The Doctoral Experiential Capstone or DEx is a unique experiential and scholarly project that is conducted by an occupational therapy doctoral student with Western New England University and a community partner. This project provides an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned from didactic coursework, as well as Level l and ll fieldwork in a setting where occupational therapy is not typically observed. The doctoral student is able to develop and implement an experiential and scholarly project that specifically responds to the needs of the community population and setting.

The Western New England Doctoral Experiential Capstone Consists Of:

1. Community Experiential Component - 14 weeks with 560 hours of service completed at the community partner's organization. Organizations may include homecare agencies, hospitals, schools, and clinics. The goal of the doctoral student is to observe, and learn about the organization and population, while partaking in daily activities.

2. Scholarly Project - Enhances the community experiential through research, understanding and meeting the organizations unmet needs. This is completed through a needs assessment, literature review and working collaboration between faculty mentors, site mentors, and peers.

The two components of the DEx occur simultaneously to enhance the learning and development of the student.

Reference

Western New England University: Division of Occupational Therapy [WNEU: Division of OT]. (2020). Division of occupational therapy doctoral experiential manual.

Please click the button below or navigate using the side bar to explore the biographies of the team that made the DEx possible.