Occupational Therapy
INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Doctorate
DISCOVER THE WAY AHEAD
Hello and Welcome!
I am so glad you found the OTD program at Indiana Wesleyan University! As you read the student testimonies and highlights of the program, be sure to read about our tuition-inclusive global trip, student-centered fieldwork design, and the supportive community found in graduate housing and campus life. I think you will find a myriad of ways the OTD program at IWU can meet your needs and desires for an excellent occupational therapy educational experience.
10 years ago, the founders of the OTD at IWU were called to start a program where students could learn the skills and clinical reasoning to make them exceptional occupational therapists while also exploring and growing in their faith. The result is a holistic OTD program that prepares students for holistic practice. We prioritize hands-on learning, collaboration with community partners, and exploration of personal growth. We also make an intentional effort to explore the cultures of those around us, locally and internationally, to expand our knowledge of and sensitivity to the needs of our neighbors to help us serve them better. In the OTD program at IWU we value your story and the stories of those around us as powerful tools for change.
So as you flip through this viewbook, think about your personal needs and desires that go beyond the classroom. Consider how you might explore your passions while growing as a person. At the end of your OTD journey, you will be an occupational therapist, but….What else?
MELISSA KHOSLA, OTD, OTR/L OTD Program Director
ABOUT IWU OTD
Entry-level OTD degree catapults graduates into advanced practice including academia, research, hand therapy, NICU, and more!
On-campus program in Marion, Indiana 8 trimesters total: 5 trimesters on campus and 3 trimesters at a location of your choosing
New cohort admitted every fall
Personalized student experience
One-on-one faculty advising and mentorship
Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
IWU OTD graduates are eligible to take the NBCOT exam to become OTRs (Registered Occupational Therapist)
High certification exam pass rate (100% pass rate in 2022)
WILDCAT COUNTRY
THE RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS
The foundation of IWU’s global learning community is the picturesque and beautifully maintained residential campus encompassing 320 acres on the southern edge of Marion, Indiana. The campus has been prayerfully and intentionally designed for learning, growing, and worshiping.
IWU IS LOCATED IN MARION, BETWEEN INDIANA’S TWO LARGEST CITIES.
183 MILES TO CHICAGO 165 MILES TO CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI
CHICAGO
MARION
INDIANAPOLIS
FT. WAYNE
MARION
STUDENT LIFE
HOUSING
Graduate Townhouses
GROUPS
Student Occupational
Therapy Association
DINING
McConn Coffee
Chick-fil-A Express
Wings & Tots
Mario’s Pizza and Grinders
Wild Wok
Casa del Gato Café
Brickyard Burgers & Fries
42nd Street Deli
ACTIVITIES & WELLNESS
On-Campus Health Clinic
Recreation & Wellness Center
Intramural Sports
LEARNING IN ACTION
PEDIATRIC LAB
Our pediatric lab offers students handson opportunities with play-based and sensorimotor equipment. This unique lab also serves as a clinical space to treat children.
CADAVER LAB
Our cadaver lab features mediabased technologies including magnification equipment and supplementary educational tools. Our program also offers a Student Instructor tutoring program.
ADL HOUSE
Our three-bedroom ADL House offers students hands-on, realistic opportunities to develop assessment and training skills in environmental modifications, functional mobility and transfers, adaptive equipment, and activities of daily living.
INSTRUCTIONAL LABS
Our curriculum provides valuable hands-on learning through labs focused on developing skills for evaluating and designing interventions related to seating and wheelchair mobility, assistive technology, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. Our students also gain experience in fabricating multiple splints while using various thermoplastic materials.
3 YEAR OUTLOOK
OTD 718
Clinical Anatomy
Gross anatomy course presented from a regional perspective. Cadaver dissection included in lab portion of the course.
YEAR 1 | FALL TRIMESTER
• OTD 700 Theory, History, and Foundations of Occupational Therapy
• OTD 705 Occupational Development and Assessment I
• OTD 771 Leadership in Healthcare
• OTD 722 Health Sciences Research I
• OTD 718 Clinical Anatomy
• OTD 720 Human Motion
Total Credits 17
OTD 725
Musculoskeletal & Cardiopulmonary Intervention
Selection and implementation of evidence-based therapeutic assessment, goals, and interventions to support occupational performance for clients impacted by musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary conditions.
YEAR 1 | SPRING TRIMESTER
• OTD 730 Neuroscience
• OTD 725 Musculoskeletal and Cardiopulmonary Intervention
• OTD 738 Pharmacology for Rehabilitation
• OTD 820 Philosophy of Health and Wellness
• OTD 723 Health Science Research II
• OTD 715 Biostatistics
• OTD 763 Interprofessional Colloquium
Total Credits 16
OTD 765 Pediatric and School-based Occupational Performance
Evidence-based evaluation, goal development, and interventions for children and their families is covered.
YEAR 1 | SUMMER TRIMESTER
• OTD 760 Occupational Therapy Community Practice
• OTD 770 Culture and Spirituality in Healthcare
• OTD 735 Behavioral Health and Group Process
• OTD 765 Pediatric and School-based Occupational Performance
• OTD 768 Research Project I
• OTD 749 Level I Fieldwork and Seminar I
• OTD 780 Educational and Instructional Strategies
Total Credits 16
OTD 718
Clinical Anatomy
Gross anatomy course presented from a regional perspective. Cadaver dissection included in lab portion of the course.
YEAR 2 | FALL TRIMESTER
• OTD 706 Occupational Development and Assessment II
• OTD 743 Culminating Project Planning Seminar I
• OTD 785 Neurorehabilitation
• OTD 795 Cognition and Perception
• OTD 762 Ethics in Healthcare
• OTD 769 Research Project II
• OTD 750 Level I Fieldwork and Seminar II
• OTD 741 Therapeutic Modalities
Total Credits 17
OTD 790 Global Health Initiative
An off-campus transcultural trip serves as the highlight of this course. The trip’s cost is included in the tuition.
YEAR 2 | SPRING TRIMESTER
• OTD 790 Global Health Initiative
• OTD 751 Level I Fieldwork and Seminar III
• OTD 745 Health Systems Administration/Management
• OTD 775 Occupational Patterns in Aging
• OTD 778 Enabling Meaningful Occupation
• OTD 753 Culminating Project Planning Seminar II
• OTD 799 Special Topics in Occupational Therapy Seminar
Total Credits 15
OTD 800 Level II Fieldwork I
During this culminating clinical experience, students will apply knowledge and skills learned through didactic interactions in the clinical setting with the supervision of a licensed therapist.
YEAR 2 | SUMMER TRIMESTER
• OTD 800 Level II Fieldwork I
YEAR 3
• OTD 801 Level II Fieldwork II
• OTD 802 Doctoral Capstone
• OTD 830 Culminating Project Seminar
Total Credits 7
Total Credits 17
GLOBAL HEALTH INITIATIVE
OTD 790
Tuition for the OTD program at Indiana Wesleyan includes a transcultural travel course during the second spring trimester. Students and faculty travel together in small groups to destinations such as Belize, Ecuador, Curacao, and the Dominican Republic, to learn about health care and rehabilitation services there. This cultural immersion results in phenomenal learning opportunities that often inspire our students to choose similar transcultural environments for their doctoral captstone projects. Alumni from our program often remark about the “life changing” experiences that resulted from their transcultural travel course.
OFF CAMPUS TRANSCULTURAL TRIP IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS COURSE
FIELDWORK
“At Indiana Wesleyan University, we are proud to provide and support student driven occupational therapy fieldwork experiences! We have partnerships in facilities spanning 30+ states to set students up with professional relationships for graduation and beyond! It is our goal to provide students with as many opportunities and exposure to as many different settings as possible to prepare them for success on the NBCOT exam.”
BRIANA DYKSTRA, OTD, OTR/L Fieldwork Coordinator
DOCTORAL CAPSTONE
Begin dreaming now!
The doctoral capstone follows Level 1 and Level 2 Fieldwork experiences and takes place during the last trimester of the program. Students develop advanced skills in one or more of the following areas:
• Advocacy
• Administration
• Clinical Practice
Student Driven
Students choose where they go and what type of project they complete.
• Leadership
• Program and Policy Development
•Education
•Research
•Theory Development
14 Weeks
The capstone experience is 14 weeks in length. At the conclusion of the program, students gather to present their capstone projects to faculty, peers, and stakeholders.
Stateside or
Abroad
Students can choose to do a capstone project in the United States or somewhere abroad.
It is largely through our doctoral capstone projects that the occupational therapy program embodies the mission of IWU to change the world in which we practice.
INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Students can choose to complete their capstone in the United States or somewhere abroad. OTD graduates have completed capstone experiences in Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Haiti, Nepal, Kosovo, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Armenia, Kenya, and Curacao.
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES
During the final trimester of their academic journey, some of our OTD graduates have pursued experiences in hand therapy, NICU, therapeutic riding, sensory integration, and stroke rehabilitation. Some of these doctoral capstones have led to unparalleled job opportunities for our new graduates due to the advanced skills acquired.
“The faculty invest in your learning as an individual but also teach how your cohort can work together as a team. They help you develop the skills you need to be a great occupational therapist but also go further in providing a deeper knowledge of the interests you have and the population you want to work with.”
MCKENZEY KING
“The OTD Program’s Christ centered community will help build my career as an OT and at the same time also further build God’s calling on my life. The faculty took the time to guide me on my journey to become an OTD student.”
