Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Occupational Therapy

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Online

The new Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Online Program (PPOTD) is designed for occupational therapists with a master’s degree in OT. The Tufts University PPOTD prepares US practitioners to assume leadership roles that are expected to make a real impact on individuals and groups in society in such areas as health and wellness, daily life occupations, access and equity issues, and quality of life. It is expected that our graduates will be leaders and advocates in the change process who will be able to evaluate program need, clinically reason through current available evidence to design and implement leadership projects, determine outcomes, and disseminate project results.

Program Requirements and Policies

To receive a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree (OTD), students must satisfactorily complete (receive grades of B- or better or Satisfactory) a minimum of 30 credits in the prescribed curriculum.

This part-time program typically takes 5 semesters to complete (2 fall, 2 spring, 1 summer semester) for a student to complete, with two courses per semester.

Courses Required

10 courses are required at 3 credits each.

Fall 1:

  • OTS 208 Clinical Reasoning IV: Evidence Based Practice 
  • OTS 297 Leadership, Advocacy, & Ethics in Occupational Therapy

Spring 1: 

  • OTS 288 Outcomes Measurement and Monitoring
  • OTS 286 Leadership Project Planning 

Summer:

  • OTS 290 Occupation-centered Practice 
  • OTS 298 Leadership Project Mentoring

Fall 2:

  • OTS 299 Occupational Justice
  • OTS 287 Leadership Project Implementation

Spring 2:

  • OTS 251 Educational Theory for Allied Health Professionals
  • OTS 297 Project Dissemination

With a course blend of synchronous and asynchronous time, the degree program covers topics including leadership and ethics, evidence-based practice, occupation-centered practice, occupational justice, and educational theory for allied health professionals. One course each semester (OTS 297, 286, 298, 287, 289) is specific to the development, proposal, implementation, data analysis, and dissemination of the student’s leadership project, in concert with a faculty mentor.