OT Credentialing & Accreditation

Credentialing

Upon satisfactory completion of the curriculum, including all Level II Fieldwork and the Doctoral Capstone (OTD only), students are awarded their degree in Occupational Therapy and are eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Successful completion of this examination leads to certification as an occupational therapist and to the title "Occupational Therapist, Registered" (OTR).

Additionally, individual state regulations must be met for the OTR to practice. All states require licensure in order to practice; however, licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. When applying for state licensure, certification, or registration, a criminal history background check is conducted by the state occupational licensing agency. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

The School of Occupational Therapy has determined that completion of the graduate occupational therapy programs at the University of Indianapolis (Master and Doctoral levels) prepares a student to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapist registered (OTR®) through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®).  Passage of the national exam is required for licensure in all 50 U.S. states. It is each individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification exams for the state in which they intend to practice as educational requirements may vary widely including, but not limited to, specific coursework to utilize specific techniques (i.e. physical agent modalities). Occupational therapy licensing boards may also require additional information, including, but not limited to, documentation verifying citizenship and/or right to work (i.e. social security number) as well as criminal background checks/fingerprinting.  

Accreditation

The University of Indianapolis Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

The University of Indianapolis Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

AOTA-ACOTE
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-AOTA (2682)
www.acoteonline.org