The AOTA Fellowship Program
The AOTA Fellowship Program cultivates, promotes, and recognizes post-professional training programs that advance the knowledge and skills of licensed occupational therapists in various focused areas of practice.
AOTA Fellowship Directory
View the current list of AOTA's Fellowship Programs by focused area of practice and stage in the recognition process.
AOTA Fellowship Program criteria
The AOTA Fellowship Program provides sponsoring organizations with a comprehensive framework to develop a fellowship program in a specific focused area of practice. Each fellowship will incorporate both the Fellowship Program criteria and the Fellowship Program Learning Objectives (FPLOs) (based on the AOTA Standards of Continuing Competence developed by the AOTA Commission on Continuing Competence and Professional Development [CCCPD]).
The FPLOs outline five key areas of knowledge and skills listed below to be acquired by a fellow are:
- body of knowledge,
- reasoning and performance skills,
- ethical practice skills,
- interpersonal skills, and
- scholarly and/or professional activities.
The curriculum will incorporate in-depth mentored practice, coupled with clinical caseloads in their focused area of practice that includes
- direct exposure to targeted evidence-based research and clinical practice,
- providing occupational therapists the opportunity to improve and advance their clinical skills in a focused area of practice, and also
- increasing their future marketability as specialized therapists.
Prospective and current fellowship program
Is your organization interested in seeking AOTA recognition for an existing or new fellowship? Learn the steps you need to take to better understand the requirements and recognition process.
Schedule of fees
Learn more about the current AOTA Fellowship Program fee schedule, along with the various types of fees and how to pay.
Prospective and Current Fellowship Programs
The initial process for recognition starts with submitting:
- an Intent to Seek Approval (ISA) form by one of the review cycle deadlines—May 1, September 1, or December 1, and
- a Candidacy Application by no more than 18 months past the submission date of the ISA.
The Intent to Seek Approval (ISA) form and Candidacy Application can be accessed through the Open Water portal.
Please contact the AOTA Fellowship Program at fellowship@aota.org for additional questions.