Occupational Therapy

Academics

Accreditation

AOTA's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ACOTE currently accredits over 400 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs in the United States and its territories.

UTMB entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has been granted full accreditation from ACOTE of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) through April 2029.

All graduates of the Occupational Therapy (OTD) program will be eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and to apply for licensure that is required for practice in most states.

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
c/o Accreditation Department
6116 Executive Blvd. Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929

P: 301-652-6611
E: accred@aota.org
W:  www.acoteonline.org

Program Goals

The Occupational Therapy program provides learning experiences to assist students in developing competencies and attitudes in order to:

  • Educate occupational therapists who function as evidence based practitioners, community leaders, educators, and scholars.
  • Engage in scholarly work and participating in scientific inquiry that will discover, generate, develop, refine, test, and evaluate new knowledge as well as applications of knowledge in occupational therapy (Abreu, Peloquin, & Ottenbacher, 1998).
  • Disseminate new knowledge and applied knowledge about occupation and health to the academic and broader community

Graduation Pass Rates

Upon completion of all curriculum requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.0, the designated Entry-Level Doctoral in Occupational Therapy degree is conferred. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapists administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Successful completion of the NBCOT examination leads to certification by the NBCOT.

Graduates are encouraged to sit for the NBCOT certification exam as soon as possible to increase chances for successful attainment of certification. Application for the certification examination includes some questions that relate to felony convictions. For further information on potential limitation related to felony conviction, the applicant can contact:

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
W:  https://www.nbcot.org/

View: NBCOT Examination Data

Graduation Rate

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Entering YearGraduation YearStudents Entering/GraduatingGraduation Rate
2019202260/5897%
2020202360/5998%
Total120/11797.5%

NBCOT Pass Rate

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Graduation YearNumber of Graduates Who Took ExamNBCOT Pass Rate
202258100%
202358100%

For official NBCOT data results, please visit the NBCOT website.

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure.


Site managed by the School of Health Professions • Last Updated: 25-JAN-2024