Graduation Requirements

Students in the OTD program follow a fixed curriculum. In order to progress through the program, students must receive a grade of C or above in all courses, maintain a cummulative GPA of a 3.0 while in the program, receive  passing grades for all fieldwork and doctoral capstone experiences, pass a qualifying exam, and successfully complete a culminating project.

In addition to the above requirements for graduation, students must also have no outstanding debt to Student Accounts, demonstrate professional behaviors and have the approval of the program faculty. After students have successfully completed all of these requirements, students may apply for graduation.

Graduates of a 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 individual will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, most 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. NBCOT (http://www.nbcot.org/)