2023 ACOTE® Standards and Interpretive Guide - December 2025 Version

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky

2023 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards and Interpretive Guide defines required elements for occupational therapy educational programs and outlines critical competencies for entry-level occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). The standards review cycle is conducted every five years to keep entry-level expectations aligned with current practice. ACOTE provides a comprehensive review approach with stakeholder participation, and compliance is enforced such that any noncompliant component results in citation of the entire standard.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages55

Reading Time2 h 19 min

AccessFree to download

2023 ACOTE Standards and Interpretive Guide

Effective date and version

Program compliance rule for standards

Accreditation standards by degree level

Section A: General Requirements

A.1.0 Sponsorship and Accreditation

A.1.1 Institutional Accreditation

A.1.2 Institutional Authority and Setting

A.1.3 Sponsoring Institution Responsibilities

2023 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards and Interpretive Guide (effective July 31, 2025) December 2025 Version The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards and Interpretive Guide provides the required elements for educational programs and establishes critical competencies necessary to prepare students to become entry-level occupational therapists (OTs) or occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) . The Standards review process is completed every 5 years to ensure that the entry-level educational standards reflect current occupational therapy practice. ACOTE uses a comprehensive review process to ensure participation by all stakeholders and communities of interest. For more information, [please visit the ACOTE website at](please visit the ACOTE website at www.acoteonline.org)[ ](please visit the ACOTE website at www.acoteonline.org)[www.acoteonline.org](please visit the ACOTE website at www.acoteonline.org). FOR ALL STANDARDS, IF ONE COMPONENT OF THE STANDARD IS NONCOMPLIANT, THE ENTIRE STANDARD WILL BE CITED. THE PROGRAM MUST DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL COMPONENTS OF THE STANDARD. | STANDARD NUMBER | ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR A DOCTORAL-DEGREE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST | ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR A MASTER’S-DEGREE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST | ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR A BACCALAUREATE-DEGREE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT | ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR AN ASSOCIATE-DEGREE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SECTION A: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS | | | | | | A.1.0. SPONSORSHIP AND ACCREDITATION | | | | | | A.1.1. Institutional Accreditation | | | | | | A.1.1. | The sponsoring institution (s) and affiliates, if any, must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) . For programs in countries other than the United States, ACOTE will determine an equivalent external review process. | The sponsoring institution (s) and affiliates, if any, must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) . For programs in countries other than the United States, ACOTE will determine an equivalent external review process. | The sponsoring institution (s) and affiliates, if any, must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) . For programs in countries other than the United States, ACOTE will determine an equivalent external review process. | The sponsoring institution (s) and affiliates, if any, must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) . | | A.1.2. Institutional Authority and Setting | | | | | | A.1.2. | Sponsoring institution (s) must be authorized under applicable law or other acceptable authority to provide a program of postsecondary education and have appropriate degree-granting authority. Accredited occupational therapy educational programs must be established in senior colleges, universities, medical schools; or military institutions. | Sponsoring institution (s) must be authorized under applicable law or other acceptable authority to provide a program of postsecondary education and have appropriate degree-granting authority. Accredited occupational therapy educational programs must be established in senior colleges, universities, medical schools; or military institutions. | Sponsoring institution (s) must be authorized under applicable law or other acceptable authority to provide a program of postsecondary education and have appropriate degree-granting authority. Accredited occupational therapy assistant educational programs must be established in community, technical, junior, or senior colleges; universities; medical schools; or m

FAQs

What is the purpose of the 2023 ACOTE® Standards and Interpretive Guide?

It defines required elements for occupational therapy educational programs and establishes critical competencies for entry-level OTs and OTAs.

How often does ACOTE review the standards?

The standards review process is completed every 5 years to reflect current occupational therapy practice.

What happens if any component of a standard is noncompliant?

If one component is noncompliant, the entire standard will be cited, and the program must demonstrate compliance with all components.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky

2023 ACOTE® Standards and Interpretive Guide - December 2025 Version_Page 1

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