All 50 states and the District of Columbia have the same core licensure requirements. Applicants need to graduate from an accredited occupational therapy program, complete a course of supervised fieldwork and pass the NBCOT entry-level certification exam. Internationally trained candidates need to graduate from an occupational therapy education program (including supervised fieldwork) that is deemed comparable to an ACOTE-Accredited program and pass the NBCOT exam.
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) administers the OTR© certification exam. Internationally trained candidates that did not graduate from an ACOTE Accredited program must apply for the Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED®) process administered by NBCOT. That process determines if the candidate’s education and fieldwork experience is comparable to education programs in the United States. Not everyone is eligible for the OTED process. To see if you are eligible, visit NBCOT’s website.
Once your degree and experience is deemed comparable, you would be eligible to sit for the certification exam. Passing the NBCOT examination would then allow you to apply for state licensure. See this page for additional information how to obtain a license.