{"id":1262,"date":"2025-06-05T17:27:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/graduate\/?page_id=1262"},"modified":"2025-06-09T20:50:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T20:50:55","slug":"doctoral-capstone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/graduate\/doctor-occupational-therapy\/doctoral-capstone\/","title":{"rendered":"The OTD Doctoral Capstone Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The capstone experience and project are integral to the curriculum and consistent with two of the program\u2019s primary themes: Scholarship and Service and Communication\/Dissemination of Knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning early in the <a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.monmouth.edu\/graduate-catalog\/marjorie-k-unterberg-nursing-health-studies\/occupational-therapy-doctorate\/\">curriculum<\/a>, you will work with your capstone team (comprised of yourself, faculty mentor, and doctoral capstone coordinator [DCC]) to identify a scholarly, evidence-based project that meets your professional goals\/learning objectives, and is reflective of the goals of the faculty and program. As you progress through the program, you will continue to build and refine your project until its completion in semester 9, when you will present the results to various audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctoral capstone consists of two parts: a capstone project and a 14-week individual capstone experience, that builds upon knowledge gained through coursework and Level II fieldwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In your capstone, you may participate in learning experiences that include a focus on one or more of the following: clinical skills, research skills, administration, program development and evaluation, policy development, advocacy, education, and\/or leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Capstone examples include advanced clinical intervention, education practice experience, management initiative, or program development.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"capstone-timeline\">Capstone Timeline<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-3\">Semester 3<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Faculty present their areas of expertise and scholarship to first-year students. Students will identify faculty members that match their intended, broad areas of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-4\">Semester 4<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Students are each matched with Occupational Therapy faculty members whose expertise is related to the student\u2019s project plan.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-5\">Semester 5<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Students are informed of their faculty mentor, establish a supervision plan, and set responsibilities and expectations with their mentor. Students begin the collaborative capstone process.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-58\">Semester 5-8<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Students will complete self-directed coursework facilitated by the DCC and guided by their faculty mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-8\">Semester 8<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Students work with the DCC and faculty mentor to ensure that individual learning and project objectives are met.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading tile-title\" id=\"semester-9\">Semester 9<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>The doctoral capstone experience and project are completed, with results presented to appropriate audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mu-contact is-style-longtext has-image alignfull\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"imageWrapper\"><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1120\" height=\"1120\" style=\"object-position: 41.605% 47.1%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Andrea Garcia\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-560x560.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-280x280.jpg 280w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-320x320.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/476\/2020\/06\/andrea-garcia-360x360.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"infoColumns\">\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"programDirectorText\">Meet Your Doctoral Capstone Coordinator<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subject-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nameAndTitle\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/directory\/profiles\/agarcia\/\">Andrea Garcia, OTD, MSW, OTR\/L<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bioText\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"title\">Doctoral Capstone Coordinator\/Specialist Professor<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bodycopy\">\n\n<p><em><strong>Andrea L. Garcia, OTD, MSW, OTR\/L,<\/strong><\/em> received her bachelor of science in occupational therapy from Elizabethtown College in 1999, her master\u2019s degree in social work from Rutgers University in 2005, and her doctorate in occupational therapy from The University of Kansas in 2018. Dr. Garcia is certified in holistic and integrative health and as a Reiki Master\/Teacher, and specialized in upper extremity rehabilitation for over 15 years. Dr. Garcia has co-authored and presented at the local, state, and national levels on psychosocial aspects of physical rehabilitation, holistic and integrative health, and various upper extremity topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is your role as Doctoral Capstone Coordinator?<\/strong><br>I act as a liaison for the student and the program, assist in creating each capstone team, and help facilitate students\u2019 capstones. My role is to structure the capstone project and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the capstone experience?<\/strong><br>The capstone occurs in two different commodities \u2013 the first is a project that the student begins to design early in the curriculum, and the second is the experiential piece where they go to an actual location and do the work that needs to be done to deliver the project. It serves the student, the community, the University, and the occupational therapy profession, and propels the student to become a leader in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What should students expect concerning the capstone project?<\/strong><br>It\u2019s a rigorous experience that is very broad and creative and tailored to each student\u2019s unique goals and plans for their future. They\u2019re going to work very hard, but will be well supported throughout the process. Students will be proud to present their final product. Overall, the capstone process will allow students to will gain incredible professional skills that will set them apart.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"email\"><a href=\"mailto:agarcia@monmouth.edu\" title='Email Andrea'>agarcia@monmouth.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"phone\"><a href=\"tel:732-923-4578\">732-923-4578<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<div><span id=\"expander-1262\"><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull sock has-white-color has-shadow-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-eca68325758b4a5c262cd94fe7049a7e is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bb77d92ab3d8436babc3b828277d9fa8\">Take the Next Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-db52b6963d82d94c21ac8818dcd1b1d6\">Apply Now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to apply to Monmouth\u2019s OTD degree program? Start your application today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-hero\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-shadow-blue-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/otcas.liaisoncas.com\/applicant-ux\/#\/login\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-52c88850973c3a7ad15e138bc742949c\">Keep Exploring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-in-page-link request-info\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/apply.monmouth.edu\/register\/?id=25d6b6fd-ccac-4be7-8220-8f4d0fed9816\">Request Info<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-in-page-link request-event\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/apply.monmouth.edu\/register\/?id=25d6b6fd-ccac-4be7-8220-8f4d0fed9816\">Attend an Event<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script>const programStrings = ['OTD'];<\/script>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The capstone experience and project are integral to the curriculum and consistent with two of the program\u2019s primary themes: Scholarship and Service and Communication\/Dissemination of Knowledge. Beginning early in the curriculum, you will work with your capstone team (comprised of yourself, faculty mentor, and doctoral capstone coordinator [DCC]) to identify a scholarly, evidence-based project that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":429,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mu_eop_enabled":false,"_mu_eop_name":"","_mu_eop_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_description":"","_mu_eop_description_override":false,"_mu_eop_url":"","_mu_eop_url_override":false,"_mu_eop_program_type":"","_mu_eop_educational_credential":"","_mu_eop_time_to_complete":"","_mu_eop_number_of_credits":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category_code":"","_mu_eop_program_prerequisites":"","_mu_eop_application_deadline":"","_mu_eop_application_start_date":"","_mu_eop_start_date":"","_mu_eop_end_date":"","_mu_eop_day_of_week":"","_mu_eop_time_of_day":"","_mu_eop_educational_program_mode":"","_mu_eop_financial_aid_eligible":"","_mu_eop_maximum_enrollment":"","_mu_eop_offers_price":"","_mu_eop_offers_currency":"USD","_mu_eop_offers_price_per":"","_mu_eop_offers_preset":"","_mu_eop_salary_upon_completion":"","_mu_eop_training_salary":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_name":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_url":"","_mu_eop_concentrations":"","_mu_eop_identifier_cip":"","_mu_eop_provider_name":"","_mu_eop_provider_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_provider_url":"","_mu_eop_provider_address":"","_mu_eop_provider_city":"","_mu_eop_provider_state":"","_mu_eop_provider_zip":"","_mu_eop_provider_country":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1262","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The OTD Doctoral Capstone Experience | Graduate Studies  | Monmouth University | New Jersey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/graduate\/doctor-occupational-therapy\/doctoral-capstone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The OTD Doctoral Capstone Experience | Graduate Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The capstone experience and project are integral to the curriculum and consistent with two of the program\u2019s primary themes: Scholarship and Service and Communication\/Dissemination of Knowledge. 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