General Admissions & OTCAS Non-accredited OT Programs

[mjb2017]

To students who chose to attend an OT program that was not accredited (yet) and were part of the charter class, were you happy with your decision? What do you feel were some of the benefits/drawbacks of being the first class? Were you 100% confident in your decision to attend this program, opposed to an accredited one, or were you always a little unsure of the decision?

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[FutureOTDOTR/L]

Following!! I’m interested in this too!!

 

[loveOT77]

Me too!! Any insight on this would be helpful!

 

[loveOT77]

Just curious, what unaccredited programs are you guys looking at??

 

[FutureOTDOTR/L]

Just curious, what unaccredited programs are you guys looking at??

I’m looking into Methodist University in North Carolina. Their facilities are brand new and it’s close to home.

 

[angelcatherine10]

Just curious, what unaccredited programs are you guys looking at??

I’m looking at slippery rock University in Pennsylvania

 

[mdOT17]

Hello! I am currently attending an unaccredited school in Virginia. Although I am not in the charter class, and am in the second class, and the fact that it is unaccredited does not bother me one bit! I think it really depends on the school that you are applying to, but the one I go to is very supportive of helping out the classes and especially listening to the feedback that we have on different classes and assignments! I definitely think that this is a huge benefit of being in one of the first classes, and you also have the support of the first class to help out! If you would be part of the first class, you would get support from lots of the faculty too! They are so excited to finally get the opportunity to teach future OTs! I was a little nervous at the beginning, but once I sent my deposit I knew that I would have a great time and get a great education, and it has been nothing short of that! If you have any other questions, let me know!

 

[SCOT2017]

Is anyone looking at Georgia State? Wondering if it's worth applying there.

 

[Dream_Weaver]

I’m looking at North Central College in Chicago. Has anyone else heard of it??

 

[OTHannah96]

I’m looking at North Central College in Chicago. Has anyone else heard of it??

I also applied to this program and received an interview but am deciding if I should even consider th program so it would be its first class.

 

[Krista92]

Has anyone looked into Lewis University? It’s also a new program in the Chicago area.

 

[Lexi64]

Hello! I am currently attending an unaccredited school in Virginia. Although I am not in the charter class, and am in the second class, and the fact that it is unaccredited does not bother me one bit! I think it really depends on the school that you are applying to, but the one I go to is very supportive of helping out the classes and especially listening to the feedback that we have on different classes and assignments! I definitely think that this is a huge benefit of being in one of the first classes, and you also have the support of the first class to help out! If you would be part of the first class, you would get support from lots of the faculty too! They are so excited to finally get the opportunity to teach future OTs! I was a little nervous at the beginning, but once I sent my deposit I knew that I would have a great time and get a great education, and it has been nothing short of that! If you have any other questions, let me know!

Hi!

I was wondering do you know if going to an accredited vs. unaccredited school affects your ability to take the NBCOT at all or if you need to go through a different entry process before taking it?

Sorry if this seems like a silly question - but I'm truly not sure of how accredited and unaccredited schools differ in this regard or if they do at all.

 

[Lexi64]

Has anyone looked into Lewis University? It’s also a new program in the Chicago area.

Yes I have!

They are still in the process of being accredited.

Last time I contacted their admission office they told me their date to officially become accredited and have finished the whole process is projected to be August 2020. Yes - this is very close to when graduation will be for the incoming Fall 2018 cohort.

From the research I have done however it appears that AOTA tries their best to make sure schools do reach accreditation. They seem to have it broken up in stages and give multiple chances to fix mistakes if they occur.

 

[Lexi64]

I’m looking at North Central College in Chicago. Has anyone else heard of it??

Yes I have!

I actually have already applied to this school.

They will be approved for accreditation by May 2018 - so by May this year.

This will be a few months before the Fall 2017 cohort will begin.

 

[OTHannah96]

Yes I have!

I actually have already applied to this school.

They will be approved for accreditation by May 2018 - so by May this year.

This will be a few months before the Fall 2017 cohort will begin.

I was under the impression that they would just be approved for candidacy status?

 

[Krista92]

Yes I have!

They are still in the process of being accredited.

Last time I contacted their admission office they told me their date to officially become accredited and have finished the whole process is projected to be August 2020. Yes - this is very close to when graduation will be for the incoming Fall 2018 cohort.

From the research I have done however it appears that AOTA tries their best to make sure schools do reach accreditation. They seem to have it broken up in stages and give multiple chances to fix mistakes if they occur.

Did you apply? I applied and went to the information session they had earlier this year. I just hate that they aren’t doing interviews.

 

[MrTL]

This is my first time seeing some info on unaccredited schools. If a person happens to graduate from an OT school that is unaccredited, can they still take the NBCOT and become an OTR/L? If not, what happens if a person graduates from an unaccredited school? What would be the next option? Sounds risky to me.

 

[mjb2017]

If you graduate from a school that isn't accredited then you can't take the board exam and can't become a registered OT. Unaccredited schools should have a contingency plan developed for their students if accreditation is withheld or delayed, including being able to finish the program at another accredited program.

 

[mdOT17]

Hi!

I was wondering do you know if going to an accredited vs. unaccredited school affects your ability to take the NBCOT at all or if you need to go through a different entry process before taking it?

Sorry if this seems like a silly question - but I'm truly not sure of how accredited and unaccredited schools differ in this regard or if they do at all.

Speaking on behalf of my school, we will find out the accreditation status in August, and our first class is graduating in Dec. of 2019 so they will be good to go to sit for the NBCOT early next year! Now for other schools I am not sure. I was under the impression that the school has to be accredited by the time the first cohort graduates? (EX: the PT program here is finding out their status in the next couple of months and the first class graduates in May)

 

[Lexi64]

Speaking on behalf of my school, we will find out the accreditation status in August, and our first class is graduating in Dec. of 2019 so they will be good to go to sit for the NBCOT early next year! Now for other schools I am not sure. I was under the impression that the school has to be accredited by the time the first cohort graduates? (EX: the PT program here is finding out their status in the next couple of months and the first class graduates in May)

Okay thank you! This information is very helpful!

 

[Lexi64]

I was under the impression that they would just be approved for candidacy status?

I'm sorry, my mistake!

I accidentally mixed up Elmhurst College's accreditation date with North Central College's.

Last time I contacted their admission office they told me their date to officially become accredited and have finished the whole process is projected to be May 2020. Yes - this is very close to when graduation will be for the incoming Fall 2018 cohort.

From the research I have done however it appears that AOTA tries their best to make sure schools do reach accreditation. They seem to have it broken up in stages and give multiple chances to fix mistakes if they occur.

 

[Lexi64]

If you graduate from a school that isn't accredited then you can't take the board exam and can't become a registered OT. Unaccredited schools should have a contingency plan developed for their students if accreditation is withheld or delayed, including being able to finish the program at another accredited program.

Were you informed of this information from individuals currently teaching at an occupational therapy program or in the occupational therapy department?

I have heard that you can still take the exam and receive your license but you have to go through a lengthier process while registering for the exam if you do not graduate from an accredited school. I may be mistaken however.

 

[future0t0906]

Has anyone looked into Lewis University? It’s also a new program in the Chicago area.

I actually went and met with a member of admissions and the head of the new OT department to get a better feeling about the school. It is a new program but I got a pretty good feeling about the program. I also know several people who graduate from Lewis as nurses and they all love the school and found employment right after graduating.