Welcome to Occupational Therapy
Learn About Us
Learn about the exciting changes coming to the Department of Occupational Therapy, including the addition of a new Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. Click on the block below to see details of our cost of attendance and history of graduation and pass rates.
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Admissions Information Sessions
2025 Information Sessions are concluded. 2026 Information sessions for the 2026-2027 Admissions cycle will begin April 2026.
Application Availability
The Department of Occupational Therapy will accept MSOT applications beginning in summer 2026 for the cohort that will be entering in fall 2027. The updated application information will be available in April 2026. Visit the MSOT Admissions page for the application information for the previous admissions cycle.
Potential Impact of Criminal Charges
Criminal charge and/or convictions may limit a student’s ability to participate in required off-site activities for academic courses and research process, and fieldwork placements. In addition, criminal charges and convictions may prevent a graduate from taking the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam and/or obtaining state licensure.
NBCOT Outcomes
View program data results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy on their site, NBCOT®.
The results identified are pass rates of graduates within one year of graduation. They are organized by state, program type, and by calendar year.
Excellent Exam Scores
From 2016-2024, 6 of the 7 years resulted in 100% first-time pass rates for MSOT graduates in the Department of Occupational Therapy on the certification exam through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Cost Estimate and
Summary of Graduation and Pass Rates (PDF)
Celebrating a 7-Year Accreditation Award for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program received full 7-year accreditation in 2025-2026 with the following strengths without any suggestions, areas of concern, or areas of noncompliance indicated by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE):
- The program is praised for its continued support of the interprofessional Student Run Clinic. These twice weekly clinics provide learning opportunities for students to gain interprofessional and clinical skills. They learn to work collaboratively with physical therapy students while providing occupational therapy services to individuals in the community. The students are able to analyze and select appropriate assessments and therapy equipment they have learned about in the classroom and then apply them in the Student Run Clinic with their client. Fieldwork educators attributed East Carolina University occupational therapy students’ greater confidence and clinical skills to their participation in these Student Run Clinics. The students analyze and select appropriate assessments and therapy equipment they have learned about in the classroom and then apply them in the therapy with their client or patient.
- The program is recognized for the strategic development of partnerships with the community and other university departments and programs. These longstanding partnerships benefit the students by providing alternative fieldwork sites while the community partners benefit from having occupational therapy involved with their clients. These partnerships have provided interesting capstone opportunities for the students, such as a partnership with the music department at East Carolina University where the occupational therapy student will be working on a project to address injury prevention programming for musicians.
The faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Occupational Therapy appreciate the partners of the ECU Occupational Therapy program who have helped us develop and maintain a strong occupational therapy program.
Accreditation
The entry-level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, Phone: (301) 652-6611. The MSOT program received full 10-year accreditation in 2024-2025 indicating that it is compliant with the Accreditation Standards for a Masters Degree-Level Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist. Visit the MSOT Accreditation page for more details.
The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program is fully accredited by the ACOTE of the American Occupational Therapy Association, located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, Phone: (301) 652-6611. Visit the OTD Accreditation page for more details.
Institutional and Professional Licensure Disclosures for Enrolled and Prospective Students
Completion of the requirements of the ECU MSOT Program and ECU OTD Program satisfies the professional licensure requirements in North Carolina as well as the states, districts, and territories of the United States, and allows our graduates to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) Examination. Passing the certification exam is required to be licensed in all states, districts, and territories of the United States.
MSOT Program Outcomes
| Graduation Year | Students Graduating/Entering | ECU Graduation Rate | ECU First Time Pass Rate (Jan-Apr) | National First Time Pass Rate* | ECU New Graduate Pass Rate (within 1 Year) | National New Graduate Pass Rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 23/26 | 88% | 100% | 73% | 100% | 95% |
| 2024 | 23/22 | 100% | 96% | 68% | 100% | 91% |
| 2025 | 19/19 | 100% | 95% | - | 100% | - |
| TOTAL | 65/67 | 97% | 96% | - | 100% | - |
| Note. Graduation is in December with pass rates for National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) posted through April of the following year. *NBCOT rates taken from nbcot.org/certification-activities |
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OTD Program Outcomes
| Graduation Year | Students Graduating/Entering | ECU Graduation Rate | ECU First Time Pass Rate (Jan-Apr) | National First Time Pass Rate* | ECU New Graduate Pass Rate (within 1 Year) | National New Graduate Pass Rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | /5 | TBD May 2026 | TBD 2026 | - | TBD | - |
| 2027 | /6 | TBD May 2027 | TBD 2027 | - | TBD | - |
| 2028 | TBD | TBD May 2028 | TBD 2028 | - | TBD | - |
| TOTAL | TBD | TBD | TBD | - | TBD | - |
| Note. ECU Pass Rates calculated the same year as graduation. *NBCOT rates taken from nbcot.org/certification-activities |
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