In August 2020, the Presbyterian College Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program was granted ACOTE Candidacy Status 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.  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 Initial Onsite Evaluation:  April 3-5, 2023
  

Presbyterian College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctorate degrees. 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).

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam results will be found in the future (2023) online at NBCOT.ACOTE® accreditation is required before graduates are eligible to sit for the exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. PC-OTD Program anticipates full programmatic accreditation prior to student completion/graduation (August, 2023).  After successful completion of the NBCOT exam, a graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered.

Licensure

In addition to national registration, all states require occupational therapists to be licensed. State licensure is usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Each state establishes its own licensure fee. 

Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.