Graduate Programs

Deadlines and key dates:

• You may apply to start the program fall 2025
  • Applications Opens: July 19, 2024
  • Application Closes: June 6, 2025
  • Priority Review Deadline: October 31, 2024
  • Notifications of Acceptance: Beginning December 13, 2024

Admissions will be offered on a rolling basis until all slots are filled.

Detailed application requirements

Application materials required for WOU Graduate admission:

• Application and supporting materials will be submitted via the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Services (OTCAS) system.

Process: You will be notified via email regarding the acceptance status of your complete application. FAQs

International Applicants

At this time the WOU OTD program is unable to accept international applications. We are working on obtaining SEVIS approval and will update our website and application once we are able. If you have any questions about this, please email Kristin Nxumalo: nxumalok@wou.edu.

To start, you need:

• Evidence of completion of a four-year baccalaureate degree (or international equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution as defined by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars, with a cumulative B average (equivalent 3.00 on a U.S. 4.00 grading scale) on the most recent baccalaureate degree. If the applicant’s cumulative GPA is below 3.00, but a calculation using the last 90 quarter credits (60-semester credits) of graded course work is 3.0 or higher, the latter will be used as the basis for admission. If an applicant does not have a cumulative or last 90 quarter credit GPA higher than a 3.0, applicants may petition to use their prerequisite GPA to meet admission criteria. For more information on the prerequisite GPA petition please email Kristin Nxumalo: nxumalok@wou.edu.
• Transcripts and/or academic records submitted through OTCAS from all institutions attended.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• OTCAS Personal Statement Prompt: Discuss how your academic background and life experiences will contribute to success in the OT program while enhancing our program and the profession of occupational therapy.
• Western Oregon University short-essay statement: Please consider the following Western Oregon University OTD curricular threads, and in a brief statement, describe which one resonates with you most and why:
  •  Power of occupation
  • Art and science of occupational therapy
  • Community health and social change
  • Critical and innovative thinking for practice and scholarship
  • Steward leadership and occupational justice
• Prerequisite Courses:
  • Successful Completion of the following prerequisites with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 within the past 10 years (P/NP grading during the global pandemic [Spring 2020 – Summer 2021] may be considered if a grade of “P” was earned) Prerequisite courses may be in progress at the time of the application, so long as they are completed by the program start in September:
    • Human Anatomy & Physiology with labs (9 semester or 12 quarter hours) [Courses at WOU that satisfy the requirements: BI234, BI235, BI236]]
    • Human Development (3 semester, 4 quarter units)[Courses at WOU that satisfy the requirements: PSY311]
    • Social Sciences/Humanities (12 semester or 16 quarter hours) Courses can be in any of the following subject areas but at least one course must be in Psychology.
      • Psychology
      • Gerontology
      • Exercise Science
      • Public Health
      • Criminal Justice
      • Religious Studies
      • Ethnic Studies
      • Gender Studies
      • Human Sexuality
      • Literature
      • Anthropology
      • Sociology
      • Social Work
      • Philosophy
      • History
      • Language(s)
      • Culture
      • Art(s)

OT Mission:

To produce socially conscious and evidence-informed OT practitioners that utilize the power of occupation to promote the health and well-being of people and their communities in our region and the larger world.

OT Vision:

We envision a world where everyone has access to and the ability to participate in meaningful occupations that support health and well-being.

WOU OTD will achieve this vision by:

• Diversifying the profession of OT to increase access to occupational opportunities for historically underserved and minoritized persons in our communities locally, nationally, and globally.
• Cultivating student success by supporting the inclusion of, and respect for all learners, faculty, and staff while embracing the diversity of experience and thought present throughout our world.
• Producing resilient and innovative leaders who integrate the art and science of occupational therapy.

Curriculum Overview [Curriculum Grid]

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program prepares graduates to work with individuals, groups, and populations who are affected by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, mental, developmental, and/or learning challenges, as well as adverse environmental conditions, to maximize their occupational functioning and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents. Occupational Therapy education includes instruction in the basic medical sciences, psychology, sociology, client assessment and evaluation, standardized and non-standardized tests and measurements, assistive and rehabilitative technologies, ergonomics, environmental health, special education, vocational counseling, health education and promotion, health advocacy, and professional standards and ethics.

The OTD program is a three-year professional doctorate degree that will prepare students for careers as occupational therapists and faculty in Occupational Therapy programs. The program is built upon a foundation of human occupation, lifespan development, mental health, anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, and neuroscience that supports evaluation and assessment, applied research, intervention and rehabilitation, clinical practice, and advocacy. The program will meet all national accreditation requirements as prescribed by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).  The sixty-one learning outcomes required of all ACOTE accredited programs will be delivered over 11 terms, including 24 weeks of Level II Clinical Fieldwork and a 14-week Doctoral Capstone Experience.

Curriculum Threads and Program Outcomes

• The power of occupation
  • Work with individuals across the lifespan and in various contexts to harness the transformative nature of engaging in occupations (meaningful activities) that promote health, well-being, and participation in purposeful life roles.
• Weaving the art and science of occupational therapy
  • Utilize the unique blend of theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, creativity, and human connection to help people achieve meaningful and purposeful lives.
• Community health and social change.
  • Understand what creates healthy communities, how environments and contexts shape health and well-being, and how to act as social change agents alongside the communities we serve.
• Critical and innovative thinking for practice and scholarship
  • Think outside the box to engage in thoughtful analysis, problem-solving, and creative solutions within the context of occupational therapy practice. Continuously reflect on practice and the unique needs of individuals, groups, and populations.
• Steward leadership and occupational justice
  • Adopt roles that extend beyond traditional clinical practice to become advocates, facilitators, and supporters of positive change within the profession and society at large.  Work to advance the field, promote ethical practice, and ensure that the principles of occupational justice are upheld.

Student Resources:

• Student Handbook
• Clinical Education Manual

Halley Read and Ronnie Taylor visit local Koin TV on May 8, 2024

View the segment

Halley Read: Building pathways for Western’s future Occupational Therapists

Pictured starting from left: Halley Read, Ph.D., OTR/L, Katie O’Day President, OTAO

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University’s Halley Read Ph.D., OTR/L, doctoral capstone coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, was recently the recipient of the Occupational Therapy Association of Oregon (OTAO) President’s Award.

This award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the occupational therapy profession through their formal roles within the association or through other efforts. Read’s recognition stems from her exceptional advocacy and legislative policy support work, as well as her direct collaboration with and mentorship of OTAO’s current president.

Read also served as an ambassador for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), playing a pivotal role in promoting OT in Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers. Additionally, she served as the Oregon Representative for AOTA’s Representative Assembly, effectively addressing the concerns and interests of OT professionals at both the state and federal levels. These combined efforts have been instrumental in advocating for OT professionals.

“It’s important for people to know that the OTD program isn’t just a new program to Western. It’s a team filled with remarkable people who are ready to support future OTD students and their profession,” says Read. “We value using our OT clinical training to create better access and pathways for our students and not limiting it to just clinical experience, but also the role of OT professionals in legislative change to shape the future of the profession.”

Posted by Brittany Kima, January 11, 2024