Occupational Therapy (OTD)
The 103-credit doctoral program in occupational therapy, designed for students who have earned a bachelor's degree in another field, goes beyond the basic curriculum in a master's degree program. The program provides additional training and expertise in specialized areas, such as clinical practice, research, administration, program and policy development, advocacy, education and/or theory development.
Students successfully completing the program will be eligible to take the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be able to identify him- or herself as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All states, including New Jersey, require licensure in order to practice. State licenses are usually based on the successful passing of the NBCOT Certification Exam.
*Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
The occupational therapy doctoral program prepares students to take the national certification exam administered by NBCOT.
Other programs you might be interested in
NBCOT Pass Rate
Upon successful completion of academic preparation and level II fieldwork experiences, students are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) exam. For more information on NBCOT visit https://www.nbcot.org/
| Year | NBCOT Pass Rate |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2021 | 100% |
The OTD's inaugural class entered the program in 2018 and took the NBCOT exam in 2021. The NBCOT Pass Rate for the year 2023 will be posted once updated on the NBCOT site.
To explore NBCOT Pass Rate for OT programs click NBCOT Performance Rate.
Progression, Retention and Graduation
Once qualified applicants enter the doctoral program, the faculty is committed to seeing that students successfully complete the program in a timely manner. In 2018, the inaugural year of the OTD program, we admitted seven students; 5 students or 71% successfully completed the 3-year sequence and graduated. Two of the doctoral students decided to change programs and graduated with a Masters in Occupational Therapy in 2020. In the second cohort 100% of students completed their degrees and graduated on time
For the incoming class of 2020, 5 students had their degrees conferred in August 2023 while the remaining 6 students will have their degrees conferred in January of 2024.
| Graduation Year | Incoming Year | Admitted | Graduated | Graduation Rate |
| 2023 | 2020 | 11 | 5 | 45% |
| 2022 | 2019 | 7 | 7 | 100% |
| 2021 | 2018 | 7 | 5 | 71% |
Cougars Climb Higher
At Kean, we believe learning and professional growth extend far beyond the walls of our classrooms. That's why we encourage you to take advantage of a variety of research opportunities, internships and more that we offer to advance your career and set the stage for continued success.
Fieldwork
Research
Community
Careers
Occupational Therapy graduates have found rewarding positions in a wide range of settings:
- Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
- JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute
- FOX Rehabilitation
- Encore Rehabilitation Services
- Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
- HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
- University Hospital
- Intensive Therapeutics
- Abilities In Action
- Children's Specialized Hospital
- Woodbridge Township School District
- P.G. Chambers School
100%
National certification exam pass rate of Kean graduates for the past several years
Accreditation
The 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), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.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.
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