Des Moines University (DMU) and Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) have announced a partnership agreement that will offer students an opportunity to enter the university’s occupational therapy doctoral program. Under the agreement, the West Des Moines-based DMU will annually reserve two seats for qualified IHCC students in its Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program, according to the release. Students at IHCC, which has campuses in Centerville and Ottumwa, will be guaranteed an interview for admission to this program by meeting DMU’s admission requirements, demonstrated hours of relevant observational or work experiences and other academic achievements. The joint-news release says the agreement takes effect immediately and allows IHCC students to apply to DMU’s program as early as June prior to their second year. The university’s began enrolling the first students in the occupational therapy this summer. The institutions say the partnership is intended to benefit students while helping build Iowa’s health care workforce. “As we designed our O.T.D. program, we were mindful of the financial strain that can sometimes accompany earning an advanced degree. We determined admission criteria that would prepare our students for success in a doctoral-level program while also allowing them to accelerate earning this degree, which means cost savings for our students,” Diana Feldhacker, DMU O.T.D. department chair and program director, said in the release.