This post was written by Hatchet contributing news editor Jacqueline Thomsen.

The Board of Trustees approved the creation of an occupational therapy degree in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences on Friday.

The degree, which the University will call an advanced practice clinical doctorate in occupational therapy, will be offered online, like many of the school’s other clinical degrees.

At other colleges and universities, similar programs are taught online or in a format that combines online and in-person learning. Boston University offers a doctor of occupational therapy with all courses available online for students.

GW has tried to expand online offerings as overall graduate enrollment has declined by two percent, which could result in cutbacks for graduate programs across the University. Online programs in the School of Nursing and the Milken Institute School of Public Health have helped boost enrollment by 514 students.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were more than 113,000 occupational therapy jobs in the U.S. in 2012 – and that number is expected to increase 29 percent by 2022.