Rocky Mountain College Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program

10/01/2026

Our RMC Occupational Therapy Students are hosting a pre-game raffle for the October 3rd Battlin' Bears home football game vs. Valley City State at Herb Klint Field. The prizes will include gift cards, a TV, and other miscellaneous items. Come find them under a big tent outside of the tailgating area where you can purchase raffle tickets with cash or venmo. Raffle tickets will be $5 and will be drawn after the game. You do not need to be present to win. Hope to see you there!

10/01/2026

Rocky Mountain College welcomed 28 students into its Occupational Therapy Doctorate program this year, making the Class of 2029 one of the largest and most diverse in five years.
Nearly half the Class of 2029 calls Montana home, from Thompson Falls to Sidney to Helena and beyond. The rest arrived from 13 other states, drawn here from as far as Vermont, Texas and Alaska. Whether they grew up in a small Montana town, or a rural community somewhere else in the country, many of these students share the same thing: they come from the places this program was built to serve.
"This is one of the strongest classes we've brought into the program, both in size and in the range of experience they bring with them," says Dr. Corwin Sutherin, Program Director of Rocky's OTD program. "Growth like this doesn't happen by accident. It's the direct result of the mentorship, research opportunities, and clinical training we've built into this program over the last few years."
Montana's first home-grown OTD program keeps growing because of what students find when they get here: close faculty mentorship, hands-on clinical training from year one, and a track record that includes a 98% graduation rate, 100% career placement rate, and 67% of graduates currently employed in rural communities.
Read the full story: https://rocky.edu/rocky-mountain-college-welcomes-its-largest-occupational-therapy-doctorate-class-in-five-years/

09/29/2026

Rocky Mountain College is now the only Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in Montana or Wyoming eligible for WICHE's Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP).
For Montana and Wyoming residents who qualify, that funding can bring the total cost of Rocky's OTD program down by half, making RMC's OTD Program the most affordable program in the state of Montana.
"Being the only PSEP eligible OTD program in Montana isn't a small distinction," says Dr. Corwin Sutherin, Program Director of Rocky's OTD program. "It means Montana and Wyoming students no longer have to choose between a program with strong clinical training and a program they can actually afford. For our students, it's both."
Sixty seven percent of Rocky OTD graduates currently practice in rural communities, so this isn't just about cost. It's about training close to home and going where care is actually needed.
Read the full story:

Rocky Mountain College Becomes Montana and Wyoming's Only WICHE PSEP-Eligible OTD Program Billings, Montana - Rocky Mountain College's Occupational Therapy…

09/22/2026

Starting this fall, Rocky Mountain College OTD students will see real clients through an on-campus clinic during their first year of education.
Through a new partnership with the Montana Developmental Assessment Clinic (MtDAC), our first-year OTD students are stepping into a full autism evaluation clinic on RMC campus, conducting fine motor and sensory assessments under faculty supervision, then presenting their findings to an interdisciplinary team.
"They are an integral part of the assessment," says Dr. Laura Nicholson, MtDAC's lead physician. "These are our future local occupational therapists, so we are excited to participate in their education."
This is what we mean when we say our students learn through hands-on applications, not just classroom observations. Read the full story:

08/18/2026

Jaxon Bennett, a 2022 graduate of Rocky Mountain College's Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, is now a Certified Hand Therapist practicing nearly 2,500 miles away in Wasilla, Alaska. He treats patients who fly in or snow machine in for appointments -- rural healthcare in its most literal form, and exactly what his training in Montana prepared him for.
"Being able to use therapeutic use of self to better relate with the patient, understand their wants, their needs, what they specifically need to treat them as a whole -- I feel like that was probably the most impactful thing," Jaxon said.
Read his full story: https://rocky.edu/from-hand-injury-to-hand-therapist-rocky-mountain-college-otd-graduate-brings-rural-focused-care-to-alaska/

Read how Rocky Mountain College OTD graduate Jaxon Bennett turned a high school injury into a career as a certified hand therapist serving rural patients in Alaska.

08/17/2026

08/11/2026

Welcome back returning RMC OTD Students!
On the first day of classes, we asked our students and faculty how they spent their summer vacation. Summer is the best time for adventures in Montana and family fun!

08/07/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Randi Hanson, Rocky Mountain College OTD faculty member, for receiving the the Mary J. Bridle Research Award!
Dr. Randi Hanson set out to answer a question that hadn't gotten much attention in occupational therapy research: why do people choose storytelling as an occupation, and what do they actually get from it? Her study, "The Occupation of Storytelling: Sharing of Collective Gifts," earned her the 2026 Mary J. Bridle First Research Award from Pi Theta Epsilon -- an honor reserved for researchers doing their first formal project in the field, with a direct line to publication in one of OT's leading journals.
"I wanted to look at an occupation that doesn't get much research attention, even though almost every culture has practiced it for generations," Hanson said. "Storytelling turned out to be exactly what you'd hope an occupation would be: something that connects people to each other and to themselves."
This is what it looks like when faculty stay active researchers, not just instructors -- and it's exactly the kind of scholarship our OTD students get to learn from firsthand.
Read the full story: https://rocky.edu/rocky-mountain-college-otd-faculty-member-receives-national-research-award-for-storytelling-study/

Rocky Mountain College OTD Faculty Member Receives National Research Award for Storytelling Study Billings, Montana — Dr. Randi Johnson Hanson, PP-OTD, OTR/L, a faculty member in Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, has received the 2026 Mary J. Bridle First Research ...

06/25/2026

Come see for yourself where you belong.

Our on-campus RMC Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) visits are one of the best ways to experience what it’s really like to be part of our tight-knit, in-person program in Billings. During your visit, you can:

-Sit in on a class and see how our small cohorts learn together
-Meet our faculty and get to know the professors who will support you
-Take a program tour with a current OTD student and hear the student perspective
-Explore campus on a guided tour to see your amenities
-Meet with admissions and financial aid to talk through your path to OT school
These visits are designed to help you feel the difference of a supportive, family-like community where your success matters and where you’re more than just a number.

If you’re wondering whether Rocky Mountain College OTD is the right fit, come spend a day with us and experience it firsthand.

To schedule your visit, please contact [email protected].

01/29/2026

Rocky Mountain College is proud to welcome the 8th cohort of our Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program! 🎓

This January 2026 class powerfully reflects our mission to serve rural and underserved communities in Montana and beyond:

-18% Native American students
-18% military-affiliated students
-55% from rural communities
-45% with Montana roots

As Montana’s first homegrown Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, RMC prepares occupational therapists who understand the realities of rural practice, partner with Native American communities, and help close gaps in access to care.

Every new cohort is another step toward meeting the occupational therapy needs of our communities.

👉 Learn more about the OTD program at Rocky Mountain College: https://rocky.edu/academics/academic-programs/occupational-therapy/