Flex OTD Program
The Flex OTD (online/weekend) program is a unique and proven hybrid learning model that combines distance learning with on campus, face-to-face laboratory weekend classes.
Flex OTD will offer you the opportunity to learn online at your own pace where you want during the week and then meet your fellow students on campus during selected weekend sessions to experience USAHS’s lab sessions delivered by faculty that pioneered distance learning in the OT field.
Flex OTD Mission
The mission of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) OTD program is to graduate OT practitioners with the doctoral skills necessary to analyze human occupation and to implement science-driven and evidence-based interventions that promote quality of life for the clients whom they will serve. All USAHS OTD graduates will contribute to their profession and to a global society through their competence, ethical standards and professionalism. Upon successful completion of the OTD program, graduates will demonstrate preparation beyond the generalist level in practice, theory and research skills, leadership, advocacy and program development.
Program Overview
- More than 50% of coursework will be delivered online providing for a flexible study schedule.
- On campus lab sessions will be held during selected weekend sessions so your time required on campus will be minimized.
- Multiple fieldwork and immersion experiences deliver critical hands-on experience and patient management skills.
- Two fieldwork experiences during the second half of the program deliver critical hands-on experience and patient management skills. These internships are 12 weeks long, if completed full-time.*
- The Flex OTD curriculum is identical to the campus-based OTD program but because of the reduced trimester, credit load will be delivered over 12 trimesters (4 years) instead of 8 trimesters.
* Clinical placements are determined by USAHS based on the student’s academic needs and to provide the best educational experience. Students should plan on the need to travel and/or relocate for clinical experiences.
How it Will Work
The Flex OTD program will be a combination of distance learning – more than 50% of the coursework will be delivered online – and on campus laboratory classes that are delivered in person.
Online Learning
Online courses will consist of web-based text with supporting graphics, videos, and audio clips. Students will interact with faculty and other students through synchronous and asynchronous interactive collaboration.
- Synchronous – scheduled online learning activities when faculty and students meet at the same time through electronic means
- Asynchronous – online learning activities that can occur at any time and at any location the student desires
Assessment of online learning outcomes will include a variety of evaluation tools depending on the course objectives such as:
- Regular quizzes completed online
- Graded bulletin board assignments
- Case reports
- Group projects
- Research papers
- Article critiques
- Proctored exams
Don’t worry if you’ve not taken an online class before. USAHS has an excellent online orientation (i.e. Student Readiness Orientation or “SRO”) program to help you learn how to navigate the course software and prepare you for being an online student. Each course also contains a help section and tech support is readily available to all students.
On Campus Laboratory Classes
In courses with a lab component, students meet on campus for up to 16 hours of laboratory classes per selected weekends during a 15-week trimester. The lab sessions focus on hands-on learning which is vital to occupational therapy education, as well as oral presentations, interdisciplinary opportunities, and lab practical examinations.
For more information on our Flex OTD program, please contact us today to connect with an enrollment advisor, register for an upcoming MOT/OTD information session (virtual) or explore another program at one of our campuses in Miami, FL; St. Augustine, FL; San Marcos, CA; Austin, TX; or Dallas, TX.
