Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

Do you want to change lives and help heal others as an occupational therapist? For practitioners who want to qualify for clinical leadership roles and other types of decision-making roles in hospitals, clinics, private practice, and academic settings, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy at Indiana Wesleyan University can help you learn the practical and interpersonal skills to thrive as an occupational therapist or in a related field. Our mission is to help students maximize their skills as practitioners while learning to provide servant leadership within their communities.

Why Pursue My Occupational Therapy Doctorate at IWU?

As the largest private university in the state of Indiana, we can provide OTD degree students with several impactful benefits that cannot be found at other regional academic institutions. Our classroom and lab resources include a state-of-the-art sensory-based pediatric lab, human motion musculoskeletal labs with XSensor® pressure mapping technology, and a Dynavision2® machine for treating visual motor integration. We also have a realistic “ADL house” that offers students in-home therapy training for daily living scenarios. You’ll enjoy the same tuition rate from beginning to end in our OT program, so there’s no worries about tuition increases while you study. Plus, our Christian faculty teach from the same biblical worldview valued on our campus, so that students can implement these principles in a fulfilling career in occupational therapy.

What Will I Learn in This Onsite Occupational Therapy Program?

The OTD program at IWU is designed to help practitioners achieve a wide variety of learning outcomes. Students can learn to become effective evidence-based practitioners who advocate on behalf of consumers and the occupational therapy profession. Courses cover several critical topics including human motion, musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary intervention, pediatric and school-based occupational performance, and more. The best part about this program? You will learn from faculty with knowledge and expertise in the field who can share their insight to enhance your educational experience.

Apply Online

The Occupational Therapy Program receives applications for doctoral program admission and most applicant credentials exclusively through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS), provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

OTD Application

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

There are Two Paths of Entry into the OTD Program

Accelerated Entry

90 undergraduate credits in any area
Overall GPA: 3.5 or higher
Pre-requisite GPA: 3.5 or higher
10 hours observation of OTR

Post-Baccalaureate Entry

Bachelor’s degree in any area
Overall GPA: 3.0
Pre-requisite GPA: 3.2 preferred
10 hours observation of OTR

*Applicants who demonstrate progress toward either path will be invited to an one-campus interview for further consideration. Applicants pursuing Accelerated Entry are invited to apply after they have completed 60-75 credits of undergraduate work. Only 6 credits may be completed in the summer prior to matriculation

*Admission is provisional pending the successful completion of admissions requirements for the proposed pathway

*Criminal background checks are required prior to matriculation, and are repeated annually for community and fieldwork experiences, which occur throughout the program.

The Occupational Therapy program annually admits a class of 30 students to the professional entry level Doctorate (OTD), who begin studies in September each year.

Prerequisite Courses

The following prerequisite courses or the equivalent must be completed with a grade of B- or better. Unless specified, the courses below should have at least 3 credits to be considered as a prerequisite course.

Students may complete up to two prerequisites in the summer session after acceptance into the program but before beginning the graduate level of study:

Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab -or- Human Anatomy with Lab
Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab -or- Human Physiology with Lab
Abnormal Psychology -or- Psychopathology
Lifespan Development -or- Developmental Psychology (may combine multiple development courses to cover the lifespan)
General Psychology (AP/testing credit allowed)
Statistics (math or behavioral sciences based)
General Sociology -or- Anthropology
Medical Terminology (1-3 credits accepted)

Graduation Requirements

All credits required in the program of study with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.
Minimum grade in each course of “B-“ or higher or a “pass” in pass/fail courses.
Successful completion of all Clinical Education courses to include site assessment documentation.
Payment of all program tuition and fees is required to receive a diploma.

Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Indiana Wesleyan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org, 312-263-0456. Other accreditations and associations of Indiana Wesleyan University are available at www.indwes.edu/about/iwu-profile/accreditation.

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and the web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)

Graduates of the program are eligible 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). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance

Program Graduation Rate

Graduation Year	Students Entering/Graduating	Graduation Rate
2020	17/17	100%
2021	25/23	92%
2022	15/15	100%
2023	19/17	89%
2024	13/11*	85%
*Students who changed cohorts will be counted in the year they graduate.
5-Year Total	89/83	93%

NBCOT Exam Pass Rate

Year	Cohort Size	Passing Percentage
2021	21/21	100%
2022	17/17	100%
2023	14/14	100%
3-Year Average	52/52	100%

Tuition and Fees

2024-2025 Academic Year	OTD Program Fall Trimester	OTD Program Spring Trimester	OTD Program Summer Trimester	Total Cost of Program by Academic Year	Total Cost of Program (8 trimesters)
Tuition	$11,788	$11,788	$11,788	$35,364	$94,304
Tuition rates remain the same for the duration of the program unless the student withdraws and re-enters the program.
Student Life Fee	$90	$90		$180	$540
The Student Life Fee covers access to TimelyCare, a 24-hour/day, seven days/week, 365 days per year health service. Students can access mental health and medical care via an app on their phone that includes counseling, a Talk Now feature, and medical professionals. It also provides access to all campus facilities including the Recreation and Wellness Center, student pass to home athletic events, Center for Student Success and activities run by the Student Government Association and Student Activities Council.
Parking Fee				$60	$120
Parking fee applies only to the 2 years on campus.
Background Checks & Compliance				$113 Year 1 $35 Year 2 & 3	$183
This fee includes background checks and document tracking for compliance. Students are responsible for the costs of health services and fieldwork-required tests and immunizations, etc. Costs may vary based on insurance coverage.
Books & Supplies					$4,000
Includes books and learning software. Costs vary with student preference for e-book/print, new/used availability, etc.
Graduation Fee					$150
					Total: $99,297*
*Students are responsible for the cost of transportation to and from fieldwork locations. Fieldwork locations range from 5-80 miles from IWU campus, depending on student interests and site availability. The OTD program provides 1 program shirt for fieldwork.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)