TCU introduces doctor of occupational therapy program

By Anna Gasowski, Staff Writer

Published Sep 3, 2025

Students in the cohort pose with their professors for the first day of classes in the program. (@tcuotd on Instagram)

TCU’s Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences has launched a three-year doctoral program in occupational therapy.

The first cohort of 25 graduate students enrolled over the summer. They will focus on learning to care for people who need assistance in daily life skills because of a physical or mental illness.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported a 14% expected job increase over the next decade for occupational therapists, making this the perfect time to add the program.

Students will spend the first two years of the program in the classroom taking courses with coordinating labs. The third year will consist of two 12-week, full-time supervised fieldwork experiences followed by a 14-week doctoral capstone project.

Many undergraduate students in TCU’s Department of Kinesiology are on the pre-occupational therapy (OT) track. This program will give them the opportunity to apply to continue their studies at TCU.

“When I learned TCU was starting an OTD program, I was thrilled,” Caroline Romp, a senior pre-occupational therapy student, said. “It motivated me to be more intentional with my coursework and shadowing experiences, knowing these opportunities would help prepare me for this next step.”

Occupational therapists work with clients who are either recovering from injuries or have disabilities to help them regain their independence and promote healthy habits. (Photo courtesy of TCU Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program website)

Students in the first cohort will have the opportunity to provide feedback for future students while gaining real-world experience through the program.

“I’ve had classes where they’ve had teachers actually in an occupational therapy field, which was really nice to see the actual real-world applications,” Jennessa Morrison, a TCU alumna in the OTD program, said. “I saw that they were implementing that as well into their graduate program, so it made me want to stick around.”

Students also have the chance to partner with KinderFrogs, an organization that works with children who have Down syndrome, and Starpoint School, an organization that works with children who have learning disabilities.

“We’re really excited to continue to partner with KinderFrogs and Starpoint, potentially for student and faculty research, for experiential learning opportunities and for our students to participate with the students at those schools,” Grace Franko Barlow, the academic fieldwork coordinator of the program, said.

This new academic program is part of TCU’s ongoing initiative to increase graduate programs, which included the opening of the Burnett School of Medicine in 2019.

“I think people have wanted a program here at TCU for a really long time, and Harris College was in a unique position to grow,” Barlow said.

The class of students used Mahoney & Smallfield’s (2024) “thinking cap” teaching method in TCU OTD’s Introduction to Occupational and Rehabilitation Science Theory course. The cohort posed with their caps on the last day of the course to represent this theory. (Photo courtesy of @tcuotd on Instagram)

Barlow’s job allows her to set students up for success in learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom in ways that contribute to the community.

“We are offering an international fieldwork opportunity for our students, which not every program offers,” Barlow said. “So this spring, we’ll be going to Peru to do OT fieldwork with about half of the cohort. I think this especially aligns with the TCU mission of ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.”