Accreditation
The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Its graduates are therefore eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the certification examination. For further information on accreditation, the address and telephone number for ACOTE are 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220; 301-652-2682.
Licensure
A license is required for the practice of OT in most states and other governmental units (e.g. the District of Columbia). Licensure laws vary from state to state and you should check the states you want to practice in for their requirements. ALL licensing bodies in the United States require that you pass the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT, see below) exam to be able to obtain a full license.
Individuals with certain types of criminal records (felonies) may be barred from practicing occupational therapy at the national or state level. Individuals with criminal records should contact NBCOT (2 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; 301-390-7979) and the occupational therapy licensing board of the state where they would like to practice prior to applying for admission to any OT program. These organizations will perform early evaluations of the individual criminal record to determine appropriateness for professional practice.
Our regional licensing bodies include:
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
NBCOT is responsible for the initial certification of occupational therapy practitioners. Graduates of accredited occupational therapy programs (including Gannon’s) are eligible to take the NBCOT Exam.
Over the past three years, our first-time test taker pass rate has ranged from 81 to 86 percent. Over the same period, all student cohorts per year of graduate have past the test. These numbers encompass a total of 85 graduates over the 3 year period.