Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy Doctorate
The fall 2027 cycle is now open.
The deadline is October 1, 2026.
All applicants must apply through OTCAS. Do not begin the OTCAS application until the new cycle opens in July.
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Occupational Therapy Department’s Vision Statement
The Occupational Therapy Department will be recognized as a premiere department that attracts and grows leaders of occupational therapy in the state, nation and world through exemplary integrated programs of education, practice, research, community service, and advocacy that meet real world occupational needs.
Occupational Therapy Department’s Mission Statement
The Occupational Therapy Department’s mission is three-fold:
- to provide doctoral-level education enabling students to integrate occupational therapy theory, practice, and research
- to foster faculty and student research on therapeutic occupation
- to develop leaders and advocates for society’s occupational needs.
Congratulations to our first Graduates,
the Spring Class of 2017
100% first-time pass rate on the NBCOT!
News Updates
Accreditation:
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s 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).
The AOTA office is located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD, 20814.
ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its Web address is https://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.
Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.