Hanover OTD Curriculum
The professional curriculum leading the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree requires successful completion of 105 semester credits completed in six (6) continuous academic semesters over a 24-months period. The curriculum for this accelerated program is based on two foundational documents the Philosophy of Occupational Therapy Education (2018) and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (2020). These documents provide an educational framework for OTD education but also “a broad range of scholarly endeavors that will serve to describe and interpret the scope of the profession, establish new knowledge, interpret and appropriately apply this knowledge to practice, and engage learners in their development and understanding of the profession” (AOTA, 2016).
Preparing students for employment in the dynamic and every shifting practice arena of health care, education, industry, and community practice, the OTD curriculum design consists of five (5) curricular pillars:
Curriculum integration is specifically accomplished in two ways. The first way is through the blending of Transformative Learning Theory, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and Fink’s Taxonomy throughout the curriculum. Creating active learning experiences in and beyond the classroom allow students to integrate academic knowledge through critical thinking, clinical reasoning, critical discussions, and self-reflection transforming the student’s perspective on the value and power of engaging in occupations. Second, curriculum integration is achieved by incorporation of the Hanover OTD Curricular Threads:
- Evidence-based and outcomes-oriented practice
- Mindful and client-centered care focused on occupational engagement
- Clinical reasoning and decision-making
- Professional responsibility and accountability
The curriculum is dynamic to keep up with the best educational practices and in response to regular assessment and evaluation processes. Semesters are 16 weeks in length. Mini-mesters are 8 weeks in length (1/2 of a semester).
Click here to view the Hanover OTD plan of study and course descriptions.
The Hanover College Doctor of Occupational Therapy program requires successful completion of 105 total semester credit hours that are delivered in six consecutive semesters over a period of 24 months. The curriculum is dynamic and may be modified over time to keep up with the best educational practices and respond to regular assessment and evaluation processes. Semesters are 16 weeks in length. Mini-mesters are 8 weeks in length (1/2 of a semester). Each semester in the first year of didactic coursework consists of two mini-mesters. During the second year of the program, courses span a full 16-week semester.
For a student to graduate from the OTD program, the student must be in a good academic and professional standing, have had satisfactory progress in all semesters of the academic program, and satisfactorily complete the following:
- Successfully complete the required 105 semester credit hours of academic, fieldwork education, and doctoral capstone course work.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above.
- Achieve a letter grade of “C” (70%) or better in all academic courses.
- Achieve entry-level competence as an occupational therapist, as demonstrated on the FWPE.
- Exhibit professional behaviors consistent with clinical practice as described in the Professional Behaviors and the AOTA Code of Ethics for the Occupational Therapist within the OTD Student Handbook.
- Complete all required Hanover College and OTD Program documents in preparation for graduation.
- Honor all professional and financial obligations to Hanover College as published on the Hanover College and OTD Program Websites, and as specified in any written communications from the College’s administrators.