Academic Catalog

Pre-Doctor of Occupational Therapy - Entry Level

St. Catherine University offers a dual-degree program for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy for a limited number of undergraduate students. This program is available only to certain majors and contingent on students meeting OTD admission requirements. This information can be found under the "Major Requirements" heading.

Qualifying students will complete their undergraduate major in three years. In their fourth year, while still enrolled at the undergraduate level, students will begin taking OTD courses while completing any remaining undergraduate requirements to earn their Bachelor's degree. In their fifth year, students will complete the OTD program while enrolled as graduate students.

The majors listed below have each developed a sequence of courses that include the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program prerequisites, liberal arts core requirements, and major course work in their respective fields. Upon completion of the curriculum, students will earn a B.A. or B.S. degree and a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree. 

Dual Degree (3+2) Applicants

To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Junior status at St. Catherine University
  • Declared major in one of the following:
  • An undergraduate cumulative grade-point average (G.P.A.) of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants who have a cumulative G.P.A. lower than 3.2 should submit an explanatory statement with their application for consideration.
  • Have met with a pre-occupational therapy advisor
  • Prerequisite Courses
    • Prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.2 or better
    • No more than one prereq course repeated, and repeated no more than one time
    • At least six of the nine prerequisite courses must have been completed (e.g. earned a grade) prior to applying to the OTD program, including at least two from the sciences (A&P, stats, etc.)

The curriculum listed below indicates the undergraduate coursework a student must complete by the end of their junior year.

Students who are admitted into the OTD program will take graduate level coursework in their senior year, which will count towards their undergraduate and graduate program requirements. Typically, students will be awarded their Bachelor's Degree at the end of their senior year. Students are encouraged to work with Academic Advising and the Financial Aid Office when planning for their senior year to ensure their eligibility for financial aid. 

After completion of their Bacehlor degree, students will complete any remaining graduate level courses to earn their Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree.

Communication Studies

This major is available in the College for Women only.

Students who do not gain entry into the OTD program after their junior year will have satisfied the requirements for the Communication Studies major, but may need additional credits to earn a B.A. degree

Required Prerequisite Courses (pre-OTD)

BIOL 2610Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab4
BIOL 2620Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
or IPE 1030 Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
or PSYC 1000 General Psychology
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
PSYC 3010Understanding Psychological Disorders4
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
or SOCI 2300 Sociology of Health and Medicine
or SOCI 3250 Cultural Anthropology
Select one from the following:4
ECON 1080
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
ECON 1090
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
HLTH 1090
Biostatistics
PSYC 1090
Statistical Methods in Psychology
STAT 1089
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
STAT 1090
Statistical Analysis
Total Credits29

Communication Studies Courses

COMM 1000WCommunication Strategies for Social Justice4
COMM 1030Speaking to Lead and Influence4
COMM 2050Media, Culture and Society4
COMM 3070WGender and Rhetoric4
COMM 3100Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences4
COMM 4600Leadership and the Art of Persuasion4
COMM 485X Senior Seminar4
One additional 4000-level COMM Course4
Total Credits32

Exercise and Sport Science

This major is available in the College for Women only.

Students who do not gain entry into the OTD program after their junior year complete the remaining course requirements for the B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science

Required Prerequisite Courses (pre-OTD)

BIOL 2610Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab4
BIOL 2620Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
or IPE 1030 Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
or PSYC 1000 General Psychology
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
PSYC 3010Understanding Psychological Disorders4
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
or SOCI 2300 Sociology of Health and Medicine
or SOCI 3250 Cultural Anthropology
Select one from the following:4
ECON 1080
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
ECON 1090
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
HLTH 1090
Biostatistics
PSYC 1090
Statistical Methods in Psychology
STAT 1089
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
STAT 1090
Statistical Analysis
Total Credits29

 Exercise and Sports Science Courses

EXSS 2660Introduction to Exercise and Sport Science4
EXSS 2800WIntroduction to Research Methods in Exercise Science4
EXSS 3200Health Behavior Psychology4
EXSS 3350Kinesiology and Biomechanics with Lab4
EXSS 3450Exercise Physiology with Lab4
EXSS 3550Exercise Testing and Prescription with Lab4
EXSS 3615Motor Learning and Motor Control4
EXSS 3750Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries2
IPE 4200WHealthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice4
Total Credits34

Psychology

This dual degree major is available in the College for Women only.

Students who do not gain entry into the OTD program after their junior year complete the remaining course requirements for the B.A. in Psychology.

Required Prerequisite Courses (pre-OTD)

BIOL 2610Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab4
BIOL 2620Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
or IPE 1030 Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
or SOCI 2300 Sociology of Health and Medicine
or SOCI 3250 Cultural Anthropology
Total Credits13

Psychology Courses 

PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab 14
PSYC 1090Statistical Methods in Psychology 14
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology 14
PSYC 3000Research Methods in Psychology4
PSYC 3010Understanding Psychological Disorders 14
PSYC 4220WHistory and Systems4
3000 or 4000 level PSYC Elective4
Total Credits28
1

Also meets prerequisite requirement for OTD program.

 Public Health: Public Policy

This major is available in the College for Women and the College for Adults.

Students who do not gain entry into the OTD program after their junior year complete the remaining course requirements for the B.S. in Public Health: Public Policy

Required Prerequisite Courses (pre-OTD)

BIOL 2610Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab4
BIOL 2620Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab4
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1
or IPE 1030 Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology
PSYC 1001General Psychology with Lab4
or PSYC 1000 General Psychology
PSYC 2025Lifespan Developmental Psychology4
PSYC 3010Understanding Psychological Disorders4
SOCI 1000Principles and Concepts of Sociology4
or SOCI 2300 Sociology of Health and Medicine
or SOCI 3250 Cultural Anthropology
Total Credits25

Public Health: Public Policy courses

HLTH 1090Biostatistics 14
HLTH 2050Foundations in Public Health4
HLTH 3150Epidemiology4
HLTH 3250Global Health4
or HLTH 3210 Health Communications
HLTH 3350Environmental Health4
HLTH 4700Practicum Preparation2
HLTH 4754Practicum4
HLTH 4800WSenior Seminar in Public Health4
MGMT 3850Healthcare Policy4
or ECON 3250 Healthcare Economics
One course related to the legal, economic and communication dimensions of health4
Total Credits38
1

Also meets prerequisite requirement for OTD program.

 GRADUATE COURSES TAKEN SENIOR YEAR

OCTH 5010Human Occupation3
OCTH 5200Mental and Behavioral Health3
OCTH 5410Children, Adolescents, and Families3
OCTH 5500Neuroscience3
OCTH 5600Kinesiology for Rehabilitation3
OCTH 6000Foundational Skills for Occupational Therapy Practice3
OCTH 6010Seminar A: Entering the Profession1
OCTH 6020Seminar B and Level I Fieldwork - Psychological and Social Factors Impacting Performance1
OCTH 6310Evidence Based Practice3
or IPE 7000 Evidence Based Practice: Interprofessional Perspectives and Competencies
OCTH 6410Foundations of Research3
OCTH 6610Rehabilitation Concepts3
OCTH 6700Older Adults in Context3
OCTH 7100Social Determinants of Health1
OCTH 7900Doctoral Orientation Camp1
Total Credits34

 GRADUATE COURSES TAKEN AFTER BACHELOR'S DEGREE

OCTH 5210Mental and Behavioral Health: The OT Process3
OCTH 5450Children, Adolescents, and Families: The OT Process3
OCTH 5560Participation and Technology3
OCTH 6030Seminar C and Level I Fieldwork Practice Reflection1
OCTH 6040Seminar D: Readiness for Level II Fieldwork1
OCTH 6060Physical Assessment and Intervention Planning3
OCTH 6615Rehabilitation Practices3
OCTH 6620Ethical Management3
OCTH 6710Older Adults - The OT Process3
OCTH 7200Critical Issues1
OCTH 7700Level II Fieldwork5
OCTH 7710Level II Fieldwork5
OCTH 8005Essential Knowledge and Competencies for Leadership3
OCTH 8010Evolution of Ideas in Occupational Therapy3
OCTH 8020Educational Methods3
OCTH 8030Program Evaluation3
OCTH 8040Organizations and Systems3
OCTH 8050Advanced Practice3
OCTH 8060Scoping Review Project3
OCTH 8080Doctoral Capstone Project Proposal1
OCTH 8100Doctoral Capstone Experience A3
OCTH 8150Doctoral Capstone Experience B3
OCTH 8250Doctoral Capstone Project3
OCTH 8300Doctoral Capstone Footprint1
Total Credits66