The depth and breadth of the OTD program is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of an occupational therapy general practitioner.
Curriculum provides broad exposure to current practice settings and emerging practice areas. Students are educated in the use of occupation to provide therapeutic intervention for individuals and groups of all ages through in-depth exploration of evidence-based literature and Level I fieldwork opportunities. Through completion of a series of courses related to scholarship, students collaborate to develop and complete a culminating research project. Finally, students learn to synthesize advanced knowledge in a practice area through Level II fieldwork and the completion of an advanced Capstone Experience.
Students must successfully complete all Level II Fieldwork assignments and the Capstone experience of the program within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the OTD degree program. In all cases, all graduation requirements including didactic academic coursework, fieldwork and the Capstone experience, must be completed within 6 years (72 months) of starting the OTD Program.
- Fieldwork Education
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
- Central Themes
- Capstone Project
Fieldwork education is designed to provide occupational therapy students with opportunities to integrate academically acquired education with practice. It is during the fieldwork experience that the student can learn, practice and refine skills of observation, evaluation, treatment planning, implementation and communication. In the fieldwork setting the student begins to define his or her future roles as a practicing occupational therapist and can develop the necessary self-confidence and effective characteristics essential to meeting the demands for this challenging field. Fieldwork provides many opportunities for feedback which promotes professional behaviors and attitudes and clinical expertise.
Fieldwork is an integral part of the education of an occupational therapist. Fieldwork must occur in an environment that provides experiences which reinforce previous learning and which challenge and motivate the student to develop professionally and adapt to clinic situations.
The School of Occupational Therapy coordinates fieldwork opportunities for students at locations in Tennessee and across the United States within regulatory guidelines established by each state. International opportunities may also be available. Belmont University is part of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) which guides placement in most states.
The academic fieldwork coordinator is responsible for the planning and implementation of integrated and sustained fieldwork experiences. The experiences occur under the supervision of and with the support of occupational therapists or other qualified individuals. To ensure that the fieldwork activities support and enhance the goals of the program there is continual collaboration by clinical educators, academic faculty, and the academic fieldwork coordinator.
In keeping with Belmont University's occupational therapy program's mission and curriculum design, fieldwork will be directed toward meeting the goals of education for practice, advocacy, and research. The fieldwork experiences are designed to encourage values and behaviors that exemplify professional leadership, integrity, and social consciousness; these values/behaviors support the program's goals to develop ethical practitioners to meet the immediate and future needs of the community.
The occupational therapy program requires both Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences. Level I fieldwork is an integral part of the didactic portion of the educational program. Students are exposed to diverse practice settings to increase their understanding of occupational therapy. Level II fieldwork is the culminating educational experience for the Belmont University occupational therapy student.
Starting in the spring of the first year, students begin the first of three Level I fieldwork experiences. Students engage in directed observation and participate at clinical fieldwork sites where they can begin to apply principles taught in previous and concurrent coursework.
Level I Fieldwork
Level I fieldwork is designed to facilitate student integration of knowledge, clinical skills, and professional behaviors to prepare for Level II fieldwork and future practice.
Level I fieldwork is organized into 3 courses: psychosocial, aging populations, and pediatrics, with each course covering a variety of practice settings. Level I fieldwork uses a several teaching/learning methods and experiences, including seminar, in-person simulations, virtual simulations, standardized patients, faculty-led field trips, guest speakers, reflective assignments, interactions with fieldwork educators, and supervised practice experiences in the community.
Level I practice experiences may be supervised by occupational therapists or other appropriate personnel in the setting (e.g., occupational therapy assistants, social workers, and teachers). The faculty, academic fieldwork coordinator, fieldwork educators, and students continually evaluate the fieldwork experiences to ensure and improve effectiveness.
Preparation of the student prior to each Level I experience includes review of professional behaviors, safety procedures related to student and clients/patients, objectives, and assignments for the experience. Some of the fieldwork experiences may involve travel up to 100 miles from the Belmont campus
Level II Fieldwork
Upon completion of all of their academic work, students then enter the community to apply their knowledge, skills and abilities through completion of their Level II Fieldworks. Belmont has established over 800 clinical sites in occupational therapy across the United States.
The goal of Level II fieldwork is to develop competent, generalist occupational therapists.
Level II fieldwork includes an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients. During this experience you will get to apply what you've learned in the classroom to occupational therapy intervention programs for clients in a wide variety of traditional and emerging practice settings.
During Level II fieldwork, you will have opportunities to enhance clinical reasoning and reflective practice, model professional behaviors, and develop and expand a repertoire of occupational therapy assessments and treatment interventions related to human performance.
Level II fieldwork for the OTD program at Belmont University consists of two twelve week experiences. Level II fieldwork (OTD 6480) is taken in the summer after the second year (students will register for the course in the spring and the fieldwork experience may begin the last week of the spring semester).
Students must complete all fieldwork and Capstone experience requirements within 24 months following completion of academic work.
Graduates are able 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). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.
Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to be eligible to take the national certification examination or obtain state licensure.
The Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program at Belmont University is designed to help you develop expertise across four central themes: Clinical Reasoning and Practice Application; Leadership; Service; and Scholarship.
Today’s healthcare and wellness initiatives require occupational therapists to be well equipped to meet the diverse needs of their consumers and evolving industries. As leaders in the profession, you will be called upon to help shape the profession, to help design and deliver programs, to create new innovations, and to build on current practice.
This program will take you from a generalist skill level to an area of advanced practice of your choosing. Your educational journey starts out with a cohort of OT classmates and faculty that supplement your learning. The fieldwork coordinator works closely with you to select the best fieldwork I and II settings to integrate classroom learning with clinical skill development. The advance practice selection will be guided through faculty, fieldwork coordinator, and supervisors input as well as an expert mentor that will work closely with you during your residency or Capstone experience after all coursework is completed.
In the final semester students complete their Capstone project. Successful completion of the Capstone depends on the student's ability to integrate the four curricular themes of Clinical Reasoning and Practice Application, Scholarship, Service and Leadership to affect a positive social change.
The Capstone is an integral part of the program’s curriculum design and includes an in-depth experience in one or more of the following: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, or theory development.
Guided advisement and reflection is started in the student’s first semester. Coursework and faculty mentorship facilitates the student‘s creation of a learning plan tailored to their values, interests, and goals and contributes to the student's development of both generalist and advanced skills in occupational therapy. A faculty mentor and expert mentor will supervise and assist the student during the Capstone to successfully complete their individualized learning plan.
As a requirement of the doctorate of occupational therapy degree, students will complete a 14 week (560 hour) Capstone project. The student must successfully complete all didactic coursework, fieldwork I and II’s, as well as a competency prior to proceeding to the Capstone. Fieldwork hours cannot be applied towards the Capstone hours.
Students must complete their Level II fieldwork and Capstone within 24 months of completing their didactic coursework.