Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College offers three degree programs:

1. Entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD)

2. On-line Post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD)

3. PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)

Entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD)

If you already have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and have decided to become an occupational therapist, congratulations on an excellent career choice. Whether your degree is in the sciences, humanities, or arts, a great deal of what you’ve learned can help you excel in this multifaceted helping profession. You’ll need an understanding of people, critical thinking skills, communication skills, creativity, and the desire to apply your knowledge in real-life situations.

The entry-level OTD program at BU welcomes students with a wide variety of educational and work experiences. We offer this diverse student community an outstanding combination of advantages:

AOTA Accreditation Status: Note that our program is in the developing stage.

• Our world-renowned faculty have extensive clinical and research experiences and are passionate about engaging students in these professional activities
• We have a focus on community-based practice and emerging practice areas
• Our department is within a small college environment situated within a stimulating, urban research university
• Weekly fieldwork experiences occur throughout each on-campus semester and provide a broad exposure to clinical settings and client populations
• Our coursework, fieldwork, and “doctoral experiential component” are integrated into a curriculum that’s organized from a life-course perspective
• Our hybrid curriculum includes on-campus and on-line courses

At BU, OT academic coursework and fieldwork are integrated into a curriculum that’s evidence-based, client-centered, and organized from a life-course perspective. You’ll study the concepts, theory, and practice of occupational therapy with professors and practitioners known in health care communities worldwide.

Beginning in your first semester and throughout the three year curriculum, you’ll acquire an exceptional range of clinical experience through Level I Fieldwork & Level II Fieldwork placements chosen from BU’s large network of local and national clinical sites.  Finally, you’ll complete a 16 week “doctoral experiential component” focused on your particular professional interests in one of the following areas: clinical, research, policy and advocacy, and education.

Throughout the program, you’ll have close interaction and personal attention from our faculty. Many of your classes will be small seminar style; even your largest lecture will have about 30 students.

Regardless of your undergraduate area of study, our accredited program will fully prepare you to take the NBCOT National Certification Examination. After passing the exam, you’ll be ready to enter clinical practice with confidence.

Is BU’s entry-level OTD right for you? We’ve designed our program for students who:

• Desire to be agents of change for best practice
• Are flexible, dynamic, and creative problem solvers
• Can communicate and collaborate effectively with people from diverse communities
• Are interested in both the biological and behavioral sciences
• Enjoy the challenge of learning and applying complex knowledge about human occupations
• Are ready to assume responsibility for their own personal and professional development

On-line Post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD)

If you’re an occupational therapist who would like to assume a leadership role and help shape the future of your field, you are ready for advanced study. The Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD) program at Sargent College is designed to provide the highest level of quality education with a focus on flexibility and a strong mentorship model.

Mentorship model

Students in the PP-OTD program are paired in a one-on-one relationship with our faculty, who provide each student with personal guidance throughout the program. Students are also paired with a peer and work in this peer mentoring relationship throughout the program.

Students will complete two courses per semester and travel to campus twice—once at the beginning of the program for one day and again upon the completion of the degree for one day for their doctoral defense. Students may begin the on-line PP-OTD program during the fall, spring, or summer semesters.

The program consists of 33 credits, or ten courses. Students may be required to complete six foundation courses, depending on their past educational experiences, prior to their doctorate study. 

Students will take two courses per semester, each lasting seven weeks. Concurrently, students work on their doctoral project.  The program can be completed in 16 months. 

Boston University’s PP-OTD program is offered exclusively in an on-line format, and is open to graduates from any ACOTE-accredited entry-level occupational therapy program or (for international applicants) graduates of a WFOT-approved program. This innovative program allows students to earn their doctorate without disrupting their careers or relocating their families. Now a doctoral-level education is readily accessible to occupational therapists who wish to shape the future of our profession and health care.

The program will prepare you to:

• Critically evaluate theory and evidence in your area of practice.
• Identify gaps or shortcomings in current intervention methods and programs.
• Design innovative responses to fill those unmet needs.

The program has merit scholarships.

PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)

Mentorship by exceptional faculty and exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration: these are among the many advantages that draw students to our PhD program in Rehabilitation Sciences*. In this interdisciplinary field, we engage in research focused on understanding the factors that promote activity, function, and participation in daily life among people who have disabilities or are at risk of developing them. Our PhD program prepares students—with and without professional degrees—for academic careers in research and teaching.

 *Previously the ScD program in Rehabilitation Sciences.

Outstanding faculty and research facilities

At BU, you will interact closely with accomplished, internationally respected faculty members across the University in both didactic training and mentored research. These researchers include prominent leaders in occupational therapy and physical therapy, with expertise in movement science, developmental psychology, public health, and psychiatric rehabilitation.

You will have access to state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities at Boston University and beyond. Our faculty collaborate extensively with BU colleagues in biomedical engineering, psychology, public health, and medicine, as well as with local schools, homeless shelters, wellness centers, and other community programs—offering a wealth and diversity of research opportunities.

Mentorship model

We believe students can best prepare for independent research and scholarship through the guidance of a strong mentor. For that reason, our PhD students must commit to full-time, consistent involvement in ongoing research conducted by a mentoring faculty member. Your mentor will guide you not only in research but also in planning your coursework, focusing your specialization and dissertation topic, and helping you prepare for a research career.