Therapists Can Earn Their Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate from American International College

American International College (AIC) offers an established online Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program for engaged occupational therapists to advance their careers.

Faculty shortages in occupational therapy underscore the urgency for qualified educators. In 2019, the American Occupational Therapy Association reported the most common reasons for OT faculty shortages were due to factors such as impending retirements of current faculty and inexperienced or underqualified educators. They noted that 35% of OT faculty plan to retire by 2024, and nearly 70% of occupational therapy programs reported more than one faculty vacancy.

Earning an online doctorate in occupational therapy at AIC is one way to combat the faculty shortage. A Post-Professional OTD also provides several career pathways for licensed therapists to be trained with an additional focus on research and leadership. The online Post-Professional OTD prepares engaged practitioners to become transformative leaders in evidence-based practice.

AIC’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate

The online Post-Professional OTD at AIC is designed for engaged occupational therapists with a master’s degree who want to continue to work while earning a doctoral degree. This program is designed to help OTs become influencers and leaders in their field, expand their expertise, and educate and inspire the next generation of occupational therapists.

The program is open to residents from all fifty states. It is 100% online and cohort-based, so students can connect, build professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Applicants enroll full-time and graduate in less than two years (five semesters). The program interweaves four curriculum threads — clinical practice, education, research, and advocacy — for a comprehensive learning experience. Courses are designed to challenge students to reframe their thinking and teach creatively.

AIC students learn from an engaged faculty of prolific scholars, practitioners, and leaders.
“AIC’s Occupational Therapy faculty are pretty much famous in the OT world, not just in Massachusetts. Other doctoral programs lack the theory courses that AIC offers, and that’s a huge component of OT, especially if you’re going to teach,” said Kendra Phillips, 2019 AIC OTD graduate.

This program requires thirty credit hours and has two admission points; fall and spring. A three-course bridge program is available for bachelor’s-prepared OTs who would like to earn their occupational therapy doctorate online. Applications are now being accepted for the next start date of August 28, 2023.

AIC is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The College participates in the National Council State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), which establishes comparable national standards for the interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs.

For more information about the online Post-Professional OTD program at American International College, visit https://online.aic.edu