UW to Assume Casper Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program from UND

The University of Wyoming and University of North Dakota (UND) are collaborating on the transition of the occupational therapy doctorate program UND has long operated in Casper, ensuring continued access to this vital health care training in Wyoming.

The program, operated by UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences in conjunction with Casper College, has provided occupational therapy education to Wyoming students for more than three decades. UND is realigning its programs to focus more directly on North Dakota needs, creating an opportunity for UW to bring the Casper program under its umbrella.

“This transition ensures Wyoming residents will continue to have in-state access to a high-quality occupational therapy doctorate program,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “It also strengthens UW’s role in meeting Wyoming’s workforce and rural health care needs.”

“It has been a privilege collaborating with Casper College for over 30 years to ensure that Wyoming residents have access to high-quality occupational therapy education,” says UND Department of Occupational Therapy Chair Sarah Nielsen, noting that nearly 40 percent of licensed occupational therapists in Wyoming are graduates of the UND-led program. “As we begin the process of fully transferring this program to the University of Wyoming, we do so with excitement, knowing it will continue to grow and serve the people of Wyoming as the state continues to develop its health care workforce.”

The two universities recently signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the transition. Over the next 20 months, UW and UND will work together to ensure a smooth transition for faculty, staff and students. The program will remain housed at Casper College, where the program has long-standing facilities and clinical partnerships.

The transition requires Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and Higher Learning Commission approval, with UW planning to launch the program fully under its name in summer 2027.

The program is accredited at the doctoral level, with exceptional outcomes: Recent National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam pass rates have ranged from 96 percent to 100 percent, and graduates report nearly 100 percent job placement within a year of completing the program.

“Occupational therapy is a high-demand field, with national job growth projected at 12 percent in the coming decade,” says UW College of Health Sciences Dean Patrick Hardigan. “Bringing this program under UW’s leadership allows us to expand health care training, retain more graduates in Wyoming and address the state’s significant workforce needs.”

“UND appreciates the support and collaboration of Casper College over these many years, especially that of college President Brandon Kosine in the development and delivery of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy satellite program,” says Dave Relling, senior associate dean for health sciences at UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “We also appreciate the prospect of working with UW to obtain independent accreditation of Casper’s OT program and a transfer of sponsorship to Wyoming’s flagship university.”