Department of Occupational Therapy

Empower people to live with independence and potential. At NAU, you’ll become an adaptable, community-minded occupational therapist ready to make a direct impact on individuals in need in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

#1 OT program in Arizona

The only public, non-profit OT program in Arizona

Restoring independence

Occupational therapy is about helping people do the things that they want to do and need to do in life. If you’re drawn to problem-solving and helping others, this field offers a path where science and humanity converge. As an occupational therapist, you could support children developing new skills, help adults recover from injury, empower older adults to maintain independence, or partner with communities to improve well-being.

Why study Occupational Therapy at NAU

NAU’s 28-month Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Program is Arizona’s top-ranked OT doctorate program and designed to launch your career quickly without sacrificing quality. Flexible options (in-person and hybrid), extensive fieldwork, and a capstone aligned with your goals will all give you the depth of knowledge needed to excel in today’s healthcare industry. Located at the Phoenix Bioscience Core (PBC), you’ll automatically be connected to world-class health organizations and research partners giving you an immersive, community-centered education that’s unlike any other OT program in the state.

Learning outcomes

While studying Occupational Therapy at NAU, you will:

Gain fundamental professional knowledge, therapeutic skills, and strategies that support the delivery of occupational therapy across contexts.
Understand the foundational human scientific and medical knowledge that supports OT practice.
Apply evidence-based assessment and intervention approaches that support occupational performance.
Use scholarly work to inform practice, including the development of practice-scholar roles across a variety of contexts.

Student clubs and organizations

Engage with peers who share a passion for helping others through student clubs and organizations created to enhance your NAU experience.

Clubs

Student Occupational Therapy Association at NAU
Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity

Designed for your schedule and goals

NAU’s Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Program is designed to meet you where you are.

The in-person option offers a traditional experience with classes and labs Monday-Friday at the Phoenix Bioscience Core
The hybrid option blends asynchronous online learning with intensive weekend sessions at the PBC eight times each semester for lab and clinical work, giving students flexibility without compromise.

Both experiences follow the same rigorous curriculum and equally prepare you for clinical excellence.

Take a tour of the Phoenix Bioscience Core

Learning alongside world-class partners

You’ll be studying in a place where health innovation happens every day. Located at the Phoenix Bioscience Core alongside world-class research and robotics labs, our partnerships allow for interprofessional collaboration and community-based initiatives that expand your learning far beyond the classroom.

Experiential learning and training

From your first semester, you’ll apply classroom knowledge to real clients and communities. Two 12-week fieldwork rotations will give you experience across a variety of settings, while your doctoral capstone offers a chance to design a project that reflects your interests and emerging areas in OT.

Dedicated support

With individualized guidance, accessible resources, and strong professional connections, you’ll always have someone to collaborate with as you navigate fieldwork and research.

Faculty committed to your growth

OT faculty at NAU aren’t just instructors, they’re practicing clinicians and researchers invested in your success. With small cohorts, accessible mentorship, innovative partnerships, and a community grounded in compassion, you’ll always have someone to turn to for advice when you need it.

Meet the faculty of the Department of Occupational Therapy

Start your career practice-ready

NAU prepares you for every stage of launching your OT career, from your first semester to the moment you apply for licensure. As an OT student, you’ll connect with potential employers through fieldwork placements, receive structured licensure exam preparation, and have the opportunity to present research at state and national conferences. Whether you pursue pediatrics, neurology, mental health, rehabilitation, aging, or other emerging areas of practice, a degree from Arizona’s top OT doctorate program will equip you to become a compassionate, community-minded practitioner.

Admissions information

Program faculty will evaluate your application for indicators of readiness for an academically rigorous course of study, and your potential to become a leading occupational therapy practitioner.

Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Academic achievement
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
Minimum GPA of 3.0*
Extracurricular and interpersonal life experiences
Experiences, academics and prerequisites that indicate a focus and intention of joining the field of occupational therapy
Demonstrated concern for individuals from diverse backgrounds and their surrounding community
Demonstrated use of good judgment, insight, empathy reasoning, ethical behavior and strong personal accountability

*The candidates most likely to be successful will have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. However, because the NAU OTD program embraces a holistic approach to education, applicants whose overall undergraduate GPA is lower than 3.0 may be considered provided there are significant reasons behind the lower GPA and provided that they earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite course work for this curriculum. Other factors include a 3.0 GPA within the last two years of undergraduate study, indications of significant positive trends in the improvement of the GPA, and experiential components/qualifications.

Before students receive final admission for the first semester, the following prerequisite requirements must be met:

Evidence that a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution has been awarded
Successful completion of all prerequisite coursework with a C or better; No Pass/Fail Grades

Before entering the program, you must complete the following semester course requirements:

6 credits of human anatomy and physiology.
3 credits of research methods or statistics.
3 credits of abnormal psychology.
3 credits above the introductory level of human development, which must encompass the entire lifespan from birth to end-of-life.
3 credits above the introductory level of sociology or social justice covering problems, development, structure and/or functions of society of the present day.

Applicants do not need to have all prerequisite courses completed at the time of application. If applicants are on track to have all prerequisite courses completed by July 1 of the year of admission to the program, they will be considered for admission. Our recommendation is to have all prerequisite courses completed by June 1 of the year of admission.

Find graduate admissions deadlines for the Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Program. On average, the admission decision timeframes takes about one week.

Volunteer and observation hours

A minimum of 80 total hours of observation and volunteer hours are required* (40 observation and 40 volunteer). While the program does not require a specific form for documenting hours, we do require evidence of hours. Any documentation can be sent to otadmissions@nau.edu.

Evidence of hours needs to be entered into or uploaded to the Graduate Application by July 1. Hours cannot be double-counted as both volunteer and observation hours. However, unpaid observation hours in excess of the 40 hour requirement can count for volunteer hours.

Observation Hours: 40 hours observing at least one occupational therapist. The hours may be paid or unpaid hours. Telehealth hours are acceptable. Possible sources of referrals of observation hours include your state occupational therapy associations, your pre-health faculty in your undergraduate degree, medical professionals, and providers of occupational therapy services, e.g., assisted living, schools and medical facilities. You are encouraged to do this no later than two months before the application deadline.
Volunteer Hours: 40 hours in at least one different community settings (agencies, programs, camps, etc.) serving vulnerable, disabled or disadvantaged individuals or populations that address health, rehabilitation, disability, quality of life or community issues or sustainability initiatives.

Priority admissions and pathways

You may qualify for priority admissions if you are part of the following programs:

NAU’s BS in Exercise Physiology
NAU’s BS in Public Health
NAU’s BS in Psychological Sciences
ASU’s College of Health Solutions

Email otadmissions@nau.edu or join an OT information session for more information.

Apply to the program

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