More About the Program
The program's curriculum is best described as a model that organizes the curricular content along five progressive levels of complexity. Progressing from foundational knowledge and skills into application, integration, and ultimately autonomous practice, the model builds on itself. It starts with the foundational behavioral, health, and clinical sciences approach intimately connected with the core subject of occupation, then progresses into function and disability practice domains where occupation and its dimensions are valued as promoting occupational participation for health and well-being. Lastly, life-span-based approaches to practice using occupation for productive development and aging are taught, facilitating the integration of all previous foundational and practice content.
Learners are presented with foundational content to establish a solid knowledge base and develop self-awareness of their own experiences. They then progress towards applying and examining their knowledge and skills through active and experiential learning in practice courses. Integrated clinical and community-engaged experiences, along with practice immersion and professional practice experiences, present students will real-life contexts for applying theoretical, evidence-based knowledge and developing clinical competencies for transformation into autonomous, professional practice.
| Mission, Vision, & Values |
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Briar Cliff University
Briar Cliff University is a community committed to higher education within a liberal arts and Catholic perspective. In the Franciscan tradition of service, caring, and openness to all, Briar Cliff emphasizes quality education for its students, combining a broad intellectual background with career development. The University challenges its members to grow in self-awareness and in their relationships to others and to God.
Learn More About Briar Cliff's Mission, Vision, and Values
OTD Program Mission
The Mission of Briar Cliff University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program is to embody the Franciscan values to provide an interprofessional, occupation-centered, and community-conscious education through an inclusive, learner-centered culture. Students professionally transform as reflective practitioners and servant leaders who critically think using evidence and occupation to promote health and well-being with diverse, underserved persons, groups, and populations.
OTD Program Vision
The vision of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at Briar Cliff University is to be recognized as a regional leader in occupational therapy education that provides a holistic, integrated clinical doctorate degree and prepares graduates to confidently serve underserved individuals and communities using occupation for disease prevention and health promotion.
OTD Program Values
Consistent with Briar Cliff University and the profession of occupational therapy, the OTD Program is founded upon the core values of justice, trust, respect, responsibility, integrity, and compassion. These values guide all program initiatives and ensure that the Program's mission, vision, goals, and outcomes are achieved.
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| Plan of Study |
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The OTD Program consists of three phases of education:
- Academic Coursework (on-campus).
- Practice Immersion (Level II Fieldwork).
- Doctoral Capstone Experience and Project.
Course Layout by Semester
| YEAR ONE: SUMMER |
10 Credit Hours |
| OTD 520: Professional Formation Through Orientation and Personal Discovery |
1 |
| HSC 501: Human Anatomy for the Health Care Professional |
7 |
| OTD 500: Foundations of Human Occupation |
2 |
| YEAR ONE: FALL |
18 Credit Hours |
| OTD 501: Foundations in Occupational Therapy |
2 |
| HSC 502: Human Physiology for the Health Care Professional |
3 |
| HSC 503: Human Neuroscience for the Health Care Professional |
3 |
| RHB 505: Normal Lifespan Development for the Rehabilitation Professional |
3 |
| RHB 506: Human Pathophysiology for the Rehabilitation Professional |
3 |
| OTD 521: Professional Formation Through Therapeutic Communications |
2 |
| OTD 522: Professional Formation Through Professional Behaviors |
2 |
| YEAR ONE: SPRING |
17 Credit Hours |
| HSC 509: Human Kinesiology and Biomechanics for the Health Care Professional |
3 |
| HSC 521: Evidence-Based Practice for the Health Care Professional |
2 |
| RHB 560: Rehabilitation Scholarly Project Proposal |
1 |
| RHB 581: Healthcare Policy: Laws and Reimbursement for the Rehabilitation Professional |
1 |
| RHB 540: Foundational Rehabilitation Outcome Measures |
3 |
| RHB 541: Foundational Rehabilitation Interventions |
4 |
| OTD 502: Occupation for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention |
2 |
| OTD 523: Clinical and Community-Engaged Correlations for the OTD Professional I |
1 |
| YEAR TWO: SUMMER |
12 Credit Hours |
| HSC 620: Foundational Spanish for the Health Care Professional |
1 |
| OTD 620: Professional Formation Through Professional Practice |
2 |
| OTD 600: Occupation, Community, and Population Health |
3 |
| OTD 640: Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Occupational Participation |
4 |
| OTD 621: Clinical and Community Engaged Correlations for the OTD Professional II |
2 |
| YEAR TWO: FALL |
14 Credit Hours |
| RHB 660: Rehabilitation Scholarly Project |
3 |
| OTD 641: Occupations, Environmental Adaptations, and Assistive Technology |
2 |
| OTD 642: Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation and Occupational Participation |
3 |
| OTD 643: Physical Rehabilitation and Occupational Participation |
4 |
| OTD 622: Clinical and Community Engaged Correlations for the OTD Professional III |
2 |
| YEAR TWO: SPRING |
15 Credit Hours |
| RHB 680: Rehabilitation Practice Management |
2 |
| HSC 621: Teaching and Learning for the Health Care Professional |
1 |
| OTD 644: Neurological/Cognitive Rehabilitation and Occupational Participation |
4 |
| OTD 645: OT Practice for Productive Development with Children and Youth |
3 |
| OTD 646: OT Practice for Productive Aging with Older Adults |
3 |
| OTD 623: Clinical and Community Engaged Correlations for the OTD Professional IV |
2 |
| YEAR THREE: SUMMER |
8 Credit Hours |
| Elective (complete 2 credits) |
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HSC 640: Emergency Medical Responder
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2 |
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HSC 740: Vision Rehabilitation (elective)
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1 |
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HSC 741: Service Learning (elective)
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1 |
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HSC 742: Independent Study (elective)
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1 |
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HSC 743: Pain Science (elective)
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1 |
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HSC 744: Trauma-Informed Care (elective)
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1 |
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RHB 742: Advance Pediatric Rehabilitation
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1 |
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RHB 745: Vestibular Rehabilitation
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1 |
| OTD 720: Clinical and Community Engaged Correlations for the OTD Professional V |
2 |
| OTD 721: Practice Immersion IIA |
4 |
| YEAR THREE: FALL |
9 Credit Hours |
| OTD 722: Professional Practice Seminar |
1 |
| OTD 723: Practice Immersion IIB |
4 |
OTD 724: Practice Immersion IIC
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4 |
| YEAR THREE: SPRING |
9 Credit Hours |
| OTD 725: Professional Practice: Doctoral Capstone Experience and Project |
7 |
| OTD 760: Professional Practice: Doctoral Capstone Project Dissemination and Culmination |
2 |
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS |
112 |
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| Student Outcomes |
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By the completion of the program, Briar Cliff University OTD Graduates will:
- Demonstrate the characteristics and aptitude to be a life-long learner to serve and engage with diverse, underserved populations using a client-centered approach.
- Value the profession's core of occupation by delivering occupation-centered practice to support health and wellbeing for the recipients of occupational therapy services.
- Achieve entry-level competence and demonstrate skills to practice as a generalist in settings where occupational therapy is currently practiced or an emerging service.
- Critically analyze and implement evidence into practice and contribute to the growth of clinical and community-centered scholarship.
- Demonstrate leadership and management skills that influence policy and practice to promote equity to healthcare for individuals, communities, and populations.
- Demonstrate therapeutic use of self to effectively communicate with clients and the interprofessional care team to promote safe, ethical, quality services.
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| Manuals, Policies, and Services |
University Accreditation and Policies
Learn more about all university policies, including:
Learn More
University Academic Catalog
In the Briar Cliff University academic catalog, you'll find general university information, guidelines, majors, courses, academic requirements, etc. The catalog that pertains to you is based on the type of student you are and the year you enrolled at BCU.
Learn More
Briar Cliff Student Handbook
A guide to student rights, responsibilities and services at Briar Cliff University.
Learn More
Student Support Services
Briar Cliff University provides a broad range of support, from academic and advising to career and counseling.
Learn More
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| Meet the Chair, Dr. Cortni Krusemark, OTD, OTR/L |
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Dr. Cortni Krusemark, OTD, OTR/L
Invite from the Chair:
"Briar Cliff University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program was designed for you! I invite you to discover our unique, occupational therapy program created to help you grow personally and professionally through real-life experiences. The inclusive, family-like culture values learners as experts in their own experiences and encourages them to contribute to the shared, interprofessional community of learning. Using a Franciscan lens, we learn how relationships and occupation can promote health and wellness in the communities we serve. We would love to have you join us and allow us to become a part of your story as you achieve the milestones towards a career in meaningful living."
-Cortni Krusemark, OTD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor and Founding Program Director
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| Accreditation Statement |
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The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be 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.
See the Accreditation Timeline Here
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OTD Application Process
A rolling admissions process is used to process and review applications. Selected applicants will be invited to interview between September and March. Due to the rolling admissions process, all available seats in the program could be filled prior to February 1, therefore candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early.
Applicants must complete the application process on the Occupational Therapy Centralized Admission System (OTCAS) and have their application completed and verified to be considered for admissions. It can take several weeks for applications to be verified by OTCAS, so please plan accordingly.
Briar Cliff University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program is committed to offering equal opportunity to all and therefore encourages applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We value applicants from rural and underserved areas who appreciate different perspectives, are critical thinkers dedicated to their own learning, and are committed to serving and advocating for others through servant leadership.
| Application Requirements |
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Applications to the Briar Cliff University OTD Program must meet the following admission requirements:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution must be completed before your cohort begins in June (official transcript required).
- A minimum cumulative and prerequisite GPA of 3.0 with a C or better in all prerequisite courses. Candidates must have completed the prerequisites within the last 5 years. We accept applications with prerequisites still in progress if we receive official transcripts showing successful completion (C or better) prior to program matriculation. Any prerequisite coursework completed in 2020, and thereafter, and graded on a Pass/Fail basis due to COVID restrictions will be considered. Additional documentation may be required.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation
- Resume: 1-2 pages demonstrating lived experiences that match the mission and values of the Briar Cliff OTD Program
- A minimum of 30 hours of observation/volunteer experiences. Students applying to the OTD Program are required to have a minimum of 30 hours of experience, within the last 5 years, observing an occupational therapist and/or volunteer service hours to community organizations in need of help. Observation in occupational therapy can be completed in-person, via telehealth, and/or up-to 12 hours through webinars. If webinars are utilized to complete some observation hours, a certificate of completion must be submitted with the application. An example of an accepted webinar includes:
· Quinnipiac University Occupational Therapy Shadowing Experience Online Modules (password: LucasQU)
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| Course Prerequisites |
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Students applying to the OTD program should earn a baccalaureate-level degree by June 1 prior to entrance into this program. Applicants are allowed to have no more than two outstanding prerequisite courses left to be taken in the spring semester prior to entrance into the program.
| COURSE SUBJECT |
LAB REQUIRED? |
CREDIT HOURS |
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Anatomy
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Yes
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3
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Physiology
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Yes
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3
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Lifespan Psychology
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No
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3
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Abnormal Psychology
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No
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3
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Medical Terminology
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No
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1-3
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Statistics or Research
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No
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3
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Social Science (Sociology, Anthropology)
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No
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3
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Writing
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No
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3
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Biology (Advanced Level)
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Yes
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Recommended
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Physics
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Yes
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Recommended
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| Acceptance Checklist |
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If you are offered a position in the program and wish to accept, please complete the following steps to ensure you are ready to enroll.
1. Reserve Your Spot
Submit a $500, non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot in our next cohort.
2. Complete a criminal background check.
All students accepted into the OTD program must complete a background check through Certiphi Screening, Inc. This background check is a requirement of matriculation into the program and is at the expense of the student (cost is approximately $92).
When students begin their Level II Fieldwork in the OTD program, they may be required to complete an additional background check with the most up-to-date information based on the clinical education site.
3. Complete all required immunizations.
Students entering the OTD program are required to provide current proof of immunization prior to participating in any clinical education experience. No drug testing is currently required for enrollment at Briar Cliff University, but students are responsible for obtaining any additional immunizations or drug testing that may be required at a clinical education site. The following immunizations and tests are required, and must be valid throughout each clinical education experience: DTaP (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) 1&2, TB skin test (within 6 months of enrollment), Polio, Hepatitis B (full series plus titer), and Varicella (Chicken Pox).
4. Prove active certification in CPR/AED.
5. Submit Final Transcripts
Students must supply an official transcript demonstrating graduation from accredited undergraduate institution & completion of all prerequisite courses. Transcript must be an official transcript sent directly to BCU from the degree-granting institution.
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
- Is Briar Cliff University on Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)? Briar Cliff will be on the OTCAS web-based application system when applications open in June, 2022. To apply to our OTD program, you will need to use the OTCAS web-based application.
- Do you require the GRE? GRE scores are not required to apply to the OTD program. Any GRE scores received by the OTD program will not be considered by the admissions committee.
- How many students do you accept each year? Our program will accept a maximum of 26 applicants each year.
- How long is the program? Our program is full-time, on-campus, and 3 years (or 9 semesters).
- What can I do to be a more competitive applicant? In addition to a high GPA and significant varied experiences in occupational therapy, we like to see a strong background in service learning. The admissions committee also looks for applicants who are knowledgeable about the field and are truly motivated to become occupational therapists.
- What kind of scholarships do you offer? Students seeking scholarships are encouraged to apply for outside scholarship programs. Currently, there are no Briar Cliff University-sponsored scholarships available to OTD students.
- I don't have a bachelor's degree, can I still apply? Do I need to finish all of the requirements before I can apply? You can apply prior to receiving the degree or with two outstanding prerequisite courses, but a bachelor's degree and all prerequisite courses must be completed by June 1 of the year you would begin the program. The occupational therapy program is an entry-level doctorate program and requires all students have a bachelor's degree when they begin in June. We will accept students with bachelor's degrees in any field, as long as you meet the admissions requirements and prerequisites.
- What kind of observational experience is required? Applicants are encouraged to observe occupational therapists at work in various settings. We require that you spend at least 30 hours observing licensed occupational therapist(s), in at least two separate practice settings.
- Do you give preferential treatment to applicants from a certain state or undergraduate experiences? We encourage all qualified students from all universities to apply to this program. As a private institution, we do not take applicants' state of residence into consideration when making acceptance offers. We do give some preference to Briar Cliff applicants, as well as applicants who attended any Franciscan University.
*To best accommodate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, the OT department will accept any service, volunteer, and/or observation experiences as fulfilling the required 30 observation hours. We understand traditional clinical sites are still not completely open to students. However, many community organizations still need our help. Consider volunteering at a local agency that serves the needs of our citizens. If you have any questions, please contact us directly.
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Meet the Faculty