Accreditation and Outcomes
Accreditation
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E, Bethedsda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. 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 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.
Outcomes
The first cohort of students graduated in December 2022 and are taking NBCOT exams in 2023. The NBCOT Certification Exam first-year pass rates will become available in 2024 and can then be found by selecting "Arkansas" and "OT Doctoral-Level Programs" at its School Performance Data page.
| Entering Year / Graduation Year | Students Admitted | Students Graduated | Graduation Rate |
|
2020-2022 |
27 | 25 | 93% |
| 2021-2023 | 27 | 23 | 85% |
| 2022-2024 | 25 | — | — |
| Total (3 years) | 79 | — | — |
| Year | # of New Graduates Tested | Pass: # of NG | Percentage of NG Passing Exam |
|
2023 |
25 | 24 | 96% |
| 2024 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | — | — | — |
| 2026 | — | — | — |
Notes
- The 2023 pass rates for the NBCOT Certification Exam will be reported in 2024.
- New Graduate (NG) is defined by NBCOT as a candidate who completes the exam within one year of graduation date. The exam pass rate is calculated on the number of NGs who pass the NBCOT exam regardless of attempts during the testing year.
- A felony conviction may affect the NGs ability to sit for the NBCOT exam or attain licensure. For more information, contact NBCOT and the state licensing board. The Arkansas State Medical Board can be contacted at 501-926 1802.