This course focuses on academic literacy and the fundamentals of academic writing in American Psychological Association (APA) Style. Topics include ethics in publishing, manuscript formatting, stylistic guidelines, graphic elements, and citing sources. Students will be introduced to developing a search strategy, defining concepts and key words, conducting data base searches, and refining the results.

Fundamental information for research appraisal focusing on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs is presented. Emphasis on formulation of clear clinical questions then finding, evaluating, and applying evidence to a clinical problem.

Theoretical perspectives and models that guide the occupational therapy profession are presented. Focus is on application of theory and frameworks to occupational therapy practice at individual and population levels. The importance of occupation for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease and disability is discussed.

Examination of the research process, statistical analysis, and evidence based practice with applicability to advanced occupational therapy practice. Attention is given to critical research methods, analysis, and ethical aspects of scholarly inquiry. Emphasis on how research contributes to the development of occupational therapy knowledge, improves practice, and enhances the education and professional accountability of occupational therapy practitioners.

This course explores advanced clinical applications of the occupational therapy practice framework as well as descriptive, relational, predictive, and prescriptive aspects of occupational science with a focus on application to advanced occupational therapy clinical practice.

This course discusses the foundation, theoretical framework, and role of occupational therapy in community practice. This course also thoroughly explores the program development process, entrepreneurship, and business fundamentals in occupational therapy.

This course provides an opportunity for students to assess ethical and legal issues confronting occupational therapy practitioners and other healthcare providers in a variety of practice settings, focusing on the identification and analysis of legal and ethical concepts and principles underlying occupational therapy and health care. The course focuses on ethical concepts, theories, and values applied in ethical decision-making that are related to a variety of ethical dilemmas in health and social settings.

This course explores leadership theory and application to current and future practice. Students also examine advocacy in the occupational therapy profession. Current issues and trends in the occupational therapy field are discussed.

Investigates innovative, evidence-based, culturally and linguistically responsive, high-leverage school-based occupational therapy practices for children with high-intensity needs. This will include the complexities of working in diverse multidisciplinary teams and high-needs school districts. As a component of this course, students will complete all requirements for the AOTA School-Based Practice Professional Certificate. This course is only open to OTD OSEP grant recipients.

Students focus on professional writing skills and clinical reasoning to develop a proposal for their capstone project. Through participation in this course, students will identify relevant issues impacting occupational therapy in their specialty area. A literature review into a specific area of inquiry and a detailed proposal for implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of the capstone project will be completed.

The purpose of this course is to demonstrate advanced skills in evidence-based occupational therapy practice. Students will implement and evaluate a project that reflects an identified area of need. The course is conducted in a seminar format with students working independently, but engaging in online discussions with faculty and students.

Students further synthesize outcomes of the capstone project and will demonstrate their understanding of advanced occupational therapy concepts. Dissemination of findings from the capstone project will be completed with a focus on demonstrating skills as a clinical scholar.