OTD Capstone Frequently Asked Questions

Who can supervise an OTD capstone student?

OTD capstone projects are not required to be completed in an occupational therapy clinic. The acote standards do not require an occupational therapist to be on site. However, students who wish to gain advanced clinical practice skills will be reaching out to sites with occupational therapists. In those occurrences, an occupational therapist with bachelor's or master's degrees is qualified to provide OTD student mentorship, especially if they have significant clinical practice experience or certifications. Sites that do not currently have an occupational therapist will work with the WVU OTD Capstone Coordinator to select an appropriate site mentor for the student.

Why does the student make first contact with prospective sites?

If you've previously supervised an OT fieldwork student, you are likely familiar with communicating with the academic fieldwork coordinator first. You might wonder why we’ve allowed the students to make contact first. Throughout the doctoral capstone process, it's our goal for students to build confidence and competence in their abilities to be practitioners, leaders, and advocates. Building these skills will garner resilience and prepare the students to work in traditional and non-traditional settings.

How long is the OTD capstone?

The length of the doctoral capstone experience is a minimum of 14 weeks (560 hours). This may not be completed on a part-time basis. No more than 20% (112 hours) of the 560 hours can be completed off-site from the mentored practice setting(s), to ensure a concentrated experience in the designated area of interest. Time spent off-site may include independent study activities such as research and writing. Prior fieldwork or work experience may not be substituted for this doctoral capstone experience.

I'm interested in supervising a student but want to learn more.

In the 7-minute video below, the WVU OTD Capstone Coordinator provides an overview of the purpose and process.