Current admissions cycle closes May 15, 2027. Attend a visit day or information session to learn about the program, meet faculty, and take the first step toward your OTD.
Upcoming Visit Opportunities
Reserve your spot at an upcoming event. Both virtual and in-person options are available throughout the academic year.
September 11, 2026 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Dr. Erik Johnson, OTD, OTR, FAOTA
Clinical Assistant Professor, OTD Program
Dr. Johnson spent over two decades as an Army occupational therapist, earning the Bronze Star Medal for his work in brain injury care during his deployment to Afghanistan and leading OT programs at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He now serves on the AOTA Board of Directors and brings that depth of clinical and national leadership to Tarleton, teaching assistive technology and universal design to the next generation of OT students.
Come meet Dr. Johnson and learn more about the OTD program, from day-to-day coursework to what sets Tarleton’s program apart.
October 9, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Dr. Shannon Levandowski, EdD, OTD, MS, OTR, BCP, SCSS
Professor, Founding Program Director, OTD Program
Dr. Levandowski is a nationally recognized leader in occupational therapy education, serving within Leadership in AOTA’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program. Dr. Levandowski leads Tarleton OTD Program’s signature Rural Practice Series, a one-of-a-kind course sequence built to prepare OT students for practice in rural, local communities. As the founding architect of Tarleton’s OTD program, she built the curriculum students will experience firsthand, meaning that meeting her at this session means meeting the person shaping where OT education is headed nationally.
Come meet Dr. Levandowski and learn more about the OTD program straight from the person who built it, and get an inside look at what a typical interview day looks like.
October 23, 2026 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Dr. Lindsay Warner, OTD, OTR
Clinical Assistant Professor, OTD Program
Dr. Warner specializes in pediatrics, school based and NICU practice, leading the pediatric courses where students learn to work with infants, children, youth and their families. Her firsthand clinical background adds a real-world layer to every case she teaches. Students consistently point to her for pairing real, hands-on clinical wisdom with a genuine investment in their success.
Come meet Dr. Warner and learn more about the OTD program, including what a first year in the curriculum actually looks like.
November 6, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Dr. Patricia Bowyer, EdD, MS, OTR, FAOTA, SFHEA
Professor, OTD Program
Dr. Bowyer is a nationally recognized occupational therapy scholar and Fellow of AOTA, honored with the A. Jean Ayres Award for her research on the Model of Human Occupation and known for her contributions to Willard & Spackman’s Occupational Therapy, the field’s flagship textbook. She joins Tarleton this fall to teach the program’s core research courses, bringing decades of scholarship and teaching experience with her.
Come meet Dr. Bowyer and learn more about the OTD program, and get a preview of the perspective she’ll bring to the faculty team this fall.
November 20, 2026 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Dr. Said Nafai, OTD, OTR
Clinical Associate Professor, OTD Program
Dr. Nafai has spent his career building OT access where it didn’t exist, founding Morocco’s OT profession, an achievement that earned him the American Occupational Therapy Association’s International Service Award, and leading global service-learning initiatives through the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. He brings that same access-driven mindset to Tarleton, teaching adult rehabilitation and acute care with an eye toward reaching under resourced communities.
Come meet Dr. Nafai and learn more about the OTD program, including how the curriculum builds clinical reasoning skills from the ground up.
February 5, 2027 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Dr. Alicia Lohmann, OTD, MOT, OTR, CBIS, ATP
Clinical Professor, Capstone Coordinator, OTD Program
With over 30 years as a practicing occupational therapist, Dr. Lohmann brings deep clinical expertise in brain injury and adult neurological rehabilitation, seating and positioning, and assistive technology, backed by credentials including Certified Brain Injury Specialist and Assistive Technology Practitioner. Dr. Lohmann serves as Tarleton’s OTD Capstone Coordinator, guiding every student through the program’s 14-week doctoral capstone, from selecting a mentor and specialty focus to designing and completing the project that caps off the degree.
Come meet Dr. Lohmann and learn more about the OTD program, especially how the capstone year turns coursework into a specialized, career-shaping project.
March 5, 2027 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Dr. Michelle Pauli, OTD, OTR, CHT, SCDCM
Clinical Assistant Professor, OTD Program
With over 25 years of clinical experience spanning three continents, from psychiatric and cardiac rehabilitation in South Africa to hand therapy and rural home health across Texas, Dr. Pauli brings rare depth to the OTD classroom as a Certified Hand Therapist with specialty certifications in driving rehabilitation and dry needling. She now leads the program’s mental health coursework, training students in the same holistic, whole-person approach to care that has defined her career.
Come meet Dr. Pauli and learn more about the OTD program, and hear firsthand how classroom learning connects to real fieldwork.
April 2, 2027 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Dr. Gina Benavente, DHSc, MPH, OTR
Associate Clinical Professor & Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, OTD Program
As Tarleton’s Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Dr. Benavente doesn’t just place students in fieldwork slots, she builds fieldwork capacity from scratch, developing new community partnerships in areas where occupational therapy has never had a presence before. Her work securing grant funding to support these local connections, paired with the global elective she’s opened up for students to practice OT in Italy, with plans to expand to additional countries, means students get access to opportunities most OT programs simply don’t offer.
Come meet Dr. Benavente and learn more about the OTD program, especially how fieldwork is woven throughout the curriculum from day one.
Can’t make it in person?
We invite you to join Dr. Alicia Lohmann virtually to learn all about the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Tarleton State University throughout the Fall and Spring semesters! Have your questions answered and take the next step on your journey to becoming an Occupational Therapist. Be sure to register in the link below!
Admissions Requirements
Accreditation Status
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted PreAccrediation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814.
ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
The Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program at Tarleton State is designed to be completed in consequential eight semesters with a summer entry point. Students are part of a cohort and complete courses as part of a designated curriculum design reflective of Tarleton State’s Mission and Vision. As part of the curriculum, Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork and an individual 14-week capstone experience within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program (not to exceed 60 months total). The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as defined in 2023 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.
Tarleton State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. This program been approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Tarleton State is a founding member of the Texas A&M University System.
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