Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy Doctorate
 

The fall 2026 application cycle is now closed.

The fall 2027 cycle will open in summer 2026.

All applicants must apply through OTCAS.

OTCAS Application

U T C Occupational Therapy Doctorate students are pictured wearing their white coats in a group photo at their white coat ceremony along with faculty and staff.
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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:

  1. to provide doctoral-level education enabling students to integrate occupational therapy theory, practice, and research
  2. to foster faculty and student research on therapeutic occupation
  3. 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!

The original group of 13 U T C Occupational Therapy Doctorate students who graduated in spring 2017 are shown in a group photo at graduation wearing their regalia.

Read about their journey

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.   

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy