Academics

Applicants will be selected to participate in an on-campus interview based on a combination of factors including but not limited to cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, letters of recommendation, observation experiences, service activities, and leadership endeavors. In addition to the interview with program faculty members, students will also complete a writing sample while on campus. Interviews are by invitation only and will be conducted on one of our Information Session dates.

All Level II Fieldwork and the Doctoral Experiential Component must be completed within 24 months of the conclusion of the didactic portion of the curriculum, and the entire curriculum must be completed within 72 months of beginning the OTD program. To be eligible for graduation, students must successfully complete the 125 credit hour fixed-sequence curriculum, attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher, earn a “Pass” for all courses that are graded on a “Pass/Fail” basis, successfully complete a Doctoral Capstone Project, and be in good administrative/financial standing.

Matriculating students will be required to pass a criminal background check at the time of admission to the program in order to be eligible to complete clinical fieldwork and to sit for the National Board for Certification for Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) examination. Eligibility requirements for the national examination can be found at www.nbcot.org or by contacting NBCOT, One Bank Street Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Phone: 301-990-7979.

Students who are graduates of (or who plan to graduate from) Wingate University will be guaranteed an interview provided that they have met all of the admissions criteria. Wingate students are not guaranteed acceptance into the program, but they are granted a preferred status which may be beneficial in a competitive admissions environment.

The Wingate University OTD program offers no advanced placement or any other type of transfer credit from prior enrollment in any health science, medical, work experience, or related program. A qualified applicant previously enrolled in another ACOTE-accredited OTD program may be considered for admission only after consultation with the director of the former program of study.

Prerequisite courses must be completed through high school Advanced Placement courses, high school/college dual enrollment courses, or through a regionally accredited institution of higher education (junior college, technical school, college, university) in a face-to-face or online setting. Medical Terminology may be completed through the above avenues or through an online certificate course.

All Wingate University occupational therapy students are required to have a laptop personal computer including the Microsoft Office software package, provided at the student’s expense, available for use on the first day of class.

The curriculum for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Wingate University was designed in accordance with the educational standards set forth by ACOTE, the AOTA Blueprint for Entry-Level Education (AOTA, 2010), The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, 3rd Edition (AOTA 2014), and the Framework for Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Health (National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2016). As such, the program “builds critical thinking through interprofessional, cross-sectional, and experiential learning opportunities” (NASEM, 2016, p. 2). The curriculum was developed in a subject-centered manner, emphasizing occupational therapy’s core subject of human occupation. While a wide variety of topics and skills are taught within the program, all topics and skills are implicitly and explicitly linked back to the core subject so that students can fully understand the connection between the topic/skill and occupation (Hooper et al., 2014; Hooper et al., 2015). The occupation-centered focus leads to students learning to see, listen, and reason through an occupational lens that epitomizes the core and distinct nature of the occupational therapy profession (Mitcham, 2014). The curriculum also draws upon the concept of competency-based education. This approach to education emphasizes what graduates must be able to demonstrate versus what straightforward knowledge they have gained (Jung et al., 2015). Therefore, students will be provided with multiple opportunities throughout the curriculum to practice skills they have attained in realistic settings through simulation, clinical affiliations (including four Level I Fieldwork opportunities), and laboratory experiences. The didactic portion of the curriculum concludes with a course focused on the students’ ability to demonstrate clinical competencies and knowledge required for entry-level practice. Lastly, the approach to education within the OTD program aligns with the Transformative Learning Theory, which asserts that adults learn best through critical reflection and dialogue therefore enabling them to build upon existing knowledge and attain new knowledge to facilitate autonomous thinking (Mezirow, 1997). This is accomplished through a student-centered approach in which the educators design learning opportunities that consider students’ learning styles, learning needs, and learning objectives, and that provide ample opportunities for guided and independent critical reflection. Such an approach to education will build lifelong learners, critically thinking reflective practitioners, and leaders who are prepared to address society’s occupation and health needs. To be consistent with the program’s philosophy on how students learn and with concepts of competency-based education and the Transformative Learning Theory, students will be evaluated through a variety of means including reflective papers; case study demonstrations and reports; laboratory/service learning experiences; exams/quizzes administered online, paper/pencil, or verbally; group or individual projects, presentations, or other assignments.

Five specific curricular threads are woven throughout the course content. The primary thread is occupational performance. This concept describes the performance of occupations, which are “all the things people want, need, or have to do, whether of physical, mental, social, sexual, political, or spiritual nature and [are] inclusive of sleep and rest” (Wilcock & Townsend, 2014, p. 542). Humans are occupational beings who are able to influence their health and well-being through occupational performance (AOTA, 2017a; Reilly, 1962). The primary aim of occupational therapy is to facilitate the engagement in and performance of those desired and needed occupations. Therefore, throughout the curriculum, each topic addressed will be done so through the consideration of how it affects or is affected by occupational performance.

Critical thinking/professional reasoning is “an ability or skill to make reasoned decisions or solve complex problems based on critical analysis of available evidence [and requires] identification of the problem, relevant data and information for this problem, analysis of those data, and an outcome or solution to the problem” (Rowles, Morgan, Burns, & Merchant, 2013, p. 29). Occupational therapy practitioners must rely on critical thinking/professional reasoning skills to fully assess a client’s barriers to and desires for occupational performance within the client’s context and without allowing personal biases, assumptions, and social norms to interfere (Robertson, Warrender, & Barnard, 2015). This type of deep thinking enables occupational therapists to develop strong therapeutic relationships with clients through the ability to articulate the process and components of planning, implementing, and assessing interventions (Unsworth & Baker, 2016). Students will be taught skills for developing critical thinking/professional reasoning skills and will be provided with scaffolded opportunities for critical reflection throughout the curriculum.

Evidence-based practice is the reliance upon a combination of the best available evidence, clinical expertise, client values, and client context to design and implement occupational therapy interventions (Straus, Glasziou, Richardson, & Haynes, 2011). The AOTA (2017b) Vision 2025 urges occupational therapists to act as evidence-based practitioners as a means of delivering effective and efficient clinical services. To become evidence-based practitioners, occupational therapists must be able to locate, access, critically appraise, and integrate evidence into practice. This process also relies upon the existence of research evidence. Therefore, students will learn about the importance of asking clinical questions, and seeking answers through the implementation of scholarship activities including but not limited to the design and implementation of a research study. Students will be granted opportunities to demonstrate their skills as a practice scholar and contribute to the profession’s body of evidence through publications, presentations, and other evidence-based projects.

The concept of servant leadership was established by Greenleaf (1991) as a way of leading that focuses on prioritizing others’ needs before one’s own. As such, servant leaders strive to facilitate personal growth and improved well-being of their followers. This intention is not unlike the desire of occupational therapists to maximize the well-being and occupational performance of their clients. Servant leadership is based upon empathy, trust, open communication, respect, emphasis on morals, and a true desire to serve others (Greenleaf, 1991). These characteristics are incorporated throughout the curriculum, especially within coursework that addresses establishing therapeutic relationships, communication, service learning opportunities, and leadership.

As occupational therapists, we believe that all human beings have the right to participate in desired meaningful occupations regardless of socioeconomic status, race, culture, physical environment, or other factors (AOTA, 2017a). This belief is also known as the concept of occupational justice. Oftentimes, components of a client’s context or environment prevent him/her from engaging in occupations of choice. Additionally, one’s culture has a strong influence on the occupations he/she deems meaningful and important. To fully advocate for and facilitate a client’s ability to engage in his/her preferred occupations, practitioners must be sensitive to cultural influences. Cultural responsiveness means more than just having an understanding of other cultures and forms of diversity. It requires that practitioners continuously explore, learn, reflect, and remain “open to the process of building mutuality with a client and to accepting that the cultural-specific knowledge one has about a group may or may not apply to the person you are treating” (Muñoz, 2007, p. 274). The concepts of occupational justice and cultural responsiveness are woven throughout the curriculum as part of the intervention process and outcomes of occupational therapy (AOTA, 2014).

*References available upon request by emailing

Within the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Wingate University, we believe that occupational performance is central to a healthy and satisfying life. Our distinct combinations of preferred occupations make us who we are; they form our identities. We believe in the principle of occupational justice. That is, all human beings, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, culture, or other factors, have the right to engage in meaningful occupations from birth to death (AOTA, 2017). Furthermore, we believe that humans are healthiest and happiest when they are able to participate in the activities that are most meaningful to them (AOTA, 2014). By employing critical thinking/professional reasoning skills, occupational therapists address factors including personal and contextual barriers that limit one’s occupational engagement in a client-centered manner. Occupational therapists serve as facilitators to ensuring optimal engagement in life by using occupation, the core subject of our profession, as both the therapeutic medium and the outcome of the therapeutic process (AOTA, 2017).

In alignment with the Transformative Learning Theory, we believe that adults learn best through critical reflection and dialogue that allows them to build upon existing knowledge and attain new knowledge to facilitate autonomous thinking (Mezirow, 1997). This is accomplished through a student-centered approach in which the educators design learning opportunities that consider students’ learning styles, learning needs, and learning objectives, which has been proven to elicit higher student motivation and participation (Bradford, Mowder, & Bohte, 2016; Stefaniak & Tracey, 2015). Furthermore, we value the construct of competency-based education which allows students to demonstrate proficiency in necessary skills for occupational therapy practice through real world applications and simulations (Jung et al., 2015). As such, professors do not merely lecture to students, but instead facilitate the construction of knowledge in a personal, active, engaging, and practical manner. This approach to teaching and learning builds knowledgeable evidence-based practice scholars who are committed to lifelong learning.

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program is built upon a foundation of servant leadership. Servant leaders put followers’ needs before their own and take the time to nurture, strengthen, develop, and empower followers (Northouse, 2013). As educators, we follow these principles by assessing student needs, modeling desired behaviors, attentively listening, and demonstrating empathy and care for students. Similarly, we believe that all occupational therapists are leaders by the nature of their roles that require them to lead their clients through the process of habilitation or rehabilitation. We strive to teach our students to honor the principles of servant leadership as they serve their clients, their colleagues, and their profession.

*References available upon request by contacting OTD@Wingate.edu.

• OTD 711 Human Gross Anatomy (5 credits)
• OTD 712 Pathophysiology (3 credits)
• OTD 713 Applied Kinesiology (4 credits)
• OTD 714 Occupational Therapy Foundations (3 credits)
• IPE 701 Interprofessional Education Introduction I (0 credits)

• OTD 721 Neuroscience (4 credits)
• OTD 722 Occupational Therapy Process: Mental Health (4 credits)
• OTD 723 Foundations of Clinical Practice in Occupational Therapy I (3 credits)
• OTD 724 Foundations of Clinical Practice in Occupational Therapy II (3 credits)
• OTD 725 Scholarship & Evidence-based Practice I (3 credits)
• OTD 726 Fieldwork I & Professional Development I (1 credit)
• IPE 702 Interprofessional Education Introduction II (0 credits)

• OTD 731 Occupational Therapy Process: Pediatrics (4 credits)
• OTD 733 Technology for Occupational Performance (4 credits)
• OTD 734 Interventions to Support Occupations (4 credits)
• OTD 735 Scholarship & Evidence-based Practice II (3 credits)
• OTD 736 Fieldwork I & Professional Development II (1 credit)

• OTD 741 Occupational Therapy Process: Adults (4 credits)
• OTD 742 Introduction to Doctoral Capstone (1 credits)
• OTD 743 Program Development for Community-Based Practice in Occupational Therapy (3 credits)
• OTD 744 Cultural Considerations for Occupational Therapy Practice (3 credits)
• OTD 745 Professional & Scholarly Writing (2 credit)
• OTD 746 Scholarship & Evidence-based Practice III (3 credits)
• OTD 747 Fieldwork I & Professional Development III (1 credit)

• OTD 751 Occupational Therapy Process: Geriatrics (4 credits)
• OTD 752 Scholarship of Teaching & Learning in Occupational Therapy Practice (3 credits)
• OTD 753 Healthcare Management & Administration (2 credits)
• OTD 754 Leadership Theory & Practice (2 credits)
• OTD 755 Fieldwork I & Professional Development IV (1 credit)
• OTD 756 Practice Preparation & Clinical Competence (2 credits)
• OTD 757 Scholarship & Evidence-Based Practice IV (3 credits)

• OTD 761 Fieldwork II (12 credits)

• OTD 771 Fieldwork II (12 credits)
• OTD 722 Doctoral Capstone I (2 credits)

• OTD 781 Doctoral Experiential (14 credits)
• OTD 782 Doctoral Capstone II (2 credits)