The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at Russell Sage College is registered with the New York State Education Department and 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 is (301) 652-6611 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 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 sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
First Year: Fall
First Year: Spring
Second Year: Summer
Second Year: Fall
Second Year: Spring
Third Year: Fall
Fieldwork Requirements
Yearly physical examinations, immunizations, and CPR certification are required by fieldwork sites. In addition, many settings require students to be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal history review. Students are responsible for the arrangements and costs of these, as well as for transportation to and from fieldwork settings. The Level II Fieldwork must be completed prior to the start of the Doctoral Capstone Experience. A felony conviction may prevent student placement at some fieldwork settings.
Doctoral Capstone Experience
The Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) is an individually designed, thorough, student experience in a practice setting in one or more of the following areas of study: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education or theory development. It requires students to construct an individualized learning plan with specific objectives designed to meet planned outcomes. Practice settings will be consistent with the program’s curriculum design. Each setting will provide supervision for the student appropriate to the setting and as agreed upon in collaboration with the student’s Faculty Mentor and the Capstone Coordinator. The student will be mentored by an individual with expertise consistent with the student’s area of focus (this supervising individual may or may not be physically located within the practice setting and may or may not be provided by an occupational therapist).
The DCE must be completed on a full-time basis. It may be completed within the Capital District or elsewhere as opportunities present themselves that meet the goals and objectives identified in the student’s individualized learning plan. Final determination for Capstone site will be completed through advisement with the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator.