Due to the decision by AOTA and ACOTE to support dual entry into the field of occupational therapy, the Occupational Therapy Program at Puget Sound decided to maintain the MSOT Program while adding an entry-level OTD as well. This will allow students who want to finish in 2.5 years to complete their degree and start working 6-9 months earlier.
The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number is 301.652.6611, email address accred@aota.org, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
MSOT 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) after completion of their coursework and fieldwork. 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 and 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.