Occupational therapy program earns key accreditation status
The Hanover College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program (OTD) has been granted “candidate for accreditation” status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The accomplishment marks a key designation for Hanover’s newest graduate-level offering, indicating the College’s program is progressing toward accreditation.
ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ACOTE accredits occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs in the U.S. and its territories as well as programs in the United Kingdom.
“The Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program faculty and directors are extremely excited to be notified of the receipt of candidacy status with ACOTE,” said Sheri Montgomery, Hanover’s program director and professor of occupational therapy. “This significant achievement demonstrates the extensive skills, knowledge and expertise of the faculty and directors, and the Hanover community.”
Hanover’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program is set to become the College’s second doctoral offering since 1915. The hybrid program provides students and faculty the flexibility to live anywhere in the country and graduate in two years, sooner than most traditional OTD programs.
Admission is now open for Hanover’s first cohort. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2023. Classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 2, 2024.
The College’s OTD program applied for accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission last spring. Completion of the accreditation process is expected during summer 2025.
Hanover College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
Hanover’s occupational therapy program prepares students to become leaders in the profession in just two years. An entry-level OTD degree requires a personal commitment to academic growth, professional behaviors, innovation and service. The College’s program creates opportunities for students to learn and grow as highly skilled, general occupational therapists.
The program’s hybrid learning experience will weave together online learning, lab immersions, fieldwork and a capstone experience and project to develop strong and effective practitioners in the occupational therapy field. Students will learn to use evidence-based practice and develop their clinical decision-making skills in an innovative and challenging learning environment.
ACOTE statement
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its 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 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.
