Certification & Licensure

Students are recommended for graduation upon satisfactory completion of all required academic and clinical coursework, and after passing the final approved culminating research project. Students must achieve a passing grade in all courses and fieldwork to be eligible for graduation. An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate-level coursework.

Students who graduate from the Touro College Occupational Therapy programs, which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), are eligible to take the occupational therapy certification examination, which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). Presently, the examination is given "on-demand", at a number of locations. The exam also serves as the state licensing examination for all states.

Students must apply separately for licensure. A professional license is generally obtained in the state where the student plans to practice. The NYS Education Department licenses occupational therapists to practice in New York. Students who have completed all requirements for their degrees but have not yet graduated may, in some cases, practice under supervision with a Limited Permit. Receipt of a license or permit requires proof of program completion, satisfactory character and citizenship, and submission with payment of all the appropriate forms.

Since certification and professional licensing are designed to protect the public, the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and NY State Department of Education-Division of Professional Licensing monitor professional practice and control entry by felons. Anyone who has a previous criminal record should contact both the NBCOT and the Department of Education prior to commencing study toward the occupational therapy degree to assure that practice following study is an option.