Rocky Mountain College Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program

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].

06/25/2026

If you’re looking for an in-person OT program where you’re known by name, supported by faculty who care, and surrounded by a tight-knit cohort that feels like family, this is where you belong. At Rocky, you’ll learn on campus in small, hands-on labs, work closely with your classmates and professors, and be part of a community that walks with you every step of the way from your first semester to your first job as an occupational therapist.

Time is running out to secure your seat in the Fall 2026 Rocky Mountain College Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) cohort—classes begin August 31, 2026.

You can still take advantage of RMC’s FREE application for admission—no application fee required.

🔗 Start your free OTD application here: https://rocky.edu/apply/

Seats for Fall 2026 are filling quickly. If you’re ready for in-person learning, real support, and a program where you truly belong, now is the time to claim your spot.

06/25/2026

Last semester at Rocky Mountain College, our Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physician Assistant (PA) students teamed up for a powerful interprofessional stroke simulation in our state-of-the-art lab spaces.

Mixed PA–OT teams worked with a trained standardized patient portraying a rancher recovering from a stroke. Together, they:
-Completed a shared evaluation
-Identified medical and functional priorities
-Built a unified treatment and discharge plan
The goal: help students learn how real healthcare works—as a team—while preparing to serve patients across Billings and rural Montana.

This kind of hands-on, team-based training is a hallmark of RMC’s graduate healthcare programs and a big reason our students are ready to step into today’s collaborative care environments.

📖 Read the full story about the PA–OT interprofessional simulation here:
https://rocky.edu/rocky-mountain-college-pa-and-otd-students-team-up-for-interprofessional-stroke-simulation/

Explore the role of the Physician Assistant in collaborative healthcare at Rocky Mountain College's innovative simulation event.

05/28/2026

Big news for occupational therapy in Montana!

Rocky Mountain College is thrilled to welcome Dr. Paula H. Kitzenberg, OTD, OTR/L to our Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) faculty in Billings, Montana.

Dr. Kitzenberg is well known across the state for helping launch and lead Montana’s first OT program in Billings. She brings decades of experience in OT education, sensory integration, leadership, and global service to our fully in-person, hands-on OTD program.

“There is no replacement in the OT field for a hands-on education,” Dr. Kitzenberg shared. “Occupational therapy is a very involved and hands-on career, and that is why I’m so excited to be part of the Rocky Mountain College OTD family—teaching in a fully in-person program, in state-of-the-art lab spaces, alongside colleagues and students every day.”

We are honored to have Dr. Kitzenberg join our team and to continue strengthening OT education for students who want to serve communities across Montana and beyond.

📖 Read the full announcement here:

Dr. Paula Kitzenberg, who helped launch Montana's first OT program, joins RMC's fully in-person Occupational Therapy Doctorate in Billings.

03/09/2026

Big news for future OTs in Montana! 🎓🩺

Rocky Mountain College is moving the next Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) cohort start from January 2027 to August (Fall) 2026.

Why the change?
-To better align with students’ academic timelines and life plans
-To help meet Montana’s growing demand for occupational therapy
-There are hundreds of open OT positions statewide, with nearly 100 openings in Billings alone
-Average posted OT salaries in the Billings area are now over $100,000
-Some providers are reporting 6–9 month waitlists for OT
This earlier start, along with our OTD Early Admission Program for high school seniors and transfer students, is designed to strengthen the pipeline of occupational therapists ready to serve Billings, rural Montana, and underserved communities across the state.

📖 Read the full announcement and learn more about the Fall 2026 start and Early Admission pathway:
https://rocky.edu/rocky-mountain-college-otd-program-moves-to-fall-start-to-better-serve-montanas-occupational-therapy-needs/

Rocky Mountain College OTD program moves to a Fall start, enhancing training for Montana’s occupational therapy needs.

03/04/2026

Last week, Rocky Mountain College OTD students took their acute care skills to the next level at the Billings Clinic Hospital Simulation Lab in Billings, Montana. 🏥

Guided by a respiratory therapist and a nurse, students learned how to work safely around:

-Tracheostomies
-Nasal cannulas
-Chest tubes
-Catheters
-IV lines and monitors

They then split into two groups:
🔹 One group worked with a standardized patient (a retired nurse) to safely help her out of bed while she was connected to multiple lines.
🔹 The other group practiced using three types of patient lifts with faculty support: a manual sit-to-stand lift, an electric sit-to-stand lift, and a Hoyer lift—before switching so everyone experienced both stations.

Experiences like this are possible because of RMC’s location in Billings, Montana—the healthcare hub for much of the state and region. Our OTD students gain exposure to hospital-based occupational therapy while also preparing to serve rural and underserved communities across Montana.

👉 Learn more about their Sim Lab experience here: https://rocky.edu/rocky-mountain-college-otd-students-build-acute-care-skills-at-billings-clinic-simulation-lab/

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/

09/19/2025

Our students enrolled in class OTD618: Occupational Therapy and Mental Health, are working on an interesting project this month:
Last week the students used the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experience Screen) on our chosen Case Study patient(former NFL player Aaron Hernandez). This included watching part 1 of a Netflix documentary and reading part of a Boston Globe Spotlight article on Hernandez's life prior to turning 18. This week students are taking their ACES scores and using the Person-Environment-Occupation model to imagine that Hernandez is a patient coming into their Mental Health Clinic after his arrest. Students in groups are tasked with designing a treatment plan for him that would address the adverse childhood experiences he had as well as finding positive coping mechanisms in order to afford him the best occupational performance within his preferred activities.
At RMC OTD, we are all about hands-on learning and applying knowledge both in and outside of the classroom. With an in-person, immersive learning model, our students graduate ready to enter their OT field of choice- as represented by our 100% Career Placement Rate!

07/23/2025

Today, our program hosted the high school students of MedStart as they continued their exploration of healthcare careers. Our 1st year OT students set up three activities to help the MedStart students become familiar with the Occupational Therapy Career, including: a low-vision goggle scavenger hunt, an adult independence challenge, and a pediatric obstacle course. All of these activities not only demonstrated the variety of settings OTs can work in, but also their impact on an individual's independence and/or development as an occupational being.

07/18/2025

RMC is thrilled to be ranked as a Top 50 school in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools in the Health Field. Our dedication to providing the best education to our graduate students continues with in-person learning, hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and strong community partnerships.