The VCU College of Health Professions offers a dual degree that results in an Occupational Therapy Doctorate and a Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences. This dual degree program allows outstanding entry-level O.T.D. students to earn their degree while simultaneously completing course credits in the interdisciplinary health related sciences Ph.D. program. Students accepted into the dual degree program would complete specified Ph.D. courses while in their O.T.D. program. In addition, students would be assigned a research mentor and have opportunities to earn research credits that would count toward the Ph.D. The dual degree program allows students to complete their O.T.D. in three years, with efficiencies to complete the Ph.D. 12-18 months earlier than if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while also reducing time to earning both degrees.

Program goals

Goals of the dual degree program include:

  • Increasing the number of Ph.D.-trained occupational therapists who can contribute to the evidence base of the profession
  • Increasing the accessibility of a Ph.D. for a diverse range of students by reducing the time and cost associated with earning this post-professional degree

The dual degree O.T.D/Ph.D. prepares future occupational therapists with the skills required to advance to positions as researchers and educators. The program allows students to pursue both degrees using a coordinated program of study and apply a limited number of O.T.D. requirements toward fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D.

The dual degree program is designed for students who want to become career researchers or academics within the field of occupational therapy or who want to do clinical research within the larger health care system. Strong applicants for this dual degree program will have exceptional academic performance and be highly motivated for a career in research. Prior research experience as an undergraduate is highly recommended.

The diplomas for this dual degree program will be awarded sequentially. Students would graduate from the Department of Occupational Therapy with an O.T.D., then transition to complete course work and the dissertation for the Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences.

Student learning outcomes

See each degree program page for student learning outcomes. 

Other information

Advising

The student is assigned an adviser from each program to develop coordinated plans of study.

Admission requirements

Admission to the dual degree is a two-step process. The first step is admission to the O.T.D. program (see the Graduate Bulletin for admission information.). Students enrolled in their first year of the O.T.D. program may apply to the Ph.D. (dual degree) program in the spring semester. Applicants must have a minimum 3.3 GPA in the O.T.D. program and have received a minimum grade of B in OCCT 616 in order to apply to the dual degree program.

The steps for applying to the program are as follows:

  1. Interested students first talk to their faculty adviser, or the Ph.D. program representative, to discuss their research interests and possible faculty mentors.
  2. Students will sign a release allowing the VCU OT department to transfer the following information to the Ph.D. program:
    1. Undergraduate transcripts
    2. Graduate (VCU OT) transcript
    3. Prior letters of references submitted in OT program application
  3. Students will submit the following directly to the Ph.D. program adviser:
    1. Personal statement that outlines career goals, research interests and how the Ph.D. program, specifically, will help them reach their goals
    2. One letter of reference from a VCU faculty member (preferably proposed faculty research mentor)
  4. All applicants will be asked to complete a timed writing sample as part of the Ph.D. program admission.

Deadlines

  • The deadline to submit application materials is April 1.
  • Applicants will be notified of acceptance by the end of May.
  • Course work would begin in June.

Degree requirements

The entry-level O.T.D. is a 104-credit program and the Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences requires a minimum of 51 credits. Students would complete the full program of study for the O.T.D. and the Ph.D. with the following courses shared by both programs:

Course Title Hours
OCCT 616Research Process in Occupational Therapy (satisfies the prerequisite graduate-level statistics course for the Ph.D.)3
OCCT 720Policy, Advocacy and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice (satisfies ALHP 781 in the Ph.D.)3
OCCT 783Doctoral Capstone (six of the 10 credits satisfy ALHP 792 and ALHP 793 in the Ph.D.)10
Total Hours9

Bearing these nine credits of substitution in mind, students would need to complete an additional 42 credits in the Ph.D. program to graduate; nine of these credits would be dissertation credits (ALHP 899) while 33 would be direct course work.

Students would earn their O.T.D. prior to their Ph.D. and be eligible to sit for their National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy examination upon completion of their O.T.D. curriculum requirements.

Curriculum requirements for the dual degree

Course Title Hours
O.T.D. requirements
IPEC 501Foundations of Interprofessional Practice1
OCCT 580Introduction to the Profession of Occupational Therapy2
OCCT 589Advanced Functional Anatomy5
OCCT 590Functional Movement Analysis in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 591Neuroscience Applications to Occupational Therapy4
OCCT 592Introduction to Injury, Illness and Disability3
OCCT 593Analysis of Human Occupation1
OCCT 594Theoretical Foundations of Occupational Therapy4
OCCT 613Adult Occupational Performance I3
OCCT 614Pediatric Occupational Performance I4
OCCT 615Level I Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy1
OCCT 616Research Process in Occupational Therapy (satisfies the prerequisite graduate-level statistics course for the Ph.D.)3
OCCT 617Therapeutic Process in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 689Occupational Therapy Assessment and Evaluation3
OCCT 692Assistive Technologies for Occupational Engagement2
OCCT 693Occupational Synthesis and Adaptations2
OCCT 713Adult Occupational Performance II4
OCCT 714Pediatric Occupational Performance II4
OCCT 715Level I Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy1
OCCT 716Evidence-based Practice in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 717Level I Fieldwork in Psychosocial Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 720Policy, Advocacy and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice (satisfies ALHP 781 in Ph.D.)3
OCCT 721Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 759Fieldwork Education Seminar2
OCCT 760Level II Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy9
OCCT 761Level II Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy9
OCCT 780OTD Leadership Seminar3
OCCT 781Program Development and Evaluation3
OCCT 782Professional Development Seminar2
OCCT 783Doctoral Capstone (six of 10 credits satisfy ALHP 792 and ALHP 793)10
OCCT 784Practicum Evaluation and Dissemination1
Ph.D. requirements
ALHP 701Health Services Delivery Systems3
ALHP 702Finance and Economic Theory for Health Care3
ALHP 708Health Science Ethics3
ALHP 712Instructional Design and Evaluation for Health Sciences 3
ALHP 716Grant Writing for Health Science Research3
ALHP 718Health Informatics3
ALHP 760Descriptive and Univariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences3
ALHP 761Health Science Research Design I3
ALHP 762Multivariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences3
ALHP 763Health Science Research Design II3
ALHP 781Doctoral Seminar (satisfied by OCCT 720)3
ALHP 792Independent Study (three credit hours required; satisfied by OCCT 783)3
ALHP 793Research Practicum (satisfied by OCCT 783)3
ALHP 890Dissertation Seminar3
ALHP 899Dissertation Research9
Total Hours146

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual degree is 146.

Plan of study

Students accepted into the dual degree program would complete all of the O.T.D. courses in the order and sequence of their cohort, and meet all accreditation requirements and eligibility to sit for the National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy examination. The students would also complete courses each semester in the Ph.D. program, which would count toward their Ph.D. program credits. As the Ph.D. program is a hybrid, the majority of course work for this program would be completed online during times that are convenient for the student.

By overlapping the programs, the length of the Ph.D. program would be 12-18 months shorter and would therefore reduce both the time and cost associated with a Ph.D. degree. Students who apply to the dual degree program may also be eligible for certain scholarships or research assistantships that would offset the cost of tuition.

Sample plan of study

Course Title Hours
Year one
Summer semester
OCCT 580Introduction to the Profession of Occupational Therapy2
OCCT 589Advanced Functional Anatomy5
Term hours:7
Fall semester
IPEC 501Foundations of Interprofessional Practice1
OCCT 590Functional Movement Analysis in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 591Neuroscience Applications to Occupational Therapy4
OCCT 592Introduction to Injury, Illness and Disability3
OCCT 593Analysis of Human Occupation1
OCCT 594Theoretical Foundations of Occupational Therapy4
Term hours:16
Spring semester
OCCT 613Adult Occupational Performance I3
OCCT 614Pediatric Occupational Performance I4
OCCT 615Level I Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy1
OCCT 616Research Process in Occupational Therapy (satisfies graduate-level statistics prerequisite for Ph.D.; must earn a minimum grade of B to meet Ph.D. admission requirements)3
OCCT 617Therapeutic Process in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 689Occupational Therapy Assessment and Evaluation3
Students would apply for Ph.D. program after midterm
Term hours:17
Year two
Summer semester
OCCT 693Occupational Synthesis and Adaptations2
OCCT 780OTD Leadership Seminar3
Term hours:5
Fall semester
ALHP 712Instructional Design and Evaluation for Health Sciences 3
OCCT 713Adult Occupational Performance II4
OCCT 714Pediatric Occupational Performance II4
OCCT 715Level I Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy1
OCCT 716Evidence-based Practice in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 781Program Development and Evaluation3
Term hours:18
Spring semester
ALHP 702Finance and Economic Theory for Health Care3
OCCT 692Assistive Technologies for Occupational Engagement2
OCCT 717Level I Fieldwork in Psychosocial Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 720Policy, Advocacy and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice (satisfies ALHP 781)3
OCCT 721Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy3
OCCT 759Fieldwork Education Seminar2
OCCT 782Professional Development Seminar2
Term hours:18
Year three
Summer semester
OCCT 760Level II Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy9
(Students would be completing course work for ALHP 702 during the first month of this fieldwork rotation.)
Term hours: 9
Fall semester
ALHP 760Descriptive and Univariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences3
OCCT 761Level II Fieldwork in Occupational Therapy9
Term hours:12
Spring semester
ALHP 761Health Science Research Design I3
ALHP 762Multivariate Statistical Methods for Health Sciences3
OCCT 783Doctoral Capstone (satisfies ALPH 792 and ALHP 793)10
OCCT 784Practicum Evaluation and Dissemination1
(Students graduate in May with O.T.D.)
Term hours:17
Year four
Summer semester
Take NBCOT exam
Fall semester
ALHP 701Health Services Delivery Systems3
ALHP 718Health Informatics3
ALHP 763Health Science Research Design II3
(Take methods comps)
Term hours:9
Spring semester
ALHP 708Health Science Ethics3
ALHP 716Grant Writing for Health Science Research3
ALHP 890Dissertation Seminar3
(Take core comps)
Term hours:9
Year five and six
ALHP 899Dissertation Research (minimum required for graduation)9
Total Hours146

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this dual degree is 146.

Contact
Stacey Reynolds, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
reynoldsse3@vcu.edu  
(804) 828-2288

Additional contact
Lauretta Cathers, Ph.D.
Director of the Ph.D. Program, College of Health Professions
s2lasaff@vcu.edu
(804) 827-0922