Doctor of Occupational Therapy – California

Overview

Occupational Therapists (OTs) help people with physical, cognitive, or developmental challenges achieve greater independence by improving their ability to perform everyday activities. They work in a wide range of settings (hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, schools, private practice, and beyond), conducting assessments and developing comprehensive treatment plans that include adaptive tools and equipment, therapeutic activities and exercises, and even training for caregivers.

As the most highly trained and credentialed professionals in their field, Doctors of Occupational Therapy (OTDs) often enjoy expanded career opportunities that may include moving into senior leadership roles, designing programs, conducting research, leading policy and advocacy initiatives, teaching in academic settings, and more.

SCU’s California-based Doctor of Occupational Therapy program gives students the opportunity to enter the program with just 90+ college credits (i.e. no bachelor’s degree)—earning their doctorates and becoming OTDs in just over two years! The program is particularly ideal for those who are already licensed Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) and want to advance their careers and make an even greater impact.

Program at a Glance

• Full-time, online-blended program (2 years and 3 months)
• Ideal for licensed Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs), but open to anyone meeting requirements
• Ability to enter with just 90+ college credits; no GRE or bachelor’s degree required
• Largely online; students come to campus for just three weeks at the end of each term (4 times total)
• Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Prepares graduates to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam
• Fixed tuition guarantee, federal financial aid for those who qualify, and a range of institutional scholarship opportunities

Upcoming Start Dates

• Fall: September 2nd, 2025

What Sets Our Program Apart?

ABILITY TO ENTER WITHOUT A BACHELOR’S

Yes, you read that correctly! Most colleges require students to have a bachelor’s (and typically a master’s) before entering an OTD program. But at SCU, as long as you have 90+ qualifying college credits (and whether you are already an OTA or not), you can jump right in and earn your doctorate in just over two years—saving you significant time and money.

REMOTE-FRIENDLY FORMAT

Our online-blended program makes it possible to pursue your dream of becoming a Doctor of Occupational Therapy without relocating. During Year 1, you’ll complete 80% of your requirements from home through live online coursework, and come to our campus in Whittier California for just three weeks at the end of each term, for hands-on clinical training. During the rest of the program, you’ll work on a capstone project of your choosing while completing on-site clinical rotations at one of our partner sites near your home (subject to availability) or in a new city within the U.S.

STUDENT-LED CAPSTONE PROJECT

One of the most rewarding portions of your OTD program, your doctoral capstone project will give you the opportunity to explore and demonstrate innovative thinking in an area of particular interest to you. Your project will include written, experiential, and oral components and we’ll support you each step of the way through online capstone seminars and advisement from a Capstone Mentor who has expertise in your chosen topic. A Doctoral Capstone is an academic and professional milestone, often leading to publications, future research opportunities, and other career advancements.

HEAD-START TOWARD ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS

As you pursue your doctorate with us, you’ll automatically be earning hours toward two additional certifications: Our Physical Agent Modality (PAM) courses can be applied towards the California PAM certification and our Wellness & Lifestyle Health course qualifies as a substitute for the 10-hour conference requirement for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ALCM) Certification Exam.

TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LEARNING

In addition to classroom lessons and hands-on clinical training, we support your learning through advanced teaching technology including:

• Clinical Driving Simulator: This specialized technology, which simulates various scenarios that drivers encounter in the real world, will prepare you to assess and safely retrain your clients to confidently get back behind the wheel.
• 3D Printer: You’ll learn to create cost-effective, patient-specific splints and other assistive devices using a 3D printer.
• Virtual Reality (VR): You’ll have the opportunity to use specialized VR technology to improve patient engagement and provide a safe yet dynamic environment for therapeutic interventions.
• Complete Anatomy: Also known as 3D4 Medical, Complete Anatomy is a powerful simulated anatomy suite on which you can perform intricate tasks such as removing layers of tissue and visualizing details of the human body.
• Draw It to Know It (DITKI): This interactive tool is perhaps our most popular, featuring YouTube-style videos that include drawings, animations, and digital worksheets to help you more easily learn about anatomy and physiology and successfully prepare for your exams.

BROADER INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Most of today’s healthcare colleges offer an “interprofessional education” through which students learn with, from, and about other disciplines. But at SCU, our Interprofessional Education is broader and, frankly, we think that makes it better. Unlike other colleges, we teach you about both conventional and complementary disciplines—not just one or the other—because we believe in both and we teach both, all under one roof.

AN INTEGRATIVE, WHOLE HEALTH APPROACH

All too often, healthcare providers “stay in their lanes” rather than building comprehensive care plans that include other disciplines, professionals, and approaches. In addition, they look strictly at the physical body as opposed to all the factors that may be influencing a patient’s health and well-being—genetics, lifestyle, mental health, relationships, physical environments, community support, and beyond. But at SCU, no matter what program you are in, you’ll learn to blend the best of conventional and complementary approaches (integrative healthcare) and to treat the entire mind, body, and spirit (whole health)—for true lasting wellness.

Occupational Therapy Program Accreditation

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at SCU (California campus) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652- AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Student Achievement

SCU’s Occupational Therapy program’s first cohort of students entered in the Spring of 2023 with a graduation year in 2025. The available program outcome data is limited at this time. Upon graduation of the first cohort, outcome data on NBCOT exam pass rate will be available on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) program data results page.