TWU offers a PhD in Occupational Therapy.  Our graduate program is ranked in the nation's top ten by U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Programs.  The research emphasis is on the phenomenon of adaptation, its relationship to occupation, and the methods to promote successful adaptive responses.   Didactic courses in this program are offered through videoconference (with online components) between our Denton, Dallas, and Houston Campuses.

Facts about our PhD in OT program

• The program began in 1993 and has graduated more than 25 PhDs
• Graduate assistantships are frequently available
• Classroom courses are taught on scheduled Fridays (Denton, Dallas, or Houston) and via the Internet

The majority of our fulltime OT faculty have PhDs

Research Focus
Since its beginning, a major goal of the PhD program has been to develop a research tradition based on the concept of occupational adaptation. 

Scholarly work on occupational adaptation has taken two forms.  One involves implementation and evaluation of the Occupational Adaptation frame of reference for practice in occupational therapy.  In this frame of reference, occupational adaptation is viewed as an internal process that occurs within individuals, reflected by the efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction to self and others of the individual’s occupational performance as judged by the individual client. (View the Occupational Adaptation Theory)

The second form of scholarship on occupational adaptation is study of naturally-occurring adaptive processes involving interaction between persons and environments.  In this work, occupational adaptation is viewed as systemic process that occurs at various levels beyond the individual, including households and residential settings, major occupational contexts such as school, work, and leisure settings, and at the level of neighborhood and community. 

These two forms of scholarly work are often referred to as applied and basic research, both of which are considered important commitments within the PhD program.  Scholarship on occupational adaptation also reflects two traditions within the profession of occupational therapy.  One is to further the agenda of the profession itself, and the other is to contribute to, as well as borrow from, the broader intellectual context in which our work occurs.

Curriculum:

Curriculum Structure	Semester credit hours
Advanced Theory/Knowledge Base  (video-seminar)	15
Statistics and Research (transferable)	6
Measurement Occupational Performance, Qualitative Research Methods (video-seminar)	6
Teaching Practicum, Curriculum Design, Innovative Teaching  (practicum)	9
Study in OT area of research  (independent)	6
Related area of knowledge  (outside OT)	6
Dissertation: 3 interrelated studies synthesized into a body of work  (focused on occupational adaptation)	12
Total Hours	60

 Note: Students may enter in either fall or spring semester. 

 For more information and enrollment:

 
 Sally Schultz, PhD
 Professor and Coordinator of Doctoral Program
 (214) 706-2308

 Application Packet
 Fall 2009 Courses, On-Campus Dates, Relevant Links
 PHD/OT Core Course Rotation
 Research Tools
 Scholarships

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
P.O. Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
(301) 652-AOTA (2682)