 6105 Introduction to Occupations Lab (1)
  • OTD 6110 Health Conditions (3)
  • OTD 6120 Human Anatomy for Occupational Therapy (Co-requisite: OTD 6125) (2)
  • OTD 6125 Human Anatomy for Occupational Therapy Lab (1)
  • OTD 6130 Scholarship I: Evidence-Based Practice (2)

Total: 11 credit hours

Year 1 OTD: Fall Semester of 4th Undergraduate Year


During the fall semester of the student’s final undergraduate year, students in the accelerated program will begin their OTD coursework, with credits counted to complete the required 128 undergraduate credits while also fulfilling the first year requirements of the OTD program. The following is a sample list of courses for the fall semester of the undergraduate’s senior year:

  • OTD 6200  Instructional Design (1)
  • OTD 6210  Biomechanics and Human Movement  (3)
  • OTD 6225  Foundational Skills Lab I (2)
  • OTD 6230  Psychosocial Theory and Performance (4)
  • OTD 6235  Psychosocial Performance Lab (2)
  • OTD 6240  Research II: Process and Design (3)
  • OTD 6245  Scholarship II Lab (.5)
  • OTD 6250  Fieldwork and Professional Development I (1)

Total: 16.5 credit hours

Year 1 OTD: Final Semester of 4th Undergraduate Year


The following is a sample list of courses for the accelerated OTD student’s final spring semester of their undergraduate program:

  • OTD 6310  Leadership in Occupational Therapy (2)
  • OTD 6325  Foundational Skills Lab II (2)
  • OTD 6335  Occupational Problem - Based Learning Lab (2)
  • OTD 6340  Occupational Performance: Birth Through Adolescence (2)
  • OTD 6345  Pediatric Development Lab  (.5)
  • OTD 6350  Occupational Performance:Adulthood & Geriatrics (2)
  • OTD 6355  Development and Changes in Adulthood Lab (.5)
  • OTD 6370  Scholarship III: Analysis & Dissemination (3)
  • OTD 6375  Schlarship III Lab  (.5)
  • OTD 6380  Fieldwork and Professional Development II  (1)
  • OTD 8500  Capstone Seminar I: Exploration

NOTE:


NOTE: Students following the accelerated “Three Plus” OTD pathway must meet all undergraduate core and major requirements by the end of their fourth undergraduate year to graduate in the bachelor’s program before proceeding into the second year of the doctoral OTD curriculum. All undergraduate requirements must be fulfilled before the bachelor’s degree can be conferred.

For a complete list of all current OTD program requirements, please see the Rockhurst Graduate catalog located at www.registrar.edu.

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