Doctoral Capstone
The Doctoral Capstone Project and Experience is intended for students in an entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. According to the Accreditation a Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®), the doctoral capstone is an integral part of the program’s curriculum, with a goal to provide an in-depth exploration to a specific area of focus (ACOTE®, 2018). The doctoral capstone consists of the capstone experience and the capstone project. ACOTE ® standard D.1.3 states that students will complete an individual 14-week (560 hours) capstone experience, that is to be started after completion of all coursework and level II fieldwork (ACOTE®, 2018). During the doctoral capstone experience, the student is not required to support a full clinical caseload, or any caseload, but can treat or evaluate clients to advance their skills and/or knowledge in the chosen focus area related to the project (Kroll et al., 2022).
Level II Fieldwork
Level II Fieldwork is a requirement for all occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs, from the doctoral level to the associate level. According to ACOTE®, the goal of Level II Fieldwork is to develop competent, entry-level, generalist OTs with the experience of delivering OT services to a variety of clients in different settings (ACOTE®, 2018). For OT students (doctoral and master’s level), there is a minimum requirement of 24 weeks’ full-time (or part-time in accordance to site personnel policies) in a minimum of 1 setting if it is reflective of more than one practice area and a maximum of 4 settings. For OTA students (baccalaureate and associate level), there is a requirement of 16 weeks’ full-time (or part time in accordance with site personnel policies) in a minimum of 1 setting if it is reflective of more than one practice area and a maximum of 3 settings.
Comparison of Level II and Capstone
The table on the right further describes the differences between the fieldwork and capstone experiences, as of the 2018 ACOTE® standards (Kroll et al., 2022).
Please note that when ACOTE ® standards are implemented in 2025, the length of the capstone experience will change. Rather than 14-weeks, 560 hours, and 80% on-site, the capstone experience will be 14-weeks, a minimum of 32 hours per week, and no differentiation between on-site versus off-site time.
Fieldwork Educators’ and Site Mentor’s Perceptions Regarding Occupational Therapy Level II Fieldwork and Doctoral Capstone Students (A Capstone Project)
A capstone project completed by Soriah Milorin at the University of Florida addressed the novelty and ambiguity of Capstone from the mentorship perspective by comparing it to Level II Fieldwork (Milorin, 2023). It was found that there is a specific need for resources differentiating Level II Fieldwork and Capstone in clinical settings, which her deliverable infographic at the top of the page begins to address.
Overall, the fieldwork experience guides students towards generalist practitioners and the doctoral capstone experience gives students the opportunity to gain in-depth exposure in their preferred area of focus. Regardless of the path the OT student takes to become a practitioner, they will be well-equipped to be competent entry-level practitioners.
Written by Gianna Martello, OTS
Resources
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. (2018). 2018 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards and Interpretive Guide. https://acoteonline.org/accreditation-explained/standards/
Kroll, C., Struckmeyer, L. R., & Schmeltz, B. (2022, March 24). What is the entry-level OTD doctoral capstone and how can you benefit? OT Practice, 27(4). https://www.aota.org/publications/ot-practice/ot-practice-issues/2022/entry-level-otd-capstone
Milorin, S. (2023). Fieldwork educators’ and site mentors’ perceptions regarding occupational therapy level II fieldwork and doctoral capstone students. (Publication No. 1433157644). [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Florida]. IR@UF: Institutional Repository. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/aa00098657/00001