Occupational Therapy, O.T.D. - CHHS, UNH

The entry-level Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy (OTD) is for students who have completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in any field with a 3.0 GPA or higher. The OTD program will prepare students to enter the profession with strong foundational skills in occupational therapy assessment and intervention, and advanced training in clinical skills, leadership, clinical research, and program development. OTD students engage in a mentored doctoral capstone project to develop advanced skills in a focused area of interest. Each student designs and completes an individualized project that may emphasize clinical practice, research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, or education. With dedicated faculty mentorship and community partnerships, doctoral capstone projects allow students to transform their passions into meaningful contributions that advance the profession and create lasting impact.

Throughout the accredited doctoral program, students will be challenged to learn and apply occupational therapy principles within traditional and emerging areas of practice. Graduates gain valuable skills to become leaders in their field, advance in their clinical careers, and position themselves as agents of change to influence policy and practice.

The program includes three years of coursework (including two summers,one January term and all fieldwork experiences). Most classes will be scheduled during weekdays during the day and into early evening. Some courses require experiential, off-campus learning experiences. Students are responsible for meeting the health and criminal record/background clearances established by the off-campus learning sites. This program is offered in-person at the Durham campus.

Students are eligible to take the National Board Certification Examination in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam within three years after graduation. A felony conviction may affect a student’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or obtain state licensure.

The Occupational Therapy Master's Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave. Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel. 301- 652-6611, Website: www.acoteonline.org

Admission Requirements

Students hoping to apply to the Doctoral Degree in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at UNH should complete their application through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). When applying through OTCAS please use your UNH email address if you were a previous UNH student. Requirements include:

• Completion of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in any field with a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Transcript(s)
• Personal Statement/Essay
• Resume
• Completion of prerequisite, credit-bearing courses

Prerequisite Courses

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II (2 courses, both with required labs)
• Neuroanatomy (lab preferred)
• Clinical Kinesiology (lab preferred)
• Statistics
• Abnormal Psychology
• Medical Terminology
• Human Development
• Research Methods

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores Webpage for more information.

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Degree Requirements

Students must complete at least 97 graduate-level credits, including 19 credits of fieldwork 

In order to be awarded an OTD in Occupational Therapy from UNH, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and earn a minimum of B- in all required occupational therapy courses and may not earn more than 8 credits of B- or lower in OT courses (700 level or above). Students must pass all competency (practical) exams as part of OT courses, pass all level I fieldwork requirements and receive a passing criterion score on the American Occupational Therapy Association Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapist in both 12-week Level II fieldwork experiences.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate commitment and ability to use meaningful occupation for promoting health and well-being. Our curriculum emphasizes the idea that engagement in everyday occupations will lead to fulfillment of life roles and the promotion of health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations. Our graduates are ready and dedicated to apply occupation-based evaluation and intervention techniques, and to share and expand authentic occupational therapy practice.
• Demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors in their interactions with clients and others. Our graduates will be dedicated to ethical, client-driven practice demonstrating cultural sensitivity, integrity, honesty, compassion, and fairness. They will demonstrate respect for all persons with whom they work, appreciating and considering individual identities, priorities, abilities, and life experiences. They will be able to collaborate in intraprofessional and interdisciplinary teams within various settings, understanding the roles and expertise of other occupational therapists and other professionals.
• Demonstrate entry-level competencies as OT practitioners across diverse practice settings, skilled in the delivery evidence-based, occupation–centered evaluation and intervention techniques. Our graduates develop critical thinking skills and the capacity for creative clinical reasoning for providing client-centered, occupation-centered services. Graduates will apply a variety of evaluation methods for understanding a person’s occupational history, abilities, challenges and goals. They will apply occupation-centered intervention approaches and innovative technologies to address the needs of individuals and populations in traditional and emerging medical, educational, and other community-based practice settings.
• Demonstrate skills for translating research-to-practice and generating new knowledge grounded in occupational therapy practice. Our graduates will be skilled in identifying, critiquing, and synthesizing relevant research for delivering evidence-based services. Graduates will demonstrate capacity to translate research evidence to influence practice. They will have skills for contributing to the body of knowledge that supports and advances the profession.
• Demonstrate skills to become leaders and innovators as practitioners, researchers, advocates, educators, administrators, policy-makers, and entrepreneurs. Our graduates will apply leadership knowledge and skills, ethical reasoning, knowledge of policy and systems to be agents of change in diverse settings. Our graduates will be life-long learners and innovative thinkers committed to ongoing professional development. Our graduates will support and promote occupational justice for individuals, communities, and populations.

Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Location/Delivery: College of Health and Human Services, Durham Campus [In Person Program]

This program is designed to prepare graduates for professional licensure/certification as follows:

Registered Occupational Therapist

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Certification Examination

The University of New Hampshire has determined this program meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in:¹
Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Federated States of Micronesia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Additional information and related resources are available on the Office of the Registrar's website.

¹

State specific post-education requirements are subject to change. Students are responsible for confirming these requirements in their state of residence and intended practice.

The UNH Occupational Therapy Department accepts applications from interested students with a baccalaureate degree in another area of study for entry into the OTD Program classes beginning in the Summer session.

UNH students enrolled in the BS/OTD Program will begin taking professional level courses as part of their BS degree and apply to enter the OTD Program with Advanced Standing.

Students hoping to apply to the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in Occupational Therapy at UNH should complete their application through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). To do so, follow this link, create a login, search for "University of New Hampshire" in the list of available schools, and click on the "+" sign on the left side of the screen to begin your application. When applying through OTCAS please use your UNH email address if you were a previous UNH student.

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall: April 10
• Spring: N/A
• Summer: N/A
• Special: N/A

Application fee: $169 for the first program applicants apply to and $71 for each additional program.

*A limited number of fee waivers are provided to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about fee waivers.

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: CT MA RI

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

OTCAS will require official transcripts to be uploaded to your portal.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Two of these must address the applicant's educational abilities/performance and come from academic faculty. One letter must address the applicant's interpersonal/communication skills as observed in a volunteer or paid-employment setting.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

We are looking for strong writing skills and a clear presentation of your understanding of Occupational Therapy. We especially appreciate creative approaches to telling your story and describing why you believe you would be a good fit for the profession.

Resume

A current resume is required with your submitted application.

The Occupational Therapy Department at UNH has applied for accreditation for an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program and has been granted Candidacy Status 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-AOTAand its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation 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). The UNH Program is scheduled for on-site evaluation in the fall of 2025, prior to a May 2026 graduation.

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within two years of completing professional program academic coursework. They must also complete an individual 14-week doctoral capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of all required coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory capstone activities.

After completing all program requirements, students are 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 the NBCOT 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. 

The UNH Occupational Therapy Department will accept applications from interested students with a baccalaureate degree in another area of study for entry into the OTD Program classes beginning in the Summer session.

UNH students enrolled in the BS/OTD Program will begin taking professional level courses as part of their BS degree and enter the OTD Program with Advanced Standing.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.