Accreditation
KU's entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Certification and Licensure
Graduates of the program 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). Only students who have successfully completed the entire program can pursue this certification, which is legally required before employment in the field is possible.
After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
For information on licensing in Kansas, visit the Kansas Board of Healing Arts. For information on specific state licensure requirements, visit the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Program Outcomes
The first cohort of students in KU's entry-level doctoral program in occupational therapy began classes in August 2019 and will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam in 2022 pending ACOTE accreditation approval. Visit the NBCOT website for program results from the NBCOT exam.
Graduation Rates
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
3-year total
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Number of students who entered the OTDE program
|
42
|
47
|
50
|
43
|
140
|
Number of students who graduated from the OTDE program
|
41*
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
Graduation rate
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
TBD
|
* One student remains in the program due to additional course work required to complete the dual degree program option and is expected to complete the program.