Accreditation and Graduation

The Department of Occupational Therapy is currently phasing out an entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree and transitioning to an entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree. The last cohort of MOT students was accepted into the Program in Spring 2021 with graduation scheduled for December, 2022. The first cohort of entry-level OTD students was accepted into the Program in Fall 2020 with graduation scheduled for December 2023. The OTD Program will accept students annually for a fall semester start (see Admission Info OTD). 

The MOT Program has Accreditation Status and the OTD Program has Pre-Accreditation Status as granted by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611; web address is www.acoteonline.org. For the OTD Program, please read the Prospective Applicant Letter for transitioning programs from ACOTE explaining further this process. The Xavier University OTD Program must complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination. MOT Program graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification exam upon graduation. The national certification exam is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). 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; 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.

Outcome data from Xavier University's occupational therapy program demonstrate graduates have a high passage rate on the national certification exam, passage of which is required to practice as an occupational therapist. For NBCOT certification exam pass rates, please click on the following link: https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance. Additionally, Xavier's graduates have a high success rate of obtaining employment in their chosen area of interest. Many local and regional employers request Xavier graduates for position openings.