Student Life in Baylor OTD
Learn how faith, community, and connection are cultivated in Baylor’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program.
While the Baylor OTD program is hybrid in design, our program values creating community and building support networks with one another. We do not see technology as a barrier to connection, but as an enhancement.
Baylor SOTA: Student Occupational Therapy Association
Baylor SOTA is a student-led organization that strengthens community within the cohort through events and a monthly newsletter while promoting awareness of occupational therapy through advocacy and community outreach. Students who serve in SOTA leadership also develop valuable professional skills in organizational leadership, event planning, advocacy, and community engagement.
Faculty Mentorship
Whether you are learning online, in Waco for a lab immersion, or doing fieldwork or doctoral capstone experience in your hometown, you will have faculty accessible to you.
Throughout the fieldwork and capstone process, students have built in check-ins with faculty to ask questions, share experiences, and seek support.
Our Faith Foundations
Occupational therapy is a career that lends itself to the Christian calling to serve all people with humility and love.
At Baylor University, our faculty and students use their God-given gifts to address the world’s challenges. Within the Department of Occupational Therapy, we are committed to delivering client-centered care grounded in the principles of occupational therapy and a steadfast commitment to Christian values and identity.
Students at Baylor come from a variety of religious backgrounds and are encouraged in the integration of their faith and intellectual pursuits.
In the Baylor Occupational Therapy program, students are welcomed and empowered to grow, connect, contribute, and thrive regardless of their faith background. We do not impose religious beliefs, we encourage personal growth and development.
SOTA Spiritual Outreach
The Spiritual Outreach leaders in SOTA are responsible for sharing spiritual messages in the monthly SOTA newsletter, reaching out to students who are struggling or responding if students reach out to them, and incorporating spirituality into SOTA events.
Faith Prescriptions
Faith Prescriptions is an optional, low-stress elective held over Zoom during the Fall trimester. It utilizes a video-based curriculum, created by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), that shares the expertise of healthcare professionals who have chosen to blend faith and medicine. Throughout the course, they engage in class modules such as The Case for Practicing Medicine Christianly, Taking a Spiritual History, Spiritual Interventions, and Praying With and For Our Patients.
Baylor University Support for Hybrid Graduate Students
Our hybrid students are just as much members of the Baylor Family as our on-campus students and have opportunities to take full advantage of the benefits and experiences that come with being a Baylor Bear.
One Stop Student Financial Services Department
Baylor Student Financial Services seeks to enhance the development and performance of Baylor University students by providing information about financial resources available through phone, online inquiry, and in-person meetings at their office in the Student Union Building. This information enables students to make informed decisions to maximize their educational experience. Students are encouraged to reach out with questions related to scholarships, grants, and loans.
Office of Access and Learning Accommodation
The Baylor Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) provides services and accommodations to meet the varying needs of students with a wide array of disabilities. Students can access OALA if they have any learning concerns which may result in accessible accommodations to aid with their performance and educational success. All accommodations, modifications, and services are provided on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on the needs of the student and his/her classes.
Baylor's Paul L. Foster Success Center offers individualized study strategy techniques and schedule management services. Students can request personal consultations to receive help in learning to manage their stress, manage their time, take effective notes, sharpen their study skills, effectively study for their tests, improve their reading comprehension, and prepare for final examinations.
Baylor University Career Center
The mission of the Baylor University Career Center (BUCC) is to ensure each student has the opportunity and support to achieve their career potential. It is the epicenter for education, coaching, and connecting Baylor students with job information, as well as resources for professional development.
Within OTD specifically, the Career Center is embedded in the Year 2 curriculum where hey help support their growing professional development.
The Baylor Care Team can help students with a wide range of issues including financial issues, food insecurity, death of a family member or close friend, academic concerns, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, substance use issues, interpersonal violence, potential threat to self or others, or simply needing someone to talk to outside of their academic program.
While You're In Waco
- Tour Baylor’s campus, recognized as one of America’s most beautiful campuses by U.S. News, Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler.
- Eat, shop, explore and learn your way around Waco.
- Take advantage of Waco Perks, which offers Baylor students special discounts at participating local businesses.
- Explore events happening across Baylor, in addition to activities hosted by Baylor OT.
- Catch a concert or special event! Baylor hosts performances throughout the year at Foster Pavilion, McLane Stadium and other campus venues. Check out the latest lineup.
- Cheer on the Bears! Students receive free admission with their Baylor ID to many athletic events.*