Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program

The Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at Russell Sage College is the only doctoral-level Occupational Therapy Program in New York’s Capital Region. The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at Russell Sage College is registered with the New York State Education Department and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Qualified individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree and who fulfill the prerequisite courses for the Occupational Therapy Program may apply directly through the Sage Graduate School. Students can complete the 100-credit program in three years, including a research project, six months of full-time fieldwork and the Doctoral Capstone Experience. While most of our coursework is face-to-face, part of our coursework is online with one initial online course (OTH 504) and the 700-level courses (701, 702, 703, and 704) embedded throughout the program online. The capstone course, OTH 705, has the ability to be online, hybrid, or face-to-face. Upon successful completion of academic, research fieldwork courses, and the Capstone Experience, students are awarded an entry-level Doctoral degree (OTD) in Occupational Therapy and are eligible to sit for the certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) that leads to national certification and eligibility for state licensure.

The Russell Sage College entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited 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. Graduates of the program 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.