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Occupational Therapy Capstone

The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone is a 14-week, 560-hour experience that typically occurs in the spring semester and is designed to give third-year OTD students the opportunity to explore an area they may be interested in pursuing in their careers as occupational therapists. The goal of the Capstone is to provide in-depth exposure to clinical practice skills, research, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and/or theory development.

The Capstone is a student-driven process. Students identify an area of interest and complete the following activities in preparation for the Doctoral Capstone:

  • Literature Review
  • Needs Assessment
  • Identification of Goals and Objectives
  • Evaluation Plan

Placements

For the capstone experience, Drake OTD students have been placed in a wide variety of practice settings across Iowa and the United States. Often, students are matched to a site that aligns with their career interests. See examples of sites where OTD students have completed their capstone experiences in past years and the diverse areas of occupational therapy students have been immersed in.

  • A Horse Connection - Wake Forest, NC
  • Bee You Therapy - Mokena, IL
  • Behavioral Health Specialists, Inc. - Norfolk, NE
  • Beyond Aquatics - Murfreesboro, TN
  • ChildServe - Johnston, IA
  • Drake University Occupational Therapy Department - Des Moines, IA
  • Drake University Office of Access & Success - Des Moines, IA
  • E3 Collective - Dubuque, IA
  • Eastern Star Masonic Home - Boone, IA
  • Elmhurst University Master of Occupational Therapy Program - Elmhurst, IL
  • Empowered Homes - St. Louis, MO
  • Iowa Department of Human Rights - Waterloo, IA 
  • Iowa State University Digital Accessibility Lab - Ames, IA
  • Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network for Performing Artists at the Peabody Institute - Baltimore, MD
  • MercyOne Des Moines NICU - Des Moines, IA
  • Mindspring Mental Health Alliance - Des Moines, IA
  • National Sports Center for the Disabled - Winter Park, CO
  • Nebraska AgrAbility - Hastings, NE
  • Open Circle Adult Day Services - Apple Valley, MN
  • Open Doors Organization - Rosemont, IL
  • Optimae Rehabilitation Services - Des Moines, IA
  • OSF Healthcare St. Francis Medical Center Outpatient Rehabilitation - Belvidere, IL
  • Project Renewal - Davenport, IA
  • Rainbow Tree Therapies, LLC - Hudson, WI
  • Saint Louis University's Occupational Therapy Transition and Integration Services - St. Louis, MO
  • Sherwood Autism Center - Kansas City, MO
  • Stead Family Children's Hospital - Iowa City, IA
  • SwedishAmerican Hospital NICU - Rockford, IL
  • The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, TX
  • UnityPoint North Crossing Clinic - Waterloo, IA
  • UnityPoint Trinity Health - Rock Island, IL
  • University of Northern Iowa Student-Athlete Academic Services - Cedar Falls, IA
  • VA Central Iowa Health Care System - Des Moines, IA
  • Wheat Ridge Regional Center - Wheat Ridge, CO

  • Academia
  • Adaptive Sports
  • Advocacy
  • Agriculture
  • Aquatic Therapy
  • Community Practice
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Equine Therapy
  • Geriatrics
  • Hand Therapy
  • Home Health
  • Leadership and Evidence-Based Practice
  • Life Skills
  • Mental Health
  • Nature-Based Therapy
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Performing Arts
  • Program Development
  • Real Estate
  • Recreation
  • Transition and Integration
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Virtual Reality
  • Wellness

Capstone Spotlight

A Drake OT student smiles in front of a building with a sign saying "Open Circle Adult Day Services"
Ashley Tupy, OTD '26, completed her capstone experience at Open Circle Adult Day Services in Apple Valley, MN. She created simple, holistic wellness programs for older adults in areas such as socialization, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and sleep. The experience allowed her to build skills in creating meaningful, occupation-based activities promoting independence and quality of life.
Lauryn Pritchard lectures to a classroom of younger OT students
Lauryn Pritchard, OTD '24, completed her doctoral capstone at Drake University in the Occupational Therapy Department. Her capstone focused primarily on working with second-year OT students to develop their critical reasoning skills and increase their confidence in Treatment Planning and Pediatric class materials. The experience helped her find a love for higher education, where she plans to return in the future as a faculty member.
Drake OT capstone student poses with a group of skiers on top of a mountain
Alayna (McCalley) Woods, OTD '22, completed her capstone experience at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, CO. She served as an instructor for adaptive ski lessons. Her favorite part of the Doctoral Capstone experience was getting to meet all of her participants and co-instructors and getting to experience something so unique!