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A-3: EDUCATION, ACCREDITATION, CERTIFICATION, AND JOB MARKET
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENT HANDBOOK A-3: Education, Accreditation, Certification and Job Market
Education A Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree includes coursework with strong foundational science focus, hands on clinical application of skills, clinical reasoning and research. Program length is a total of 6 semesters on campus completing face to face instruction, followed by 24 weeks of Level II Fieldwork experiences.
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Accreditation The University of WI-La Crosse is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Occupational Therapy Program has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) since 2000, which qualifies graduates of this program for eligibility for the occupational therapy certification exam.
Certification, Credentialing, and Licensing Following successful completion of coursework and Fieldwork Experiences, students will graduate with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy degree. After graduation, students are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination. Information regarding requirements can be found in the NBCOT certification exam handbook at: https://www.nbcot.org/-/media/NBCOT/PDFs/Cert_Exam_Handbook.ashx
Exams are taken electronically and administered at Prometric Test Centers (PTCs) worldwide.
After passing the national board examination, students are then eligible for state licensure, which is required for practice in each state. Requirements for state licensure differ across states. Please contact individual state licensing agencies for specifics. Students may not practice until they have been granted a state license.
Job Market Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings and populations including hospitals, clinics, private clinics, school systems, and client’s homes, among others. Therapists may work as clinicians, consultants, policy ad administration, research and academia. In 2021, Occupational Therapy was voted by US News as 19/100 top jobs with a median salary of $84,000.
