The UAB Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

The Department of Occupational Therapy’s first OTD students began coursework in May 2021 and graduated in December 2023 along with UAB’s last class of MSOT students.

Watch: The Transition from MSOT to OTD

Accreditation Status: Accredited

The UAB Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree program is accredited 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. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The Department of Occupational Therapy’s first OTD students began coursework in May 2021 and graduated in December 2023 along with UAB’s last class of MSOT students.

ACOTE® is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE® is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA).

Click here to read the full accreditation statement.

Graduation Data

The inaugural cohort of students in UAB’s Entry-Level Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) program graduated in December 2023. The total number of graduates from this program in 2023 was 56, with an overall graduation rate of 93 percent.

Graduation Rate

Note: Non-completion of the program is due to one of the following reasons:

• Withdrawing due to medical or family issues
• Graduation delayed
• Not meeting academic standards

Certification

Graduates of the program are 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, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order 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.

To learn more, visit the NBCOT website.

NBCOT Success Rate

The first class to graduate from UAB’s entry-level OTD program will begin sitting for the NBCOT examination in January 2024. Data on the overall pass rate on the NBCOT examination for graduates of the UAB MSOT program, which graduated its last class in December 2023, can be found on the NBCOT website.

NBCOT SUCCESS RATE

For official NBCOT data results, visit the NBCOT website.