Academics

Accreditation

AOTA's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ACOTE currently accredits over 500 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs in the United States and its territories.

The UTMB Galveston-Track Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral degree program has been granted full accreditation from ACOTE of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) through April 2029.

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814

P: 301-652-6611
E: accred@aota.org
W: www.acoteonline.org

Doctoral Degree Occupational Therapy Program at Laredo (Applicant Program)

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at Laredo has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Timeline for accreditation

• Awarded Candidacy: December 2024
• Initial onsite visit: January 2028
• Accreditation decision: April 2028

Program Goals

The Occupational Therapy program provides learning experiences to assist students in developing competencies and attitudes in order to:

• Educate occupational therapists who function as evidence based practitioners, community leaders, educators, and scholars.
• Engage in scholarly work and participating in scientific inquiry that will discover, generate, develop, refine, test, and evaluate new knowledge as well as applications of knowledge in occupational therapy (Abreu, Peloquin, & Ottenbacher, 1998).
• Disseminate new knowledge and applied knowledge about occupation and health to the academic and broader community

Requirements for Graduation

Successful completion of academic program requirements and to Graduate from the OTD Program requires:

• Completion with a passing grade (“C” or better or a P) in all didactic coursework. A final cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
• Completion with a passing score of all Level II fieldwork within 24 months of completion of all didactic coursework.
• Completion of a doctoral capstone project experience including, but not limited to, program design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Completion of the required UTMB IPE Certificate Program.
• Participation in the on-campus NBCOT Board certification preparation workshop.
• Discharge of all financial obligations to UTMB.

Graduation Pass Rate

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Note: The first OTD-Laredo Track cohort will graduate in 2028. The information in the table below represents students graduating from the OTD-Galveston Track.

Upon completion of all curriculum requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.0, the designated Galveston-Track Entry-Level Doctoral in Occupational Therapy degree is conferred. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapists administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Successful completion of the NBCOT examination leads to certification by the NBCOT.

Graduates are encouraged to sit for the NBCOT certification exam as soon as possible to increase chances for successful attainment of certification. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure 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 further information on potential limitations related to felony conviction, the applicant can contact:

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878-4150
W: https://www.nbcot.org/

NBCOT Pass Rate

Note: scroll left to view full table on mobile devices.

Note: The first graduating OTD-Laredo Track cohort will take the NBCOT exam in 2028. The information provided in the table below represents students graduating from the OTD-Galveston Track.

For official NBCOT data results, please visit the NBCOT website.

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