Doctor of Occupational Therapy: Post-Professional (Online)

The Alvernia Doctor of Occupational Therapy program will soon accept applications through OTCAS. The application opens in June 2025 for a spring 2026 start.

An accelerated way to earn your doctorate

Alvernia University’s online post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is the highest level of formal education available to entry-level occupational therapists. (Read a brief explainer on entry-level OT degrees.) The doctorate, which focuses on program development, prepares therapists to address the occupational needs of people of all ages with a broad exposure to traditional and community-based practice settings and areas. This OTD program is designed for students who have earned a master's degree in Occupational Therapy and have completed all prerequisites. The OTD is offered over eight mods requiring 16 months of study, including foundational, professional and fieldwork. It follows a year-round curriculum sequence: spring, summer, fall, spring.

Benefits of the program include:

A fully online, flexible format designed for working professionals
Optional check-in meetings with faculty via Zoom
An accelerated 16-month completion time to earn the OTD and the Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership
Interdisciplinary coursework led by experts in their field
Individualized Capstone Projects, which allow students to work with a faculty mentor to develop a new service or program

Estimated Program Length	16 months
Credit Hours	30-33
Course Length	7-14 weeks
Transfer Credits Accepted	Up to 6
Cost per Credit	$985/credit*

*Eligible for an Alvernia alumni discount of 25 percent or an AOTA member partner discount of 20%.

In This Section

Graduate Programs

Getting Started

Admissions Requirements

Graduate of an ACOTE accredited Master’s OT program. Students may apply before their program is completed
Cumulative GPA of at least a 3.00 in MOT or MSOT degree, and a “B” or higher in all graduate Occupational Therapy courses
Must have received initial NBCOT certification to begin coursework
Eligible for occupational therapy license in state of residence
Admissions Essay - Students will identify their idea for program innovation or development
No GRE or interview required

Capstone

At the conclusion of the Post-professional OTD students will:

Have implemented a new service or program
Collected outcome data to support the efficacy of the new service or program
Disseminated information about the program to:
- The service setting
- An audience of health care professionals

Application Instructions

• To apply for the OTD program, please use OTCAS.
• Submit your transcripts.
• Complete your financial aid paperwork.
• Register for classes.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our financial aid page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

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Program Overview

Curriculum

Note: Alvernia schedules eight mods over a 16-month period.

Mod 3+4 - Spring (9 credits)

OTD 606: Capstone Development I (Mod 3 - 7 weeks)
OTD 608: Using Evidence to Support Program Development and Measuring Success
(Spring - 14 weeks)
LDR 620: Organizational Leadership Theory (Mod 3 - 7 weeks)
OTD 614: Capstone Development II (Mod 4 - 7 weeks)

Mod 5+6 - Summer (8-11 credits)

OTD 702: Needs Assessment and Funding OT Programs: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Populations
(Summer - 14 weeks)
OTD 704: Instructional Design: Practitioner to Educator (Mod 5 - 7 weeks)
*COR 520: Ethics and Moral Leadership (Mod 6 - 7 weeks)
OTD 706: Capstone Development III (Summer - 14 weeks)

*elective if earning the Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership

Mod 1+2 – Fall (7 credits)

OTD 708: Leading Sustainable Change (Mod 1 - 7 weeks)
OTD 730: Leadership Development (Mod 2 - 7 weeks)
OTD 716: Capstone Development IV (Fall - 14 weeks)

Mod 3 & 4-Spring (6 credits)

OTD 802 Capstone Implementation (Mod 3 - 7 weeks)
OTD 804 Capstone Report & Dissemination (Mod 4 - 7 weeks)

Accreditation

Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Career Outlook

After earning your OTD, you can pursue roles such as:

• Clinical Director
• Faculty Specialist
• Rehabilitation Manager
• Fieldwork Coordinator
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Doctoral Capstone Coordinator
• Entrepreneur

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 11 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for occupational therapists in 2023 was $96,370.

Get To Know Your Faculty

For more information about Alvernia’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 610-796-5187 or gradandadult@alvernia.edu. Or reach out directly to Program Director Jayme Ober, OTD, OTR/L, MSCS, CNMI at jayme.ober@alvernia.edu.