More About Us
Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a professional clinical doctorate degree program that is grounded in the belief that humans are complex beings and that, through active engagement with the internal and external environments, individuals evolve, change, and adapt.
The OTD curriculum provides students with hands-on learning supported by theory and evidence-based practice, so they are ready to excel in any practice setting they choose upon graduation. Graduates will be grounded in the core values of occupational therapy, evidence-based practice, and active learning.
Some strengths of the OTD program include its affordable tuition, small class size, and the diversity of the students and faculty. The unique geography and culture of the Rio Grande Valley afford the OTD program expanded research opportunities, clinical intervention development, population and community interaction, and educational events with a Hispanic population.
Information Sessions
You are invited to a Virtual Information Session to explore the UTRGV OTD degree program. Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link.
Application Opens: OTCAS July 21
Program Application Deadline: OTCAS Deadline November 1
Class Start: Summer Term (June)
Zoom links:
August 14, 2024 https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/8762333930?omn=85187419783
September 11, 2024 https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/8762333930?omn=86377538519
October 16, 2024 https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/8762333930?omn=88342765205
November 13, 2024 https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/8762333930?omn=87558342005
Dial out list: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:913f4bd7-5546-3737-9162-5f1bc59732a1
Request more information: occtherapy@utrgv.edu
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program 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.
Program Outcomes
Following the graduation of the first OTD class, outcomes of the program graduates and graduation rates will be reported.