Welcome From the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University.  We're happy you have chosen to visit our site.  We hope you find it accessible and useful.

You will find the program here is one of Kentucky's "crown jewels."  Our Department was named 29th by US News & World Report for best Master's Occupational Therapy Program and the our Post-Professional OT Doctorate Program was rated #2 by Nonprofit College online for Students Before Profits 2016 award.

Although we have an impressive facility, our uniqueness comes from our faculty.  They are a dedicated, personable group of people who are united toward a common goal:  student's quality, individualized education. When taking Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy classes at EKU, instruction will not be given by teaching assistants, but from faculty members who are experts in their fields. Our courses emphasize hands-on learning as well as models of instruction that teach students not only how to be successful occupational scientists and therapists, but also how to recognize and adjust to the changing medical environment of the 21st century.

The faculty have presented nationally and internationally and have received important state and national awards, including the prestigious Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. The students are involved in both the social life and decision-making of the Department through the Student Occupational Science Association, the Student Occupational Therapy Association, Pi Theta Epsilon, and the Coalition of Occupational Therapists Advocating for Diversity.

Tuition and other expenses at Eastern are among the lowest you will find anywhere; of course, financial assistance is still a large factor for everyone contemplating college.  We scholarships available for both undergraduate and graduate students. More than 70% of students at Eastern receive partial or full assistance for their entire degree program through the University’s scholarship, loan, and work-study programs. Scholarship information can be found at www.finaid.eku.edu.

As people say – “seeing is believing.” Let me personally invite you to visit and tour our facility. Make arrangements by e-mailing Donna.McDaniel2@eku.edu or calling 859-622-3300.

If you have already visited our Department, we hope that we can welcome you back for a longer visit, perhaps to sit in on some of our classes or to speak at length with a faculty member in your area of career interest.

Sincerely,
Dana Howell, Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Foundation Professor & Chair