WVU Division of Occupational Therapy earns accreditation for doctoral program
The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program has been fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), making it the only fully accredited doctoral program of its kind in West Virginia.
“Full accreditation for seven years is an acknowledgment of the quality of the program we have built at WVU,” said Diana Davis, Ph.D., OTR/L, program director and associate professor. “It also communicates to our clinical education partners, current and future students and their families that they will benefit from a quality OT program that will prepare students for successful clinical practice.”
The OTD program has admitted three cohorts of doctoral students since May 2021, but could not be fully accredited until the first cohort of students had been admitted, completed their coursework and were in their final year of study.
The process, which began in 2018 with a candidacy application and comprehensive self-study, recently culminated in an onsite evaluation where accreditors looked at curriculum design, faculty, facilities and resources to ensure students were prepared for a successful future.
Davis explains that the doctoral program is built with an increased focus on leadership, scholarship, program development and non-traditional practice. Students gain hands-on experience through a state-of-the-art simulation lab, faculty practice clinic and cadaver labs, preparing them to enter the occupational therapy field in a variety of clinical settings.
Accreditation for the WVU OTD program is critical as students must graduate from an accredited program to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam, a mandatory step to enter clinical practice. According to the ACOTE, there are approximately 90 schools in the United States that offer an accredited doctor of occupational therapy program.
“We are so pleased to watch our first group of students graduate this coming May,” Davis said. “Our students are equipped to lead the discovery and implementation of new solutions, to address current and emerging health challenges and promote wellness and quality of life. We can’t wait to see what they’ll accomplish.”
In addition, the Division of Occupational Therapy also offers a fully accredited master’s degree. To learn more, visit https://medicine.wvu.edu/ot/.