The Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Its graduates are therefore eligible to sit for the national
certification examination for the occupational therapist
administered by the National Board for Certification in
Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of
this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist,
Register (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however,
state licenses are usually based on the results of the
certification examination. For further information on
accreditation, you may reach ACOTE at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929; or 301-652-6611 x2042. NBCOT may be
contacted at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; or (301) 990-7979.
Please note that a felony conviction or inability of the
student to complete Level II fieldwork within the specified time
frame for graduation may affect the student's ability to sit for
the NBCOT exam or obtain state licensure.
ACOTE On-line (click here)
Licensure
A license is required for the practice of OT in most states and other governmental units (e.g. the District of Columbia). Licensure laws vary from state to state and you should check the states in which you want to practice for their requirements. All licensing bodies in the United States require that you pass the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT, see below) exam to be able to obtain a full license.
Individuals with certain types of criminal records (felonies) may be barred from practicing occupational therapy at the national or state level. Individuals with criminal records should contact NBCOT (One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; (301) 990-7979) and the occupational therapy licensing board of the state where they would like to practice prior to applying for admission to any OT program. These organizations will perform early evaluations of the individual criminal record to determine appropriateness for professional practice.
Our regional licensing bodies include: