The Northern Arizona University (NAU) entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program is located in downtown Phoenix at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. In addition to the OTD Program, the building houses NAU's Athletic Training, Physician Assistant and Physical Therapy programs. The building is a collaborative space shared with the University of Arizona's School of Medicine-Phoenix, Pharmacy, and Nursing. Adjacent to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus is several programs from Arizona State University. The combination of these programs creates amazing interprofessional education and practice opportunities.  

Students have an opportunity to take classes in a variety of learning spaces, to include three OT dedicated lab spaces, the center for simulation and innovation center, and clinical suites with standardized patients. Most notably, every semester in the program students will have an opportunity to go out into the community in order to engage and learn from a variety of individuals across the lifespan. 

The faculty consists of ten educators who are expert clinicians that each have a unique clinical background that enhances their teaching and scholarship. In addition to teaching and mentoring students in research, faculty also work closely with their student advisees to support them throughout the program. 

Attending an entry-level doctorate program is unique. The NAU OTD program offers students an opportunity to gain higher-level skills in leadership, scholarship, and advocacy. A benefit of attending a doctorate degree is the opportunity to engage in a capstone experience and complete a capstone project. Students complete their last semester with a mentor in a setting of their choice, where they design individualized learning objectives that they want to accomplish over the duration of the experience. 

The NAU OTD program received professional accreditation in 2016 for seven years. The onsite accreditors said that one of our greatest instructional assets was our attention to providing practical instructional experiences in natural health care and home settings instead of relying on laboratory simulations. Further, the program requires a variety of competency testing activities for students to complete at the end fo their semester in order to integrate learning to develop confidence in their skills and readiness for fieldwork.   

Be bold and seek out a doctoral degree in OT.  For one-semester longer than a master’s degree, you can earn your OTD. Our program is more affordable than most schools and provides quality education.   

Intrigued to learn more, please contact us at ot.otd@nau.edu or 602-827-2583

Admissions Information:
We admit 45 students each fall. Our admissions information and prerequisites are stated on our website.  You must apply through OTCAS and complete the NAU Graduate College application to be reviewed.  Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early as the department will hold an early interview in December, with the opportunity to secure one of the 45 slots.  The application will close in early January with interviews for the remaining slots later in January. Regretfully, we do not have an externally-required international student office on campus, so we cannot accept international students at this time.