The Duke University Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program offers innovative education, research, and collaborative opportunities that emphasize the essential role of occupation in human flourishing and health.
At Duke OTD, we empower students to practice with authenticity, compassion, and care by integrating who they are as individuals with what they do as professionals; address, through skillful practice and scholarship, the complex interactions that either limit or enable people’s access to and participation in meaningful, health-supporting occupations; serve as ethical, visionary leaders who anticipate the evolving occupational needs of various populations, communities, and individuals, and proactively and creatively meet those needs through innovation and scholarship; and contribute to the advancement of occupational therapy both locally and globally in meaningful ways.
Our unique learning community is defined by the following core commitments: enabling occupation as the core competence of occupational therapists; occupation-centered research, education, and practice; educational excellence through inclusivity and community engagement; integrity and authenticity; innovation and excellence in meeting real-world needs; and intellectual humility and open inquiry to advance understanding.
Highlights of the Duke OTD include the following:
- Active learning and engagement in the growing and progressive community of Durham, North Carolina
- Commitment to eliminating human suffering caused by barriers to occupation
- Holistic admissions process
- Innovative experiences of real-world simulation and practice throughout the program
- Intentional integration between the personal and the professional
- Faculty position focused on holistic recruitment and retention
- Focus on justice work at the heart of occupational therapy
- An occupation-centered curriculum designed by a collaborative team of educators, practitioners, and innovators
- One-of-a-kind opportunities for research and formation in partnership with the Bass Connections program, Duke Divinity School, Duke Eye Center, and Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering
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