Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy program offers a graduate degree leading to a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program curriculum is comprised of 3 years (119 semester hours) of coursework on-campus at the LSU Health Shreveport and off-campus at practice sites within and out of the state. Graduates of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Following successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).

Role of an Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include: • Helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, • Assisting people who are recovering from injury to regain skills, and • Providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

Career and Practice Settings

Occupational therapy will continue to be an important part of treatment for people with various illnesses and disabilities, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, autism, or the loss of a limb. In terms of work environment, about half of occupational therapists work in offices of occupational therapy or in hospitals. Others work in schools, nursing homes, and home health services. 1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited

U.S. college or university by the first day of class. 2. Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA (4.0 scale). 3. Minimum 3.2 GPA for required pre-requisite courses (4.0 scale). 4. Grade of “C” or better in the required pre-requisite courses: • Human Anatomy/Lab (4 credits) • Human Physiology (3 credits) • Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) • Developmental Psychology (lifespan) (3 credits) • Inferential Statistics (3 credits) • Motor Development (3 credits) • Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

Not required, but strongly recommended: • Neuroscience or Neuroanatomy • Technical Writing 5. Applicants must acquire a minimum of 40 observation hours. The occupational therapy areas of practice

MUST include: 20 hours in a pediatric setting under one pediatric LOTR and 20 hours in an adult inpatient rehabilitation setting under one adult rehabilitation LOTR.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

2020 MEDIAN PAY $86,280 per year | $41.48 per hour NUMBER OF JOBS, 2019 143,300 JOB OUTLOOK, 2019-29 16% (Much faster than average)

WEBSITE: WWW.LSUHS.EDU/OT

PROGRAM LENGTH: 3 years (nine semesters) APPLICATION METHOD: Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) CLASS SIZE: 26 students accepted per year APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 15 CLASSES BEGIN: May (summer semester)

Admission Requirements

The Occupational Therapy program offers a graduate degree leading to a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program curriculum is comprised of 3 years (119 semester hours) of coursework on-campus at the LSU Health Shreveport and off-campus at practice sites within and out of the state. Graduates of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Following successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).

CONTACT Admissions and Records Office