Occupational therapy doctoral students may be eligible to bridge into earning a PhD from the Rehabilitation Science Graduate Program in the U’s Medical School.
PhD training through the Rehabilitation Science Graduate Program is designed to cultivate premier leaders and researchers in academia, industry and clinical environments to transform the science and practice of rehabilitation.
Check out the Graduate Rehabilitation Science program through the University of Minnesota
If you have questions regarding bridging your OTD with a PhD degree please contact, Corey McGee, PhD, OTR/L, CHT at [email protected]
FAQs
What is its purpose?
The purpose is to address the shortage of Occupational Therapy researchers and educators, this program will offer an accelerated path for occupational therapists to receive additional academic training to prepare them for careers as future faculty.
The OTD/PhD pathway allows for up to 18 credits of OTD coursework to be applied to the PhD course requirements, but distinct learning processes are still retained and required for each degree. The pathway program also allows for the extension of research experience and training in a focused area across the timeframe of the two programs.
This program will only be appropriate for a select few students with focused career goals in research and teaching, and it does not allow the completion of two degrees in the time frame for one. However, under optimal circumstances, the pathway program could shorten the time to PhD completion by 2-3 years.
What is the process?
Interested students must first be admitted to the OTD Program. In the first year of the OTD program, students interested in the OTD/PhD pathway will be expected to reach out to the Occupational Therapy Department Associate Head of Research, Dr. Corey McGee to discuss career goals and the fit of the pathway program. Those interested in the pathway program will be strongly encouraged to participate in research experiences with OT faculty who are also RSC faculty members during year 1 of the OTD. This will help students and faculty ensure that the RSC PhD is the appropriate career pathway. If committed to the PhD/OTD pathway, a research capstone experience and project will be required to cultivate foundational research knowledge and skills and provide mentorship opportunities.
At the beginning of the final year of the OTD, OTD/PhD pathways students will begin working with the OT Department Associate Head of Research to identify mentorship within the RSC faculty. At the beginning of the final semester of the OTD, a formal application is submitted to RSC for consideration. The application will involve completing selected aspects of an online Graduate School Application, completing a personal statement, and providing 3 letters of reference. At least one letter should be written by an OTD or RSC faculty member who can speak to the applicant’s capacity for continued graduate work and research aptitude. This letter should ideally come from the intended PhD advisor. The applicant is welcome to solicit 3 new letters, but may also use 2 from their OTD application. Additional information can be found on the application process page.
After completing the full 3-year OTD Program, which includes all level 2 fieldwork and capstone experiences, admitted students are matriculated into the RSC PhD program and continue full-time in pursuit of the RSC PhD. The length of this phase is variable, but if following the OTD/PhD Pathway Degree Plan, OTD/PhD students will have most of the required and elective PhD coursework completed before matriculating into the PhD and will therefore only require an estimated 2 or 3 years of further full-time study. The full OTD and PhD are expected to be completed in 5-6 years, whereas completing both degrees independently will take a student a minimum of 8 years.
Is there funding?
No funding stipend or tuition remission is currently guaranteed for students in the OTD phase of the pathway program. Once beginning the PhD phase of the program, if available, students will be eligible for TA (teaching assistant) or RA (research assistant) appointments. These appointments include a stipend, fringe benefits, and tuition remission.
Who are ideal candidates?
Ideal candidates will be passionate about a lifetime career in occupational therapy research, teaching, and service; have previous experience in undergraduate research, and have strong organizational and written and verbal communication skills. Successful candidates will likely have undergraduate and OTD pre-requisite GPAs in the upper 75th percentile.
What is an example of a degree plan?
While each student’s plan will vary based on numerous factors such as course availability, when students commit to the pathway program, any additional coursework needed to prepare you the dissertation phase of the PhD, etc., here is an example degree plan for those who commit to the OTD/PhD Pathway program.
How do I ask additional questions?
Please feel free to contact Dr. Corey McGee by email ([email protected]) or phone (612-626-5645) with any questions.