The Presbyterian College Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) as of January 1, 2021.

Presbyterian College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Presbyterian College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Presbyterian College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

At its meeting on April 22-23, 2023, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) reviewed the Report of On-Site Evaluation (ROSE) regarding the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina. All Standards were found to be compliant and ACOTE voted to Grant a Status of Accreditation for a period of 7 years.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at Presbyterian College 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 telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is acoteonline.org.

Graduation from an occupational therapy education program accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), is necessary for eligibility to sit for the certification examination, which is required in all states.  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.

Graduates of the OTD 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.

For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage.

Accreditation Timeline:

• ACOTE Candidacy Status:  August 2020
• First Cohort Start:  January 2021
• ACOTE Self-Study Submission:  July 1, 2022
• ACOTE Preaccreditation Status: December, 2022
• ACOTE Initial Onsite Evaluation:  April 3-5, 2023
• ACOTE Initial Accreditation Status (7 years): April, 2023
• ACOTE Interim Report Due: April, 2026
• ACOTE Reaccreditation Onsite Evaluation: 2029/2030

More information about the ACOTE accreditation process can be obtained here: https://acoteonline.org/.