HISTORY
The First Occupational Therapy Program at an HBCU in the Nation!
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History of OT at Howard
In 1969 an ad-hoc committee was appointed by the Vice President of Health Affairs to conduct a feasibility study of allied health education programs. As a result, the Department of Allied Health was established as part of the College of Medicine. Naomi B. Wright, MA, OTR (one of the first Blacks to receive the Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy), and a member of the ad-hoc committee, established the curriculum in occupational therapy which was established by order of the Howard University Board of Trustees on January 1, 1974, under the deanship of Dr. Harley Flack.
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The first professional level Bachelor of Science class consisting of 14 students was accepted in the fall of 1974. The program in occupational therapy received initial accreditation in 1975. The first class graduated in May of 1976. Today Howard University’s occupational therapy program is Nationally known for its commitment to diversity and minority education, and is the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to have an accredited occupational therapy program. Howard University is also groundbreaking as the first HBCU with a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree program, and is the largest supplier of occupational therapists to urban hospitals, schools, and nursing homes in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The OT program has graduated thousands of students who continue to break the glass ceiling as leaders, entrepreneurs, change agents, and world travelers.
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OT Program Offering at Howard
The Department of Occupational Therapy has a 2.5 entry-level Master of Science Degree program in occupational therapy; a 3-year entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), and a 100% online post-professional OTD program. The Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) at Howard University is one of eight Allied Health Science programs within the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences located in the heart of the Nation’s Capital at 801 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.
OT Mission Statement at Howard
The Howard University Occupational Therapy faculty is committed to teaching, research, and community service directed toward the reduction of barriers that prevent individuals from achieving a mastery of occupation. The faculty is dedicated to addressing emerging health an health-related needs of blacks and underserved populations by promoting the role of occupation in the solution to human and social problems in local, national, and international communities.
