Occupational Therapy (OT) accreditation
Northern Arizona University’s Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
The NAU entry-level doctorate degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org.
Mission
The Department of OT provides contemporary practice content and innovative instructional approaches to prepare graduates to be leading, inclusive, transformative OT practice scholars who advance the profession and improve community health and wellbeing.
Vision
To produce resilient learners who reflect the diverse populations of Arizona and who will become leaders, change agents, and practice scholars.
Change Agent: A change agent is someone who facilitates innovation to improve the health and well-being of individuals, groups, organizations, or population.
Leader: A leader is a role model who listens empathetically and promotes the development and growth of others.
Practice Scholar: A Practice Scholar promotes scholarly endeavors that will describe and interpret the scope of the profession, establish new knowledge, and apply this knowledge to practice.
Licensure
Students must complete all Level II fieldwork and the doctoral capstone within six years following completion of the didactic portion of the program.
Graduates of the program 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 successful completion of this exam, the graduate 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. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Outcomes and Data
| Cohort | Students Entering/Graduating | Graduation Rate | Initial Licensure to practice in AZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 45/45 | 100% | 73% |
| 2023 | 43/43 | 100% | 81% |
| 2024 | 47/44 | 94% | 76% |
Curriculum Matrix
| Year 1 | Fall | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH | Spring | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTD 603: Foundations of Occupational Therapy: The OT Lens | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | OTD 609: Human Movement for Occupation II | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| OTD 604: Human Movement for Occupation I | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OTD 622: Conditions Impacting Occupational Performance | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| OTD 605: Neuroscience: Fundamentals of Neuroanatomy | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OTD 632: Client Communication and Engagement in the Therapeutic Process | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| OTD 607: Scholarship of Practice | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | OTD 644: Environmental Adaptation & Rehabilitation Technology | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| OTD 634: Foundations of the Evaluation Process | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OTD 645: Cognitive & Perceptual Function & Occupational Performance | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| OTD 660: Professional Learning Readiness | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | OTD 655: Practice Scholar Development Seminar | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| OTD 661: Clinical Readiness | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| 19 | 16 | 3 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 25 |
| Summer Year 1 | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTD 601A: Clinical Learning Experience (Level IA Fieldwork) (Session 1) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| OTD 640: Human Movement for Occupation III: Physical Disabilities & Occupational Performance (Session 1) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| OTD 641: OT Assessment and Intervention of Psychosocial Factors Impacting Performance (Session 2) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| OTD 701: Practice Scholar Apprenticeship (Both Sessions) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| OTD 771: Program Leadership and Administrative Processes (Session 2) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | 11 | 3 | 20 |
| Year 2 | Fall | CR | Lec | Lab | CH | Spring | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTD 601B: Clinical Learning Experience (Level IB Fieldwork) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | OTD 701: Practice Scholar Apprenticeship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| OTD 642: Pediatric Assessment and Intervention | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OTD 708A: Clinical Learning Experience (Level IIA Fieldwork) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| OTD 643: Adult Neurological and Sensory Function and Occupational Performance | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | OTD 749: Integrated Practice Seminar (*Studio) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| OTD 656: Upper Extremity Function & Occupational Performance | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| OTD 701: Practice Scholar Apprenticeship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| OTD 761: Doctoral Capstone Planning | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| OTD 773: Inspired Leadership In Practice | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 18 | 14 | 4 | 26 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 10 |
| Summer Year 2 | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTD 708B: Clinical Learning Experience (Level IIB Fieldwork) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Year 3 | Fall | Cr | Lec | Lab | CH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTD 791: Doctoral Capstone | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | |
| OTD 793: Practice Scholar Application | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Policies and Procedures
Admissions Procedure
Program faculty will evaluate your application for indicators of readiness for an academically rigorous course of study, and your potential to become a leading occupational therapy practitioner.
Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Academic achievement
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 *
- Extracurricular and interpersonal life experiences
- Experiences, academics and prerequisites that indicate a focus and intention of joining the field of occupational therapy
- Demonstrated concern for individuals from diverse backgrounds and their surrounding community
- Demonstrated use of good judgment, insight, empathy reasoning, ethical behavior and strong personal accountability
* Note: The candidates most likely to be successful will have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. However, because the NAU OTD program embraces a holistic approach to education, applicants whose overall undergraduate GPA is lower than 3.0 may be considered provided there are significant reasons behind the lower GPA and provided that they earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite course work for this curriculum. Other factors include a 3.0 GPA within the last two years of undergraduate study, indications of significant positive trends in the improvement of the GPA, and experiential components/qualifications.
NAU OT + ASU Partnership
The NAU OT Program will guarantee acceptance for up to 12 students annually from ASU’s College of Health Solutions who meet admission requirements and prerequisite courses. If the 12-student cap is met, additional students will be accepted based on standard admission procedures.
Priority Admission
What undergraduate degrees can I earn in order to apply for the OTD program?
- BS in Health Sciences in Allied Health (Gateway Community College OTA/OT Bridge Program)
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Final Admission Requirements
Before Students receive final admission for the first semester, the following prerequisite requirements must be met:
- Evidence that a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution has been awarded
- Successful completion of all prerequisite coursework with a C or better; No Pass/Fail Grades
Transfer of Credit
For students who transfer into the NAU Occupational Therapy program from another accredited doctoral level program, transfer of credits will be considered by the Department of Occupational Therapy.
Each of the requested courses for transfer credit will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as the department assumes responsibility to ensure courses demonstrate the core learning competencies, university expectations, and accreditation standards.
Per ACOTE Accreditation standard A.3.2., the program must have documented admission policies and procedures for admission, advanced placement, transfer of credit, and prerequisite educational or work experience requirements. These policies must be readily accessible to prospective students and the public and be applied consistently and equitably. The admissions process must align with the institutional mission and vision and reflect efforts to recruit and admit a diverse student population as defined by the program.
The Department of Occupational Therapy’s transfer policy is guided by both the NAU Graduate College policy and ACOTE accreditation standards.
Graduate courses completed at other accredited colleges and universities may be applied as transfer credit toward a graduate degree at Northern Arizona University at the discretion of each graduate program. For transfer credit from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from a recognized foreign institution, the following criteria must be met:
- The Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator/Director or Academic Unit Chair/Director approve the acceptance of the transfer course(s) to the student’s Program of Study.
- The course earned graduate credit (500-level or higher) at the previous institution.
- The course is comparable to Northern Arizona University graduate-level coursework in that it meets and/or contains equivalent core learning competencies to a required or elective course within the student’s Academic Advisement Report or Program of Study.
- The student earned a grade of "A" or "B" (or the equivalent if another grading system was used). The Graduate College will accept a "Pass" grade if the course is graded only on a pass-fail basis.
- Aligns with ABOR’s contact hour equivalency requirement adopted by NAU (Policy: Academic Credit; 45 contact hours per unit of credit).
- The credit was earned (a) within the six-year period required for completing the master's degree or Graduate Certificate or (b) within the eight-year period required for completing a doctoral degree.
- The credits were not applied toward an undergraduate degree.
- For international transfer coursework, institutions must be recognized by their nation’s governing academic body (e.g., Ministry of Education).
- For doctoral degrees, up to 50% of the required units for the program may be transferred.
The Department Chair is charged with ensuring that transfer policy is upheld and that a course being recommended for transfer meets educational standards expected for the program. Students may apply to receive transfer credit for required courses with a maximum of 50% of the required units of the program. Course syllabi and transcripts must be submitted for consideration.
Transfer credit is not a guarantee. The levels of approval lie within the department and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGPS). Please review the full OGPS transfer credit policy for details.