Editorial selection · reviewed 3 November 2026

Best Post-Professional OTD Programs

An unranked editorial selection of post-professional OTD programs for practicing therapists, chosen from verified listings where official pages document the accreditation record and the fieldwork structure. Not a league table.

Unranked: within each group the order is alphabetical. This is not a league table, no numerical scores are given, and no school paid to be included. Selected for documented educational strengths, not because a listing has more published data.

California

Loma Linda University: Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (PPOTD)
University · Loma Linda, California
Post-professionalPost-Professional Occupational Therapy DoctorateACOTE: not applicable (post-professional program)stated by the schoolTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: two years of online didactic work plus capstone project.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.
University of Southern California: Post-Professional Doctorate (OTD) of Occupational Therapy
University · Los Angeles, California
Post-professionalPost-Professional Doctor of Occupational TherapyACOTE: Not applicable (post-professional)stated by the schoolTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 36 credits. Formal concentration: ot education, rehabilitation research, leadership administration.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Washington, DC

George Washington University: Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (pOTD)
University · Washington, Washington, DC
Post-professionalPost-Professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational TherapyAccreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 2.5 years completion time.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.
Howard University: Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Online
University · Washington, Washington, DC
Post-professionalPost-Professional Doctor of Occupational TherapyAccreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 12-14 months for full-time students, 34 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Illinois

University of Illinois Chicago: Post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy
University · Chicago, Illinois
Post-professionalPost-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (P-OTD)Accreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 1-2 years.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Indiana

Indiana University Indianapolis: Postprofessional OTD
University · Indianapolis, Indiana
Post-professionalPostprofessional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD)Accreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: Three semesters (online didactic program).
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.
Valparaiso University: Occupational Therapy, Post-Professional DrOT
University · Valparaiso, Indiana
Post-professionalPost-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT)Accreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: Four semesters and a capstone, completion in as few as 18 months, 30 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Kansas

University of Kansas Medical Center: Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Health sciences university · Kansas City, Kansas
Post-professionalPost-Professional Doctor of Occupational TherapyAccreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: Minimum 36 credit hours beyond a master's degree; one course per semester takes four years, 36 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Kentucky

Spalding University: Occupational Therapy Doctorate (Post-Professional OTD)
University · No campus listed · institution headquartered in Kentucky
Post-professionalOccupational Therapy Doctorate (Post-Professional OTD)Accreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: Five trimesters, one 6-credit hour course per trimester, 30 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Massachusetts

Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions: Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD)
University · Boston, Massachusetts
Post-professionalPost-Professional Doctor of Occupational TherapyAccreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 32 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Maine

University of Southern Maine: Post-Professional OTD
University · Lewiston, Maine
Post-professionalPost-Professional OTDACOTE: not_applicablenot verifiedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: 36 credits.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

Missouri

Washington University in St. Louis: Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD)
University · St. Louis, Missouri
Post-professionalPost-Professional Clinical Doctorate of Occupational TherapyAccreditation not confirmedTuition not published
Why it is here: Published structure: Five sequential semesters (including summer), part-time, 34 credits. Formal concentration: ot education, leadership administration.
Limitations: Only facts printed on official pages are used; faculty quality, student outcomes beyond the published figures shown, and employer relationships are not assessed.

What was considered

Considered: verified listings for post-professional OTD programs for practicing therapists in the current research (426 institutions). Selected programs are shown in state order, not by merit. States represented: California, Washington, DC, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri.

Criteria

Relevant accreditation: the exact program is listed in the ACOTE directory with the status shown on the listing
Curriculum structure and duration published on the official page
Fieldwork: documented Level II and capstone structure, where the program publishes it
Published outcomes, only with cohort, period and denominator
Cost transparency: tuition published with its billing basis
Information transparency is a precondition, not a reason: a program is not selected only because its website publishes more

Limitations

This is a selection from a partial research set, not a verdict on quality. It cannot assess teaching quality, faculty, student support or graduate employment, which we do not publish. Many strong programs are not yet researched, and some official pages could not be reached. Sponsorship has no influence. No rankings, scores, acceptance rates or salary figures are used.

Independence

Sponsorship never buys inclusion in, or the order of, a researched selection. Sponsored placements elsewhere on the site are labeled and kept separate.

Sources (12)