Curriculum

The professional doctorate curriculum is composed of 45 required course credits (quarter hours) for the first calendar year, 60 required course credits for the second calendar year, and 55 required course credits for the third calendar year, for a total of 160 quarter credits. All courses in each quarter are prerequisite to courses in the subsequent quarter.  

Fieldwork courses are placed in the second and third years of the curriculum and include two Level I experiences and two 12-credit Level II Fieldwork experiences. Students' proficiency in evaluation and intervention, independent decision-making and critical thinking are emphasized during Fieldwork II-A and II-B of the curriculum. Fieldwork experiences are offered in clinical, community, hospital, school, and other facilities that have a legal agreement with the University and are located throughout the continental United States.

As one component of the Capstone process, the 14-week Doctoral Internship is positioned in the winter and spring quarters of the third year of the curriculum. Whereas the Fieldwork Level II experiences primarily focus on evaluation and intervention processes of occupational therapy, the Capstone and Doctoral Internship experiences are individualized according to each student's areas of interest in occupational therapy program development, research, leadership, education, or advocacy.

The Midwestern University College of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Program reserves the right to alter its curriculum however and whenever it deems appropriate.

Total Quarter Credits in the Professional Program: 160