Pursuing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) offers several advantages over a Master’s degree. A doctorate provides advanced clinical skills and completion of a capstone project in a specialized area opening doors to leadership positions, specialized practice areas, and opportunities in academia. An OTD enhances your career opportunities, including higher earning potential and greater job security. Additionally, the doctorate equips you with the knowledge to become a leader in the field, contributing to research and the advancement of occupational therapy practice. The OTD program at Andrews University, with its unique educational framework and early assurance admissions option, is designed to prepare you for these advanced roles.

When deciding between Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT), consider your interests and career goals. If you’re passionate about helping individuals regain independence in their daily lives and enjoy creative problem-solving to adapt environments or activities, OT might be the right fit for you. On the other hand, if you’re interested in working on physical rehabilitation and movement, focusing on exercise and manual techniques to help patients recover from injuries, PT could be more aligned with your goals. Both careers are highly rewarding but focus on different aspects of patient care.

Pursuing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) offers several advantages over a Master’s degree. A doctorate provides advanced clinical skills, opening doors to leadership positions, specialized practice areas, and opportunities in academia. An OTD enhances your career opportunities, including higher earning potential and greater job security. Additionally, the doctorate equips you with the knowledge to become a leader in the field, contributing to research and the advancement of occupational therapy practice. The OTD program at Andrews University, with its unique educational framework and early assurance admissions option, is designed to prepare you for these advanced roles.

A GRE is not required for admittance into the OTD program at Andrews University.

The OTD program at Andrews University is open to students who hold or are entering their 4th year of completing a baccalaureate degree before beginning OTD classes. Graduates from any discipline are encouraged to apply, provided they have completed the required occupational therapy prerequisites.

Following are the prerequisites for admission into the Andrews University OTD program:

· GPA: minimum 3.0; students must submit proof of satisfactory completion with a minimum grade of "B-" from an accredited institution for each of the prerequisite courses.
· GRE: Recommended but not required.
· Observation Hours: 20 hours strongly recommended.
· Letters of Recommendations: 3 letters of recommendations (one must be from an occupational therapist and another from a professor who taught the student. It is recommended that the third be from an employer/supervisor, clergy, a second occupational therapist or health care professional).
· Personal Interview: Our Admissions Office will invite the most qualified applicants for an interview with a member of the Admissions Committee or their designee on campus or by phone.
· International Applicant Requirements: Submit an original foreign transcript directly to the OT program. Photocopies of evaluations are not acceptable.
International Language Requirements: Applicants who have been given any part of their education outside the US or Canada or whose first language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by providing evidence through one of the following methods. Exceptions may be granted by the School of Rehabilitation Sciences on an individual basis. Test must be taken within one year prior to application. TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) is preferred.
Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly to OTCAS from Educational Testing Service (ETS). The PTCAS ETS code is 531.

TOEFL
Internet-based test (iBT) *
Combined score of 111
(Minimum scores in each of the four areas: 15 in reading, 15 in listening, 18 in speaking, and 17 in writing)

TOEFL
paper-based test (ITP)
Combined score of 640
(Minimum of 56 in each section)
MELAB
Combined score of 92
(Minimum of 80 in each section)
IELTS Academic version
8.0
PTE Academic version
72

* Preferred

For Students entering with a bachelor’s degree
· Natural Sciences: A full sequence of Anatomy and Physiology with labs
· Mathematics: One course (3 semester hours) covering basic statistics or research methods
· Social Sciences:
a. Human Development- One course (3 semester hours) that covers human development throughout the lifespan.
b. Psychology - One course (3 semester hours) covering introductory psychology or developmental psychology.
c. Abnormal psychology
· Ethics: One course in ethics or biomedical ethics
· Medical Terminology: One course in basic medical terminology.

For Students entering without a bachelor’s degree on the 3+3 track
· Natural Sciences: A full sequence of Anatomy and Physiology with labs
· Mathematics: One course (3 semester hours) covering basic statistics or research methods
· Social Sciences:
a. Human Development- One course (3 semester hours) that covers human development throughout the lifespan.
b. Psychology - One course (3 semester hours) covering introductory psychology or developmental psychology.
c. Abnormal psychology
· Ethics: One course in ethics or biomedical ethics
· Medical Terminology: One course in basic medical terminology.
· Religion*: Three semester hour religion course per academic year of attendance at Andrews University. (Not required if transferring.)
· Wellness*: One course (3 semester hours) includes lifetime approaches to wholistic wellbeing.
· Language/Communication*:
a. English - Two courses of English Composition (3 semester hours each) which include writing components.
b. Communication - One course (3 semester hours) covering human communication, one-to-one, small group, and public speaking.
· History*: One course (3 semester hours) preferred course - HIST110 Worldviews, Cultures and Gods
· Fine Arts/Humanities*: Two courses (6 semester hours total) at least one must be theory, one may be may applied for example- studio art, ensemble (one year), or applied music (private lessons do not apply).

Andrews University is in the process of seeking accreditation for our new Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. While we are not yet accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), we plan to submit our candidacy application by December 16, 2024, to start the accreditation process. We will receive our candidacy approval prior to officially admitting students. The decision will be made sometime in April 2025 for the Fall 2025 cohort admission. Accreditation decision will not be made till the second last semester (April 2028) of the first cohort prior to graduation. For more information about ACOTE, visit www.acoteonline.org or call (301) 652-AOTA.