The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814. Contact for ACOTE is (301)652-AOTA and www.acoteonline.org.
The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After the successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure.
NOTE: In addition to the above statements, the program must have a documented and published policy to ensure that students complete all graduation and fieldwork requirements in a timely manner. This must include a statement that all Level II fieldwork must be completed within a time frame established by the program. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.