Occupational Therapy Doctorate
OTD

Priority Deadline: December 15
Final Deadline to apply: June 20

We encourage all applicants to apply by the priority deadline to receive first consideration for KGI scholarships. All KGI scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and the applicant's overall promise.

Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed by the admissions team until the class is full.

Admissions Interview

At KGI, we seek out students who will thrive and maximize their professional and personal growth in our OTD program. We want to get to know you so we can make an informed choice about mutual fit with our mission, vision, and unique offerings. This interview also gives you the chance to get to know us.

Interviews are by invitation and take place virtually or on campus at KGI. We look forward to meeting you!

Application Review

The Admissions Committee—composed of faculty and senior administrators—thoroughly and conscientiously reviews each application. We consider applications in the context of the total applicant pool and in relation to our general admissions standards.

All admissions decisions are final for the academic year in which they are rendered.

Admitted Students

Admitted students must submit a $500 non-refundable enrollment fee to hold their spot in the program. Additionally, counselors contact admitted students to ensure all official documents are received.

Admitted students also receive regular communication from the Admissions Office with important information about preparing for study, student life, housing, orientation, and other topics of interest.

Advanced Placement

Transfer credits for didactic and experiential courses are not accepted. All KGI OTD program courses within the curriculum are required for graduation. No credit or advanced placement is granted for prior experiential learning, coursework, degrees, certifications, or advanced training.

Prerequisites

To ensure you are well-equipped for KGI’s OTD program, you must complete the following prerequisites, which include diverse perspectives from the basic, social, and health sciences. This coursework ensures you have foundational knowledge that supports your transformation into a future occupational therapist.

Prerequisites include:

• Human Anatomy: 4 semester credit hours / 6 quarter credit hours / Lab
• Human Physiology: 4 semester credit hours / 6 quarter credit hours / Lab
• Human Lifespan Development or Development Psychology: 3 semester credit hours / 4 quarter credit hours
• Abnormal Psychology: 3 semester credit hours / 4 quarter credit hours
• Introduction to Sociology or Cultural Anthropology: 3 semester credit hours / 4 quarter credit hours
• Statistics: 3 semester credit hours / 4 quarter credit hours
• Medical Terminology*: 1 semester credit hour / 1 quarter credit hour

* A certificate of completion for a medical terminology course is also acceptable.

You can apply even if you have prerequisite courses in progress, but all prerequisites must be completed before you start the OTD program. These prerequisites must have been taken at accredited institutions and completed within the last seven years. While a 3.0 GPA or higher in prerequisites is preferred, we'll consider lower GPAs and other admission factors.

Official Transcripts for Completion of Baccalaureate Degree

At KGI, we welcome students from diverse undergraduate backgrounds into the occupational therapy program. You'll have plenty of opportunities to share your unique perspective from your undergraduate training in discussions and projects throughout the curriculum.

You can still apply if you haven't completed your bachelor's degree yet. Just submit an intention to complete your degree along with your official transcript. Your degree must be finished before you start the OTD program. While an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher makes for a more competitive application, a lower GPA won't prevent you from applying. We consider all admission factors.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

KGI does not require the GRE, and submitted scores will not be considered in the admissions process.

Three Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation to help us get to know you better. These letters should highlight your character, strengths, and professionalism. Your letters should highlight specific examples that demonstrate your abilities and work ethic.

Additionally, we suggest asking individuals who know you well enough to write a detailed narrative. These may include professors, therapists, or other professionals and supervisors who can speak to your potential for success in a graduate occupational therapy program and as a future occupational therapist.

Recommended Occupational Therapy Observation

While KGI doesn't require a specific amount of occupational therapy observation hours, we highly recommend seeking these experiences. Seeing occupational therapy in action across various settings can be valuable in helping you make an informed decision about your career path.

Observation might take place in schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics, community-based sites, long-term care facilities, or any other location where occupational therapy professionals provide services. Most applicants find these shadowing experiences to be both motivating and inspiring!

International Applicants

KGI welcomes applicants from outside the United States. If English is not your first language, we ask that you take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam.

You can also take the Duolingo English Test, a one-hour online English proficiency test that can be taken anytime for only $59. The test is taken via a computer with a camera and includes a proficiency score, video interview, and writing sample. Certified results are available within 48 hours of the test session. Once received, please send them to KGI.

Immunization

As an admitted KGI OTD student, you must provide proof of specific immunizations before starting your fieldwork rotations and capstone experiences. These include:

• MMR
• DTaP
• Hepatitis B
• TB test
• Meningococcal

Please note that KGI's immunization and testing policy for OTD students follows the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for healthcare workers. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documentation is submitted correctly and on time, and that no requirements expire. Failure to comply with these policies at any point may lead to course failure, delayed graduation, and financial penalties.

Mission

Through a transformative and dynamic educational process, the mission of KGI's OTD program is to develop innovative occupational therapists who utilize the therapeutic potential of occupation to promote and sustain health, well-being, participation, and inclusion with persons, groups, and populations to meet a wide range of ever-changing, real-world needs.

Vision

KGI's OTD program will prepare practitioners who are leaders and scholars of practice dedicated to providing optimized, occupation-based care and translating advances into the profession in a wide range of current and future occupational therapy contexts. Our graduates will advance the occupational therapy profession in practice, leadership, and academic roles while upholding a steadfast commitment to innovation, cultural responsiveness, and advocacy for the benefit of society.

Goals

At KGI, our primary goals for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program are:

1. Recruit, educate, and nurture the growth of a diverse range of students as compassionate, ethical practitioners who act with integrity and authenticity in every step of the occupational therapy process.
2. Provide a solid foundation in the scholarship of practice where professional thinking necessarily utilizes research, evidence, and theory to meet client, group, and population needs for optimizing occupational performance and participation.
3. Utilize active and authentic learning practices that foster professional reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-directed skills to build a foundation for lifelong learning.
4. Guide students to utilize and discover innovative solutions and possibilities for current and future practice contexts where pioneering new approaches to occupational therapy care will be valued in the marketplace.
5. Sustain a culture of professionalism and collegiality for faculty, students, clients, and community partners where effective communication, listening, and a collaborative spirit infuse interactions.
6. Prepare students to lead and proactively advocate for health equity, occupational justice, participation, and inclusion.
7. Form trusted partnerships and collaborate with healthcare and community partners to provide students with rich learning experiences and opportunities for advancing the profession.
8. Employ assessment and evaluation through all program phases to ensure desired outcomes.
9. Recruit, develop, and retain highly qualified faculty from diverse backgrounds who are forward-thinking, supportive, and skilled at training, inspiring, and advising future occupational therapists.

All students in the OTD program must complete courses each trimester to progress through the program. The OTD Student Progression Committee (SPC) reviews each student’s academic performance and progress through didactic classes, fieldwork, and capstone. The OTD SPC also makes recommendations to the Dean on plans for remediation, placement on probation, or withdrawal from the program.

To successfully progress through the OTD program, students must:

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If a student’s GPA drops below 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation and given one semester to raise their GPA to 3.0 or above. Failure to meet this GPA requirement in the extended period may result in dismissal from the program.
2. Pass all courses at a C or above (74% or greater). After remediation efforts have been exhausted, earning one final course grade of F (below 74%) during didactic classes, fieldwork, or capstone will result in academic dismissal from the program.
3. Successfully complete course remediation, if applicable. If a student is failing a course in the semester, they will have the opportunity to remediate before the beginning of the next semester, pending recommendation by the OTD SPC. Students may only remediate two courses in the program in total.
4. Meet the time-to-completion requirement of 150% of the allocated time for the program. There may be exceptions for delayed students due to approved personal or medical leaves of absence.
5. Follow the KGI Honor Code and demonstrate professionalism in didactic, fieldwork, and capstone contexts.

Program leadership, faculty, and Student Affairs staff support student retention on several levels. All parties provide opportunities to promote student success. Each OTD student is assigned an OTD Faculty Advisor who meets with them throughout the program. Course coordinators utilize the School of Health Sciences’ early warning system to help alert academically at-risk students, and a plan will be established to assist students in passing courses successfully.

To graduate with an Occupational Therapy Doctorate from KGI, a student must:

1. Successfully complete all required OTD coursework. The curriculum will be 126.5 credit hours total, with required didactic coursework of 84.5 credits, the choice of at least one elective at 1.5 credits each, fieldwork level I at 4.0 credits, fieldwork level II at 24 credits, and the doctoral capstone experience at 14 credits.
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of each trimester and upon program completion.
3. Demonstrate competency in professional skills within the OTD program.
4. Successfully pass two fieldwork level II experiences (24 credits for 960 hours).
5. Successfully pass the doctoral capstone experience (14 credits for 560 hours).
6. A minimum of 100 Professional Development points before graduation.
7. Complete the KGI graduation application process before the established due date.
8. Meet all KGI financial requirements and obligations, including ensuring no outstanding tuition payments, program fees, graduation fees, library charges, or other institutional fees.
9. Complete the OTD program within the maximum time-to-completion, which is defined as 150% of the program length (i.e., 3.375 years). Deceleration and remediation must also be completed within this timeframe. Delays due to approved personal or medical leaves of absence are excluded from the maximum time-to-completion requirement. Please refer to the “Leave of Absence” section in the KGI Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook for further details.