OTD Level II Fieldwork and Capstone Requirement

The following statement from the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) provides guidance on completion timeline requirements for the fieldwork and capstone components of the OTD educational program:

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork and an individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework, Level II fieldwork, and preparatory activities as defined in 2023 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.H3o.

Background Checks and Drug Testing

Individuals working in health care facilities often must consent to and be cleared to work through criminal background investigations and/or drug screenings. Additionally, this is a common policy/requirement for occupational therapy licensing boards and many corporate and individual occupational therapy clinics.  

Occupational Therapy students are required to complete an approved criminal background check prior to formal enrollment or matriculation into the program.  

Additional criminal background checks, registry checks, and/or drug testing may be required prior to clinical internships. A failed background check or drug screen may preclude participation in the didactic and clinical phases of training. All background checks and drug screens are completed at the students’ expense. 

Health Insurance

Students are responsible for purchasing and maintaining health insurance coverage during their entire tenure in the OTD Program. Students must provide verification of personal health insurance to the OTD Program to be kept on file.    

All fieldwork and capstone experiences require health and immunization information to be provided to clinical facilities prior to the clinical rotation. Students should also have a copy of the form on their person the first day of the rotation. Please note that students without health insurance cannot be permitted to participate in patient contact activities both in the didactic and clinical phase, and therefore cannot successfully complete the program.  

South College does not provide health services. Students in the OTD Program are advised to seek health care services from a healthcare provider or facility near their location. 

Immunizations

Prior to entering the South College OTD Program, students must submit proof of health insurance, a physical examination, and complete immunization records. The South College OTD Program Mandatory Student Immunization Documentation Form must be used to document all vaccinations and are to be completed and signed by a licensed healthcare provider. Suggested reference is the Immunization of Health-Care Workers: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).   

Specific related requirements include proof of:  

Prior to entering the clinical phase (year 2) of the program, students must update their immunization and health certificate and provide proof of:  

Computer Requirement

Students are required to have a laptop computer and mobile device in their possession at the time of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program orientation and classes. Minimum requirements and specifications are listed in the OTD Student Handbook.

Technical Standards

The Occupational Therapy program is committed to enabling students with disabilities to complete the course of study in the OTD program by means of reasonable accommodations consistent with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). These essential skill standards outline the requisite abilities and requirements essential for Occupational Therapy students to become primary providers of OT services. All students admitted to the OTD program must demonstrate these abilities throughout the program through graduation.  

Verbal/Written Expression  

Students are required to demonstrate the ability to communicate verbally and in written format with clients and their families, team members, fieldwork supervisors, insurance representatives, etc. Their communication must be appropriate with individuals regardless of socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. English language skills in written and verbal communication must be demonstrated as functional for others’ understanding in a client-centered and therapeutic approach.  

Conceptual Intellect 

A student must display the ability to problem-solve during all didactic and fieldwork components of the program. This includes but is not limited to carrying out instructions in a timely manner, being able to follow and, understand policies and procedures, interpreting information from verbal, environmental, interpersonal, and written sources. Subsequently, a student should be able to demonstrate the ability to read complex information and be able to accurately and descriptively write consistent with program standards and guidelines (e.g. error free use of therapeutic terminology). Critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills should be utilized for data gathering, as well as problem identification in order to present with spontaneous decision-making strategies or plans of action that require thinking under pressure with time, environmental, and workload changes.  

Sensory Processing for Observation 

A student must demonstrate functional proprioceptive, vestibular and tactile abilities required to receive and analyze input while interacting with a client during any therapy session involving evaluation and treatment. Further, a student should demonstrate visual and auditory abilities at a functional level for accurately interacting with and observing clients.  

Motor Skills  

Fine and gross motor skills are required to safely execute the physical tasks associated with service delivery during an occupational therapy session. This includes strength, range of motion, and functions associated with the sensory system during therapeutic interventions, including but not limited to: performing transfers, bed mobility, dressing skills, therapeutic exercise, postural control,  splinting/orthotic fabrication, and assistive technology or computer use. These skills must further be performed while maintaining effective body-mechanics to prevent injury to self or of the client.  

Accommodations

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their disabilities with the Program Director and/or AFWC in order to assess for the accommodation that may be needed. After enrollment, a student with a disability may directly contact the Program Director if they wish to request reasonable accommodations. Verification and documentation of the disability by a qualified professional, e.g. physician, psychiatrist, psychologist will be needed prior to the determination of reasonable accommodations. Accommodations will not be considered reasonable if they affect the substance of the occupational therapy educational program, compromise the OTD program or South College’s educational standards, and/or negatively affect the safety of students and/or other individuals, including clients/consumers, with who they may come into contact in the course of their studies.  All information submitted on accommodations provided is considered confidential and will be treated as such. 

Students with documented disabilities are entitled to receive approved accommodations or modifications, auxiliary aids, or appropriate academic adjustments that will enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities of the College.  All accommodations, modifications, and services are provided on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on the needs of the student and his/her classes (online, on ground, or both).  Reasonable accommodation refers to ways in which the College can assist students with disabilities to accomplish learning activities. Reasonable accommodation does not mean that students with disabilities will be exempt from completing certain tasks. Applicants who cannot complete essential program tasks, even with reasonable accommodation, are not eligible for admission. Any previously made offer of admission may be withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the student cannot complete essential tasks even with accommodation, or that the accommodations needed are not reasonable and would cause undue hardship to the institution, or that fulfilling the functions would create a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of others. Certain aspects of the academic program may be considered essential as designed.  Accommodations which create a fundamental change of an essential element of the program will not be granted.  Students may receive the same or similar accommodations in other areas of the program where the accommodation does not create a fundamental change to an essential program element.

Steps for requesting, continuing, and/or waiving accommodations can be found in the OTD Student Handbook (Section 6.20.0 – Services for Students with Disabilities).

South College does not discriminate on the basis of disability in education programs and activities pursuant to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Rehabilitation Acts Amendments of 1974 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Inquiries and charges of violations concerning these acts should be directed to the designated Disability Services Coordinator at the campus.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements for the program are as follows:

For a student to graduate from the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, the student must be in good academic and professional standing, have had satisfactory progress in all quarters of the academic program, and satisfactorily complete the following:

Matriculation and attendance at South College are privileges granted to the student in consideration of performance of specified assignments and the maintenance of established standards of personal and professional conduct. The College reserves the right, and the student by the act of matriculation concedes to the College the right, to require withdrawal at any time the College deems it necessary to safeguard the standards of scholarship, conduct, and compliance with regulations, or for such other reasons deemed appropriate by the College as set forth in the program manual and/or the South College Catalog.

Occupational Therapist Licensure

All 50 states in the United States plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam require occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to be licensed to provide occupational therapy services.  A license grants you the legal privilege to practice occupational therapy in the state in which you are licensed. 

Your occupational therapy license is not the same as the certification that you earn by passing the exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). 

Some states have unique licensure requirements. For example, a jurisprudence exam is required in some states to test the graduate’s knowledge of state laws, rules, and practice acts that govern occupational therapy practice. Some require satisfactory background checks.  These unique requirements are not associated with preparation in the South College program.  

The following link provides information regarding licensing: 

Learn the steps to occupational therapy state licensure. | AOTA 

The core aspects of licensure include: