Our Mission:

To prepare occupational therapists to become leaders in the practice of occupational therapy by

• Developing and leading innovative programs and services in the community
  
• Establishing and expanding private practices
  
• Serving as consultants to business, industry, judicial, educational, and/or health care systems
  
• Moving into political positions to influence public policy decisions as they impact individual and societal engagement in and perspectives on occupation
  
• Directing, expanding, and broadening the scope of occupational therapy and rehabilitation services in traditional arenas

Additionally For the PhD Degree Program:

To prepare occupational therapy researchers to exert leadership in advancing the theoretical knowledge and research base regarding the practice of occupational therapy.

Our Philosophy of Distance Learning

• We are committed to facilitating post-professional education for the occupational therapy community.
  
• We offer distance education because we understand that many working adults with personal, family, and community obligations cannot relocate.
  
• We are able to offer graduate studies through a distance learning format because of the advances in information technology.

Distance Education Program

• The distance doctoral programs use an optimal combination of formats and media to deliver the curriculum and enhance the learning experience, which includes:
  
  
  • limited-residential institutes
    
  • on-line technology
    
  • individualized studies
    
    
• To meet the demands of distance learning, each student must have daily use of a personal computer and possess computer competence prior to entering the distance learning program.
  
  
• The College of Allied Health has established basic requirements for computer technology which the Occupational Therapy Program follows. Computer must be equipped with Microsoft Office and accommodate SPSS statistics programs. A 56k modem or DSL or cable modem is required. PC compatibles are preferred but late model Macintosh computers can meet students' needs.
  
• The distance doctoral programs employ a variety of state-of-the-art technologies in its teaching and learning activities:
  
  
  • Electronic mail (E-mail) permits asynchronous written communication between a faculty member and students or among fellow classmates.
    
  • Chat rooms are synchronic opportunities for live typewritten discussions and interactive learning between small groups of students and faculty.
    
  • Discussion boards (Web Boards) are asynchronic, but permit participants to interact over time in a way that promotes expansion and clarification of ideas and promotes group interaction.
    
  • Power Point Lectures provide "slide shows" present written and pictorial information in a concise manner.
    
  • Compressed video is another instructional technology that is synchronous and uses video transmission of instructor lectures and permits "real time" questions and answers.
    
  • Electronic Library databases and other distance resources.
    

    Resource Page for Doctoral Students

Doctoral Degrees Offered By Distance Education:

The Department of Occupational Therapy at NSU offers two avenues for doctoral study: the practice doctorate, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) and the research doctorate, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Applicants with a bachelor's or master's degree may be accepted for either of these doctoral programs. Any admitted student who is not a certified occupational therapist will first complete the professional entry program, the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) which is not offered by distance education. Graduates of Nova Southeastern University's MOT Program with a GPA above 85 are guaranteed direct admission to either doctoral program.

The Clinical Doctorate (OTD)

• Post-professional education
  
• Part-time, distance format
  
• Students take two courses (6 credits) per semester
  
• Students travel to the NSU campus once each semester for intensive interaction with other students and faculty in September, January, and May
  
• Students complete class work from their own homes or offices via readings, writing, practicum experiences, online assignments and chat and other forms of communication with the professor and other students in the class

The Research Doctorate (PhD)

• Post-professional education
  
• Part-time format mostly distance format
  
• Students take two courses (6 credits) per semester during the distance portion of the PhD program
  
• Students travel to the NSU campus once each semester for intensive interaction with other students and faculty September, January, and May
  
• Students spend two, 4-week summer sessions on campus for an intensive research symposium following the May scheduled campus visits. This involves four weeks for two consecutive summers. This is at the students' own expense, but group rates for local accommodations are made available.
  
• Students complete class work from their own homes or offices via readings, writing, practicum experiences, on-line assignments and chat and other forms of communication with the professor and other students in the class.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR DISTANCE DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS

CURRENT ONLINE COURSES

Policy of Non-Discrimination
Nova Southeastern University admits students of any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, nondisqualifying disability, religion or creed, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school, and does not discriminate in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.