Program Description

History of Occupational Therapy in the Military 

Army Occupational Therapy is a story of innovation in healing, born from the unique challenges of modern warfare. While the concept of therapeutic activity is ancient, its formalization as a military medical discipline was forged in the period of World War I. The conflict introduced a new, devastating scale of physical injury and the invisible wounds of "shell shock." In response, the Army pioneered the use of "Reconstruction Aides" who utilized purposeful activity, from arts and crafts to vocational skills, to restore not just the body, but the mind and spirit of the soldier. These early practitioners proved that meaningful occupation was a critical component of holistic rehabilitation, laying the groundwork for a new profession.

World War II marked a period of dramatic expansion and cemented the profession's identity. The demand for therapists rose, and this era validated occupational therapy as an essential element of combat readiness and recovery.

In the post-war era, the profession was formally integrated into the armed forces with the establishment of the Women's Medical Specialist Corps (WMSC) in 1947, which included occupational therapists, physical therapists, and dietitians. Recognizing that skill and leadership know no gender, the Corps began accepting men in 1955 and was aptly renamed the Army Medical Specialist Corps (AMSC). 

Today, Army Occupational Therapists serve in a wide range of settings, from combat support hospitals in operational theaters to major medical centers like Walter Reed. The scope of modern Army OT is vast; practitioners are recognized as key providers in everything from post-surgical and orthopedic rehabilitation to the highly specialized management of TBI, post-traumatic stress, and Soldier performance optimization.

Program Description 

The Entry-Level Army-Baylor Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program provides an accelerated, learner-centered, occupation-based, educational program that emphasizes academic excellence, life-long-scholarship, and servant leadership. This 30-month, educational program prepares doctoral-level, U.S. Army commissioned Occupational Therapy practitioners with the requisite clinical reasoning skills and professional values to be responsive to the occupational needs of persons, organizations, and populations within the military they serve.

The OTD Program is the first in the nation in which graduates will have advanced practice for upper extremity conditions, mental health, and holistic health and fitness within the federal system. 

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Graduates are employed as U.S. Army Occupational Therapists in such settings as hospitals, mental health facilities, combat stress control units, operational field units, rehabilitation hospitals, out-patient settings, administrative and leadership positions within the Army community.

The Entry-Level U.S. Army-Baylor Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) Program is fully ACCREDITED by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814-6519. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is: www.acoteonline.org.

For the graduate to sit for the national certification examination for the Occupational Therapist administered by the NBCOT, the student must complete all academic fieldwork requirements of the OTD Program.

After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Information about NBCOT and the certification examination can be found at www.nbcot.org. NBCOT maintains the public database of graduation rates for every accredited program.

Note: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. An individual, who has a felony background and is considering entering an occupational therapy program, can have his or her background reviewed prior to applying for the exam by requesting an Early Determination Review.

Program Outcomes

*Based on a calendar year. Graduation rate is calculated according to ACOTE policy.

**Program established in 2021 and did not matriculate the first graduating class until 2024.

For more information about the program, please contact ArmyBaylorOTD@baylor.edu. 

Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences

The Entry-Level Army-Baylor OTD Program is sponsored by Baylor University through the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Please click here for the current Baylor University Graduate Catalog.

U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence

The Entry-Level Army-Baylor OTD program is an in-residence program, housed at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Students are commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. Due to the students’ active duty obligations and association with the uniformed services, certain policies and procedures governing students are unique to this program and may be found in the current OTD Program Manual or the Individual Student Assessment Plan (ISAP) published by this graduate program.