The Capstone experience consists of one 14-week, full-time placement and is an essential part of the educational program. Students initiate and sustain independent work on the capstone project, consulting with the Site Mentor, Faculty Mentor, and Capstone Coordinator as necessary, to carry out contracted project goals and objectives including discontinuation and sustainability of the capstone.
Students participate in this course through an e-classroom format concurrent with OT 770. The focus is on capstone planning with content and learning experiences individually tailored to support each student in preparing for implementation of the capstone experience. Students complete extensive literature reviews to support the capstone project/experience, confirm a site mentor with expertise in the area of focus, complete and analyze a site needs assessment, and develop individualized learning objectives and plans for supervision during the overall capstone.
This hybrid course consists of an intensive classroom series followed by online classroom activities over the ensuing ten weeks. Instructional topics include project management skills, fidelity in project implementation, documentation of processes, budget planning, and strategies for success in independent work. Students conceptualize and design capstone projects in the areas of Clinical Practice Skills, Research, Administration, Leadership, Program and Policy Development, Advocacy, and Education.
This third course focuses on leadership in occupational therapy, supervision, and issues in clinical management as well as reimbursement. Students gain deep self-awareness by completing emotional intelligence and self-regulation assessments, and use resulting knowledge to create independent work plans to support completion of the doctoral capstone experience.
Students engage with the professionalization of occupational therapy practice to learn about and develop personal responsibility for professional membership and engagement, interprofessional professionalism, and professional reasoning. Additional topics include contribution and service to the profession, the role of organizational governance in promoting professionalism, professional communication and collaboration, ethical decision-making and practice, and clinical decision making as an occupational therapy professional.
The Fieldwork II experience consists of two 12-week, full-time placements and is an essential part of the educational program. It is completed in two different practice settings as students work toward developing the entry level skills of a generalist OT. Successful completion of Fieldwork II includes passing scores on the AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Student at the conclusion of each placement and the approval of the OT program director.
This is the first of two 12-week, full time, Level II fieldwork placements and is an essential part of the educational program. Level II fieldwork is completed in a practice setting as students work toward developing the entry level skills of a generalist OT. Successful completion of Level II fieldwork includes passing scores on the AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the occupational therapy student at the conclusion of each placement and the approval of the OT program director.
As a continuing part of the Level I Fieldwork series, students gain authentic, practical experience with the occupational therapy process by working with both an adult and child client in the Puget Sound occupational therapy teaching clinics. Course learning activities enhance both foundational knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary for professionalism and lifelong learning and growth.
The mental health clinical experience provides students with opportunities to engage in the community and is part of the Level I fieldwork series. It is designed to assist in the transition from the role of student to that of therapist by engaging in the occupational therapy process in its entirety.
This course advances knowledge in the areas of policy and advocacy that affect occupational therapy services across practice areas. Some issues from earlier coursework, such as in leadership and management, are revisited. However, in this course, students discover how and why these issues are formed and how and why they change over time. Students reflect upon their own practice and explore and discuss how occupational therapists can influence these systems issues across settings. This knowledge is then applied to a practice setting in order to further develop expertise.