Other OT-Related Information Accreditation

[OT652]

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How do people feel about attending a school that has not yet been accredited? How does it look to employers attending a school that is newly accredited vs one that has been accredited for a long time?

 

[RUNNING_OT]

I would be a little cautious with attending a program that isn't accredited. That's just me. However, employers don't really care as long as you are licensed. Some people make a big deal of the school they went to but it honestly doesn't really matter as long as you can sit in and take the NBCOT and pass.

 

[kangaroos12]

How do people feel about attending a school that has not yet been accredited? How does it look to employers attending a school that is newly accredited vs one that has been accredited for a long time?

There is a risk when attending a non accrediting program. The AOTA site does a great job in explaining th accreditation process. I personally was not comfortable with considering attending an uncredited program mostly because their program hasn't established a legacy or offer opportunities a long standing accrediting program would. For example fieldwork experiences.

 

[HME4OT]

I thought that you couldn't sit for the NBCOT certification exam if you didn't complete degree in an accredited program?

http://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Considering-OT-Career/FAQs/Planning.aspx

 

[deleted704821]

I think you may be able to sit for the exam if the school is seeking accreditation, but if it fails then you will not be able to sit for the national exam and then you cannot be a licensed therapist so I'd be very cautious of attending a school that is not currently accredited. Better to be safe, than sorry.