Accreditation & Outcomes
JWU’s Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Degree program is designed to enable students who have earned a baccalaureate degree — and have completed specific prerequisites — to enter the profession of occupational therapy. Students receive an entry-level practice degree at the clinical doctoral level.
The doctoral degree in the profession includes extensive education and training in normal development, structure, function and impairments in body systems and body functions, and participation problems, concerns and solutions.
There is also work focused on advanced practice including clinical reasoning, occupational therapy theory, evidence-based practice, research, and advocacy and leadership.
Graduates are prepared to work with individuals, groups, communities and populations to implement programs inclusive of occupational therapy services. Interprofessional and intraprofessional education and practice models are emphasized.
OTD Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates are expected to:
- Assist clients with maximizing health, well-being, and quality of life through interventions that support normal human development and functioning
- Provide effective client-centered solutions utilizing evidence-based practice
- Facilitate and support client participation in occupations
- Practice collaborative leadership as an occupational therapy professional
Individual states may require specific licensing or professional certification in addition to earning a degree in order to practice in the field. For more information, visit the JWU Catalog’s Licensure & Professional Cert Disclosures.
Accreditation Status
Updated January 2024
The Johnson & Wales University entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) degree program is accredited 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, Maryland 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA and its web address is ACOTEonline.org.
The first students entered the Johnson & Wales University Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in June 2019 and graduated in 2022. Additional data will be posted as it becomes available.
Graduation Year: 2022
Students Entering/Graduating: 12/11
Graduation Rate: 92%
Graduation Year: 2023
Students Entering/Graduating: 17/15
Graduation Rate: 88%
TOTAL: 29/26
Graduation Rate: 90%
Graduates sit for the national exam given by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). For the class of 2022, 100% of students passed the NBCOT exam within 1 year of graduating.
View NBCOT School Performance
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.