Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
It’s your time: TAKE THE LEAD AND HELP OTHERS THRIVE
Take your occupational therapy career to the next level with a hands-on, immersive education that inspires and empowers. Join a dynamic community and connect through live sessions with faculty and like-minded, aspiring OTs—collaborate, build connections and grow together. Guided by faculty mentorship and practice-ready learning, you’ll sharpen critical thinking, spark creative problem-solving and develop real clinical expertise.
Our OTD program prepares you for clinical practice and expanded roles in administration, education, research, advocacy and policy. With a curriculum tailored to your goals and faculty support at every step, you’ll graduate ready to lead with confidence.
REQUEST INFORMATION
Shorter and Enhanced Curriculum
Join us on The Journey to Clinical ExcellenceTM.
Now, you can earn your OTD in as few as 2 years and start your career sooner.1
1-ON-1
Faculty support and mentorship2
175+
Faculty with 30+ OT specialties3
5,000+
Largest community of practicing OT alumni4
25+
Year legacy of OT education
WHAT SETS US APART
PRACTICE-READY LEARNING MODEL
Benefit from a hybrid approach that combines online coursework with immersive labs, leveraging cutting-edge tools and innovative technology. From day one, you’ll turn theory into practice.
ON-CAMPUS HANDS-ON PRACTICE
Engage in high-impact clinical experiences such as simulations with real and mock clients, Pro Bono Clinics and interprofessional collaboration throughout the program to develop competence and confidence and ensure you are practice-ready.
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP
You’ll thrive in a supportive learning environment where students and faculty actively uplift each other, share resources and celebrate different perspectives. You’ll receive dedicated, guided mentorship throughout your OT journey—from enrollment advisors and the financial aid team at the start to personalized coaching from faculty mentors and career and student services.2
EXPERT FACULTY-PRACTITIONERS
USAHS faculty are dedicated educators, researchers and practicing clinicians with experience in more than 30 specialty areas. They provide expert guidance, mentorship and support to help students explore OT career paths and prepare for licensure and career readiness.
3 STARTS PER YEAR
September, January and May5
(Varies by Campus and Program)
2 YEARS
Earn your OTD in as little as 2 years1
5 CAMPUSES
Choose from five destinations in California, Florida and Texas.
(Varies by Program)
NO GRE
Required for admission
The OTD curriculum combines coursework from our MOT program with additional coursework focused on leadership, advocacy and policymaking, along with a capstone project on your OT area of interest. With an OTD, you work in expanded roles in:
Leadership administration
Research
Advocacy and policy development
OT education
Theory development
CHOOSE
the best path for you
The USAHS OTD program is available in three formats:
Residential at all five campuses, Hybrid Immersion at all campuses except Austin, Texas, and Flex at our Dallas Campus. Flex will begin on our San Marcos, St. Augustine and Miami campuses starting fall 2026.
Residential OTD
- On-campus weekday classes and labs + some online coursework
- 6 Trimesters
- 2 Years1
NEW Hybrid Immersion OTD
- Online coursework, live virtual weekday sessions + 2 on-campus lab immersions per term
- 6 Trimesters
- 2 Years1
Flex OTD
- Online coursework, live virtual evening/weekend sessions + on-campus labs on select weekends
- 9 Trimesters
- 3 Years1
OT IS GROWING FAST
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
14% GROWTH RATE
Predicted from 2024-34 with 22,100 new OT jobs added.
$98,340 SALARY
Median annual pay in 2024 for currently practicing OTs.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Therapists," Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 2025: www.bls.gov/ooh
This data represents national figures and is not based on school-specific data and represents national median annual wages, not starting pay for recent grads. Conditions in your area may vary. USAHS does not guarantee salary levels.
SCHOLARSHIPS
USAHS offers scholarships to recognize and reward outstanding academic achievement.
Student Testimonials
FROM TOMORROW'S LEADERS
PROGRAM NEWS
Degree Requirement: A bachelor’s, not a master’s, is required for entry to the OTD program.
Testimonial
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
“USAHS gave us a strong foundation to build on. I feel ready for what’s next.”
— Alyssa G., USAHS OTD
WE ARE ACCREDITED
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree (OTD) programs at the San Marcos, California; St. Augustine and Miami, Florida; and Austin and Dallas, Texas, campuses are 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 c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
USAHS is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001, www.wscuc.org.
1 Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress, credits transferred and other factors. Sooner indicates sooner than if you took our curriculum prior to fall 2025.
2 Each student is assigned a faculty mentor when they start the program. On-demand appointments with the faculty mentor and/or course instructors are available.
3 Data current as of August 2025
4 Based on total MOT and OTD degrees conferred during 2020-2023 as reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data is captured by IPEDS through interrelated surveys conducted annually by the Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) and from USAHS’ internal graduation data.
5 Three start dates are available for most programs. Start dates differ by program and campus combination.
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