Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Students interested in the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) must first apply to the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program.

During the second semester of the MOT program, interested students may apply for the OTD program, through an internal process, if they meet the following requirements:

• Cumulative OT GPA of 3.0 or better
• Semester GPA of 3.0 or better in all completed semesters
• Current enrollment in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program 
• No current or past professional or academic probation (students may still apply if they have
  received a warning)

Students must complete the following requirements while applying to the OTD program:

• Attend the OTD information session with the OTD Program Director and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator
• Meet with CUW OT faculty advisor to discuss decision to apply to the OTD program
• Complete the “OTD Exploration Form”
• Complete written essay, following the provided prompt
• Request two (2) CUW OT faculty members to complete the “OTD Applicant Rating Form” 
• Submit entire application packet, including the signed application form, written essay, and completed exploration form, in accordance with cohort due dates
• Interview with OT Faculty, schedule to be determined after application deadline

All applicant files will be reviewed by the OT Admissions Committee and the OTD Program Director. 

Program data specific to Concordia University Wisconsin on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam can be found here.

Note: Our accreditation was granted in 2022, which is the same year our first cohort of students graduated.

The following table outlines the potential cost of attendance for a student in the OTD Program. These costs are subject to change based on cost of textbooks, change in textbooks, and/or change in fee amounts from the University. Students in the accelerated track may have additional fees while finishing the undergraduate degree. Information about these fees may be obtained from the undergraduate billing.

Please note all accepted students will be required to submit a $500 tuition deposit within four (4) weeks of acceptance to hold their spot in the MOT program. There is no tuition deposit for students who apply to the OTD while in the MOT program.

*Tuition is based on students who begin in the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Tuition increases each academic year, typically by 3-5% and is released for publication in June.

**The textbook & material cost is an estimate based upon current requirements and could change while enrolled in the program if a required textbook changes. Students are independently responsible for purchasing their textbooks, which could increase or decrease the total cost. Due to the use of a three term (fall, spring, and summer) academic calendar, textbooks may be purchased during the summer instead of fall or spring, which would change the cost per term of textbooks.

Note: students who bring a car to campus will be required to register their vehicle and pay vehicle registration fees as determined by the university. Further information can be found at: https://www.cuw.edu/life/campus-safety/parking-vehicle-registration.html

Travel costs will vary from student to student within our tracks. All students will have a one-week residency during Summer 2, which could include transportation, housing and food costs. Students will also accrue travel costs for the Level II Fieldwork and the Capstone Experience as placements can be located as much as an hour away via car. 

Students in the Bridge Track should additionally plan for travel to campus 4 times during Semesters 1, 2, 3 & 4, as well as 2-3 times during the first and third summers. This travel will include, at minimum, one overnight stay and all travel-related costs, including gas, car rentals, airfare, and food. Students may need to plan for travel costs to get to our Community Clinic sites located off-campus. 

Students entering the Occupational Therapy program will need to access to a computer that meets the following requirements. We highly recommend purchasing a laptop for portability.

Optional, but recommended:

• USB Flash Memory Storage Device or External USB hard drive for data daily backup
• Antivirus and Malwarebytes (Windows does come with free Anti-virus)

Software required and supplied by Concordia University:

• Microsoft Office 365 (download / instructions)
• Zoom (download / instructions)
• Respondus Lock Down Browser (download / instructions)

Please Note:

• Chrome Books, iPads, tablets or similar units are useful tools, but do NOT meet all course requirements
• For Mac users that need access to Windows, click here for BootCamp setup instructions

If you have related questions or have concerns about the affordability of this requirement, please contact Assistant Vice President of Academics for Student Success, Dr. Elizabeth Polzin at Elizabeth.Polzin@cuw.edu.

Track Details

Students in the OTD program - Accelerated track can expect to complete coursework in a blended format. Students begin coursework in the MOT program in late August, according to the university academic calendar. Students in the accelerated track should anticipate having class Monday & Tuesday 7:30am - 5:00pm on CUW's Mequon campus. Wednesdays may have required participation in school activities, such as Interprofessional Education and cross-cohort mentorship, and students must maintain a level of flexibility in scheduling. Some class requirements may be completed off-campus at designated community locations. Students are responsible for transportation to all off-campus community locations. Students should expect to complete coursework independently and collaboratively online during the remainder of the week. Select courses throughout the program will be offered solely online in which students are expected to learn independently and collaboratively.

Students in the MOT program explore the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree during the second semester. At that time, students are given the choice to continue in the MOT program or apply to the OTD program. Entrance requirements for the OTD program include the following: 

• Cumulative OT GPA of 3.0 or better
• Semester GPA of 3.0 or better in all completed semesters
• Current enrollment in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program
• No current or past professional or academic probation (students may still apply if they have received a warning)
• Completion and timely submission of all application documents

Students who apply to the OTD program will be evaluated by OTD faculty to determine eligibility and appropriate fit for the OTD program. If accepted to the OTD program, students will be notified and should anticipate completing additional doctoral-level assignments and coursework.

During the first summer of the OT program, students in the accelerated track complete a one week, full-time residency on campus. During this week, students participate in a pediatrics camp/Level I Fieldwork experience, as well as a behavioral health Level I Fieldwork experience. Upon completion of the 4 semesters of didactic coursework, students will complete two 12-week Level II Fieldwork placements. OTDe students will complete a 14-week capstone project after completion of the Level II Fieldwork placements.

Students are assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of the MOT program. Starting in the first semester, students will be introduced to our interprofessional Community Clinic, which serves clients across the lifespan. As students progress through the program, their involvement and autonomy in evaluation and treatment of clients will increase. The OT program has embedded a student mentorship model for students to work with others in their track as both mentor and mentee. CUW OT students have the opportunity to be involved in student and professional organizations, the Pi Theta OT honor society, and faculty-mentored research opportunities. CUW’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) events encourage students to work through real-world scenarios with a team of future health professionals. 

Upon entry in the OTD program, OTD students are paired with a faculty advisor, under guidance of the OTD Program Director, who will continue to mentor and advise them through the completion of their Capstone Experience. These faculty advisors are doctorally-trained and have a clinical or research background that may be consistent with the OTD student's area of interest.

Additionally, students in the accelerated track have the unique opportunity to pursue the Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) certificate program. Students will receive information from the director of the AAT program and must apply directly to the program. The AAT program is an additional cost beyond the cost of the OT program tuition and may have additional time requirements. 

Track Details

Students in the OTD program - Bridge track can expect to complete coursework in a blended format. Students begin coursework in the MOT program in summer with two classes. Full-time coursework then continues in late August, according to the university academic calendar. Students should anticipate traveling to CUW's Mequon campus once a month for in-person learning experiences. Classes run Friday 12pm-9pm and Saturday 8am-5pm with a one hour break each day. Some class requirements are completed off-campus at designated community locations. Students will be responsible for transportation to all off-campus community locations. Additionally, students should expect to complete coursework independently and collaboratively online every week. Select courses throughout the program will be offered solely online in which students are expected to learn collaboratively. 

Students in the MOT program explore the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree during the second semester. At that time, students are given the choice to continue in the MOT program or apply to the OTD program. Entrance requirements for the OTD program include the following: 

• Cumulative OT GPA of 3.0 or better
• Semester GPA of 3.0 or better in all completed semesters
• Current enrollment in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program
• No current or past professional or academic probation (students may still apply if they have received a warning)
• Completion and timely submission of all application documents

Students who apply to the OTD program will be evaluated by OTD faculty to determine eligibility and appropriate fit for the OTD program. If accepted to the OTD program, students will be notified and should anticipate completing additional doctoral-level assignments and coursework.

During the second summer of the OT program, students in the bridge track complete a one week, full-time residency on campus. During this week, students participate in a pediatrics camp/Level I Fieldwork experience, as well as a behavioral health Level I Fieldwork experience. Upon completion of the 4 semesters of didactic coursework, students will complete two 12-week Level II Fieldwork placements. OTD students will complete a 14-week capstone experience after completion of the Level II Fieldwork placements.

Students are assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of the MOT program. Starting in the first semester, students will be introduced to our interprofessional Community Clinic, which serves clients across the lifespan. As students progress through the program, their involvement and autonomy in evaluation and treatment of clients will increase. The OT program has embedded a student mentorship model for students to work with others in their track as both mentor and mentee. CUW OT students have the opportunity to be involved in student and professional organizations, the Pi Theta OT honor society, and faculty-mentored research opportunities. CUW’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) events encourage students to work through real-world scenarios with a team of future health professionals. 

Upon entry in the OTD program, OTD students are paired with a faculty advisor who will continue to mentor and advise them through the completion of their Capstone Experience. These faculty advisors are doctorally-trained and have a clinical or research background that may be consistent with the OTD student's area of interest. OTD faculty advisors will be assigned by the OTD Program Director.

Track Details

Students in the OTD program - Post-Baccalaureate track can expect to complete coursework in a blended format. Students will begin as a MOT student with the first class completed online at the beginning of January. Full-time coursework then begins in late January, according to the university academic calendar. Students in the post-baccalaureate track should anticipate having class Thursday & Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm on CUW's Mequon campus. Wednesdays may have required participation in school activities, such as Interprofessional Education and cross-cohort mentorship, and students must maintain a level of flexibility in scheduling. Some class requirements may be completed off-campus at designated community locations. Students are responsible for transportation to all off-campus community locations. Students should expect to complete coursework independently and collaboratively online during the remainder of the week. Select courses throughout the program will be offered solely online in which students are expected to learn collaboratively.

Students in the MOT program explore the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree during the second semester. At that time, students are given the choice to continue in the MOT program or apply to the OTD program. Entrance requirements for the OTD program include the following: 

• Cumulative OT GPA of 3.0 or better
• Semester GPA of 3.0 or better in all completed semesters
• Current enrollment in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program
• No current or past professional or academic probation (students may still apply if they have received a warning)
• Completion and timely submission of all application documents

Students who apply to the OTD program will be evaluated by OTD faculty to determine eligibility and appropriate fit for the OTD program. If accepted to the OTD program, students will be notified and should anticipate completing additional doctoral-level assignments and coursework.

During the second summer of the OT program, students in the post-baccalaureate track complete a one week, full-time residency on campus. During this week, students participate in a pediatrics camp/Level I Fieldwork experience, as well as a behavioral health Level I Fieldwork experience. Upon completion of the 4 semesters of didactic coursework, students will complete two 12-week Level II Fieldwork placements. OTD students will complete a 14-week capstone experience after completion of the Level II Fieldwork placements.

Students are assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of the MOT program. Starting in the first semester, students will be introduced to our interprofessional Community Clinic, which serves clients across the lifespan. As students progress through the program, their involvement and autonomy in evaluation and treatment of clients will increase. The OT program has embedded a student mentorship model for students to work with others in their track as both mentor and mentee. CUW OT students have the opportunity to be involved in student and professional organizations, the Pi Theta OT honor society, and faculty-mentored research opportunities. CUW’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) events encourage students to work through real-world scenarios with a team of future health professionals. 

Upon entry in the OTD program, OTD students are paired with a faculty advisor who will continue to mentor and advise them through the completion of their Capstone Experience. These faculty advisors are doctorally-trained and have a clinical or research background that may be consistent with the OTD student's area of interest. OTD faculty advisors will be assigned by the OTD Program Director.

Concordia University Wisconsin’s Occupational Therapy Program Student Essential Functions are the aptitudes and abilities required to participate in the program. These essential functions are consistent with occupational therapy practice as outlined by the AOTA’s Guide to Occupational Therapy Practice. Essential Functions apply in the classroom, tutorial, laboratory, and clinical settings including fieldwork.

OT Program Essential Functions:

• learn independently from written materials for 30-40 hours a week
• actively attend to classroom activities (lecture, labs, etc.) for 8 hours a day
• remember and process multiple pieces of information simultaneously to make clinical judgements
• manage and prioritize multiple competing demands on one's time and effort in both the short and long term
• identify and solve complex problems independently using multiple sources of information
• analyze and evaluate abstract concepts to make judgements and reach conclusions
• remember and accurately follow multi-step written and/or verbal directions
• attend to task completion
• exercise good judgment and adhere to all safety precautions during lecture, lab, and clinical experiences
• maintain confidentiality of client/patient information
• apply academic learning to clinical situations
• acknowledge limitations and obtain appropriate assistance to provide safe client care
• interpret, integrate, and analyze complex information, perform clinical problem-solving, and synthesize and apply information from the discipline of occupational therapy and related disciplines to formulate accurate diagnostic and treatment judgments.
• reliably and critically self-evaluate professional, technical, and personal skills that contribute to positive patient/client outcomes.
• accept constructive criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior
• manage one’s own time and others’ effectively and efficiently
• determine when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, and then be able to act before there is a negative consequence
• accurately describe changes in other’s facial expression, mood, activity, and posture
• ensure client safety during all therapeutic interactions
• monitor patient/client vital signs (e.g. BP, HR, respiration, pulse O2 monitors)

• maintain and assume a variety of positions including sitting and standing for up to 3 hours continuously, frequent walking, bending, squatting, kneeling, stair climbing, reaching forward, reaching overhead, turning and movement of the trunk and neck in all directions
• perform manual material handling and manipulation of various sizes and weights including lifting and transferring patients, guarding patients during functional mobility training on level surfaces/uneven surfaces/ramps/stairs, pushing and pulling to provide resistance and to assist in maneuvering patients; specific requirements include:
  • safely lift up to 50 lbs. independently when transferring and or performing manual patient handling
  • safely lift up to 50 lbs. independently when handling materials
  • safely push and pull with up to 100 lbs of force
  • safely carry items of at least 50 pounds with both hands for 25 feet
• manually palpate various body structures during examination and intervention procedures
• balance self and provide support and balance to patients on a variety of surfaces including level and uneven ground, ramps, curbs, and stairs
• perform a variety of exceptional activities for up to 10 hours with occasional rest breaks
• respond quickly to emergency situations by lifting/pushing/pulling patients, applying force to perform CPR, assist with transporting patients
• manipulate objects/equipment of various sizes, shapes, temperatures, smells, and textures (e.g. dials, knobs, testing instruments, therapy balls, scissors, clamps, kitchen equipment, bathroom equipment, raw foods, etc.)
• use appropriate manual pressure when touching clients
• perceive touch information adequately (palpation, MMT, sensory testing, mobilization, facilitation, orthoses, tone, temperature, depth, etc.)
• perceive gradients of temperature for safe application of client applications with orthoses, bathing, and cooking activities.

• hear and react to alarms, emergency signals, timers, cries for help, phones, pagers, overhead page
• engage in conversation.
• hear heart rate and BP

• monitor one’s own position in space to maintain balance and posture
• tolerate changes in head position during intervention
• tolerate changes in elevation such elevators, escalators

• maintain composure and emotional stability during periods of high stress and emergency situations
• demonstrate affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality client/patient care
• demonstrate the flexibility to perform in stressful or rapidly changing, unpredictable, or emergency situations, such as an intensive academic program and a variety of clinical situations, which may involve pain, grief, death, stress, communicable diseases, blood and body fluids, and or toxic substances
• tolerate physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing workloads, proactively making use of available resources to help maintain both physical and mental health
• function effectively under time constraints while remaining calm and composed
• manage stress associated with completing timed written, oral, and laboratory practical exams
• display professionalism through appropriate presentation of oneself
• interact effectively with individuals, families, and groups from diverse social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds in a variety of settings
• demonstrate attributes that include compassion, empathy, altruism, integrity, honesty, caring, fairness, responsibility, concern for others, accountability, interest, tolerance and motivation
• maintain general good health, self-care, and hygiene in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and individuals with which one interacts
• recognize and promptly respond to emotional communications such as sadness, worry, agitation, pain and lack of comprehension of therapist communication
• demonstrate honesty, integrity, professionalism, and ethical behavior according to the standards set forth by the American Occupational Therapy Association

• use computers to obtain professional literature, and complete classroom and clinical documentation
• communicate in English effectively and sensitively with peers, faculty, clinical supervisors, clients, and client families
• produce and interpret written communication
• use therapeutic communication, such as attending, clarifying, coaching, facilitating, and touching in appropriate ways
• advocate for one’s role and delegate responsibilities when appropriate and collaborate within an interprofessional team
• listen attentively and actively in order to receive and interpret oral communication
• recognize when others (i.e., students, faculty clients, family members) do or do not understand his/her written and/or oral communication
• modify her/his communication style to meet diverse communicative needs
• Thank you to the Sacred Heart University Occupational Therapy program, and the East Carolina University Occupational Therapy program.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and assured services and accommodations that provide equal access to the activities and programs of the university. Students with a documented disability may request disability accommodations by contacting Disability Support Services: Mequon campus.