My research indicates more and more schools are relinquishing MOTs and offering just OTDs (Sam Merritt and UCA this cycle, Midwestern next, Elmhurst, etc).
Are schools doing this in preparation for OTD becoming the entry level requirement? I believe by 2025, right? And, did that officially "pass?" If so, it's no longer a designer degree...Those who are applying before 2025 will be grandfathered in, but there are more than a few schools that are only offering OTD even though it's 9 years away.
What do you think accounts for this? The OTs I know in the field are all against it. They say it'll saddle students with more student loan debt than what their salaries are capable of reasonably paying back, and that many facilities won't hire these candidates because they CAN'T pay them. Everyone I've talked to across the board says they favor clinical reasoning and experience over fancy letters after one's name, yet this is moving forward. I guess I don't really understand why?
It has been officially passed that all school be a dotoral program by 2025: Here is what I found on OTCAS
Q. Why consider the doctorate as the single entry-level degree?
The profession has “sanctioned” the entry-level doctoral programs since the first OTD program was accredited in 1998. At that time, the profession offered three different degree levels for entry to the profession. This position of the OTD was reinforced by the Representative Assembly in 1999 when it adopted Resolution J, making it the official policy of the Association that the entry to the professional level of practice in occupational therapy be at the
post baccalaureate degree level. Currently there are 6 accredited and 13 applicant or candidate entry-level doctoral programs. The view of some that we should sanction the master’s degree as the entry level neglects to recognize that entry-level doctoral programs exist and are proliferating. While this is not a compelling argument in and of itself for moving to the OTD entry level, it is an important point of consideration in the discussion.
Master’s programs in occupational therapy have a high credit load compared to most master’s-level programs. Students in combined bachelor’s/master’s programs typically take a minimum of 5 to 5.5 years post-secondary study to complete the entry-level requirements. Students in graduate master’s programs typically take a minimum of 6 to 6.5 years of post-secondary study. The United States Department of Education defines a professional doctorate as “
a doctorate that is conferred upon completion of a program providing the knowledge and skills for the recognition, credential, or license required to enter professional practice. The degree is awarded after a period of study such that the total time to the degree, including both pre-professional and professional preparation, equals at least six full-time equivalent academic years.” (retrieved
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/news_room/trp_technical_review_02072006_18.asp). Many of the existing master’s programs meet or exceed the USDE minimal requirement for a professional doctorate.
The current high credit load in master’s programs makes it very difficult to add additional content, especially with the current trends in state policy to limit the credit loads of degrees to control costs. However, the educational programs are being asked to address changes in the health care delivery system, such as the increased focus on primary care, interprofessional care teams, and specialization in practice, all of which will require increased content in the entry-level academic programs (Institute of Medicine, 2010; Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel, 2011; National Committee for Quality Assurance (NQF), 2013). The practice community has argued that other areas of the curriculum do not currently meet the needs of their practice areas and are petitioning ACOTE for increased content.
The majority of health professions are either at the doctoral level, transitioning to the doctorate, or are debating the issue. The studies on the development of the professions have identified that as professions have “matured” they have moved to higher degree levels (
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/previous-work/professional-graduate-education). More often than not, the primary issues are related to autonomy and perceived power.
When considering whether to recommend doctoral as the entry-level degree, we examined what has changed since we moved to the master’s entry level and considered what might have happened if we had not done this. At that time concerns were raised regarding costs, access, diversity, and faculty shortages, with little perceived gain in competency as an entry-level therapist. Then, as now, we saw the advantages of a more advanced degree in terms of where the health care system and the profession were going. The profession ultimately made the transition successfully and holds a respected position as a member of health care teams, which is reflected in both public policy and practice. However, we know the health care system continues to change with the evolution of new delivery models and approaches to care, and this environment presents both opportunities and dangers. For example, occupational therapy was initially excluded from an important national initiative to develop an assessment on interprofessional behaviors because we were not a “doctoral” profession. While this is but one example, we are deeply concerned that we could be seriously disadvantaged in the emerging health care environment if we don’t have the educational equivalent of our peers in other health care professions.
Source: American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) (2014). 2012-2013
Aggregate Program Data: PT Programs. Author: Alexandria, VA. Retrieved from
http://www.capteonline.org/AggregateProgramData/
