Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program Details

General Program Requirements

Attendance and active participation are important aspects of professional education and are critical to professional development. Students are expected to be present for all class, lecture and lab meetings. They are fully responsible for all content presented to them. Excused absences must be requested prior to the class meeting time and must be validated by the instructor. Valid excuses include illness, doctor’s instruction, notice of death in family, religious obligations and other special circumstances. Students must e-mail or call the instructor in the case of an absence. The student is responsible for obtaining class information after an absence.

Business casual dress is required for the classroom and scrubs or business casual are required for clinical assignments. Caribbean blue scrubs are required for all practicum and fieldwork experiences that occur at Rush University Medical Center. For clinical placements outside of Rush, students will be required to follow each site’s dress code.

Technology: Required Software/Online Tools

My Apps: https://myapps.rush.edu/

Students are recommended to use My Apps, which is a virtual desktop where Office software, Rush Email, and secure storage is provided.

Visit https://rush.sharepoint.com/sites/university for more information about the My Apps virtual environment. Students are also able to log into RULearning from MyApps.

RULearning Login Page: https://rulearning.rush.edu/

Students are also able to access RULearning via the listed login page.

Computer Requirements: Students should have computers with audio/visual capabilities (including the ability to record presentation assignments) and that support learning management tools including but not limited to Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor, Panapto and ExamSoft.

Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: If you do not already have the Microsoft Office software you can access the Suite through My Apps or download a copy of the Microsoft Office suite at a reduced cost for Windows or Mac users: https://rush.onthehub.com/

Internet Browsers: Students should have access to more than one browser, such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. All browsers should be the most up-to-date version available.

Internet Requirements: Students must have access to a high-speed internet connection when working off campus.

Adobe Acrobat Reader: Students should have access to the most up-to-date Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Assignment of Grades/Student Probation

Grades are assigned as either a letter grade A, B, C, D, F or Pass (P)/No Pass (N) as indicated in the University Catalog. Any student not completing a course must take an incomplete (I) or withdraw (W) from the course.

The grade of I (incomplete) is given only when circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent completion of course requirements. Students receiving an I are responsible for finding out from the instructor the exact work required to satisfy the course requirements. Incompletes must be resolved within one academic term (semester) unless an alternate agreement is made.

Only grades of A, B, C, & P will fulfill degree requirements in all non-elective courses listed in the curriculum outline.  Academic probation is assigned to any student who earns a semester grade point average of 2.99 and below. Students placed on probation must earn or maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above by the end of the next consecutive academic term. Students who fail to meet minimum cumulative GPA requirements within the time frame specified above will be automatically dismissed from the program.

Students placed on probation for the first time must meet with their Academic Advisor and establish an Action Plan prior to the beginning of the next academic term. If a student is placed on probation a second time, he or she must petition and meet with the Student Performance and Academic Review Committee (SPARC) and provide an Action Plan that is acceptable to SPARC in order to continue in the program. The student will also be responsible to meet on a regular basis with his or her advisor to monitor the progress of the aforementioned Action Plan’s implementation. A student placed on probation for a third time for didactic course work will automatically be dismissed from the program.

A student receiving a grade D, F,  or No Pass (N) in a required course must repeat the course at the next academic offering and earn at least a B (or Pass for Pass/No Pass courses) to remain in the program. Only one D, F, or No Pass is allowed for the entire program.  In the event a student receives a second D, F, or No Pass (N) at any other time in the program they will be dismissed from the program.

Student Academic Appeal and Grievance Procedures

A student may appeal a grade and/or disciplinary action by following the College of Health Sciences Student Academic Appeals and Grievance procedures found in the Rush University Catalog.

Student Withdrawal and Tuition Refunds

Voluntary Withdrawal implies the permanent departure from the University without the immediate expectation of return. No withdrawals are allowed during the last three weeks of the academic term or final examination period. If a student submits a voluntary withdrawal form during this period, they will receive a grade for the courses they were enrolled in. Refunds are made only during the time limits for refunds. A completed Petition for Withdrawal form is required.

Administrative Withdrawal refers to a permanent departure from the University that is University initiated and without expectation of the student’s return.

Information on tuition refunds can be found in the Rush University Catalog.

Graduation Requirements

Once admitted to the Occupational Therapy program, students embark on a journey that entails the accumulation of 107 term hours for graduation. In order to graduate and have the Occupational Therapy Doctorate conferred, students must meet the following criteria:

• Successfully complete all didactic coursework and fieldwork
• Pass the Department of Occupational Therapy competency exam
• Successfully complete all requirements of the individual doctoral experience and capstone project
• Pass the Rush University Interprofessional Patient Care Teams course (IPE 503)
• Complete a minimum of 16 contact hours of approved professional or community service

In order to be eligible to take the registration exam administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists, students must have completed all graduation requirements as documented in official transcripts from Rush University. Students must complete all program requirements within 45 months from the time they begin the program. Students will have 15 months to complete Level II fieldwork after the final day of Semester 5 of the curriculum and 12 months to complete the doctoral experience/project after the last day of their final Level II fieldwork. Any student who expects to go beyond this timeframe must request an exception to the policy in writing to the program director.

Career Options

Graduates of the program have a 100 percent employment rate within six months of graduating. They have accepted competitive positions in the Chicago area and across the country in the following settings:

• Community-based agencies
• Educational settings
• Hospitals
• Private practices
• Rehabilitation centers
• University clinics

Nationally, career opportunities are excellent. Employment of occupational therapy practitioners is expected to grow 14 percent through 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tuition

Tuition will be $14,884 per term for academic year 2022-2023.  Rush does not charge additional fees.  However,  there are other cost components to consider when applying for financial assistance including medical insurance (required), books, supplies, rent, utilities, etc.  Note: tuition is subject to change.

Student Occupational Therapy Association

Licensure Information

Institutions are required to make public whether a program is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation or is advertised as meeting such requirements. Institutions are required to make public, for each state, whether the completion of that program would be sufficient to meet licensure requirements in a state for that occupation, did not meet requirements or has not made a determination.  These requirements apply to all programs offered via all modalities (distance education and not).

Students should review the specific academic requirements for the program in which they are enrolling, including those related to practicum/internship as well as pre-qualifications for licensure such as the need for a criminal background check. We highly recommend that students contact the applicable licensure board(s) in their state of residence or in the state where they intend to obtain a license before beginning an academic program that results in licensure and prior to beginning any internship/practicum. Many licensure boards have additional requirements beyond successful degree completion to obtain a license. Please be advised that state laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time. Changes in requirements can impact the program’s ability to meet educational requirements for licensure. Enrolled and prospective students are strongly encouraged to check with the licensing board(s) in their state of residence or in the state in which they intend to obtain a license for the most recent information and requirements. The College will periodically review the state requirements. The College of Health Sciences disclosure does not provide any guarantee that any particular state licensure or certification entity will approve or deny a student’s application.

Licensure Information by State:

	Link, by State	Does this program meet the requirements?
Alabama	OT licensing	YES
Alaska	OT licensing	YES
Arizona	OT licensing	YES
Arkansas	OT licensing	YES
California	OT licensing	YES
Colorado	OT licensing	YES
Connecticut	OT licensing	YES
Delaware	OT licensing	YES
Florida	OT licensing	YES
Georgia	OT licensing	YES
Hawaii	OT licensing	YES
Idaho	OT licensing	YES
Illinois	OT licensing	YES
Indiana	OT licensing	YES
Iowa	OT licensing	YES
Kansas	OT licensing	YES
Kentucky	OT licensing	YES
Louisiana	OT licensing	YES
Maine	OT licensing	YES
Maryland	OT licensing	YES
Massachusetts	OT licensing	YES
Michigan	OT licensing	YES
Minnesota	OT licensing	YES
Mississippi	OT licensing	YES
Missouri	OT licensing	YES
Montana	OT licensing	YES
Nebraska	OT licensing	YES
Nevada	OT licensing	YES
New Hampshire	OT licensing	YES
New Jersey	OT licensing	YES
New Mexico	OT licensing	YES
New York	OT licensing	YES
North Carolina	OT licensing	YES
North Dakota	OT licensing	YES
Ohio	OT licensing	YES
Oklahoma	OT licensing	YES
Oregon	OT licensing	YES
Pennsylvania	OT licensing	YES
Rhode Island	OT licensing	YES
South Carolina	OT licensing	YES
South Dakota	OT licensing	YES
Tennessee	OT licensing	YES
Texas	OT licensing	YES
Utah	OT licensing	YES
Vermont	OT licensing	YES
Virginia	OT licensing	YES
Washington	OT licensing	YES
West Virginia	OT licensing	YES
Wisconsin	OT licensing	YES
Wyoming	OT licensing	YES