Is the 6-year BS/OTD program accredited?
The BS/OTD program has achieved the highest level of accreditation possible at this point in the process. The OTD program is in the accreditation stage called “Candidacy Status”.
What does candidacy status mean?
ACOTE conducted a careful review of our BS/OTD program including resources, faculty qualifications, outcome measures, polices, and curriculum design. Based on this review, ACOTE permitted us to admit our first BS/OTD class in Fall 2023.
As ACOTE states, “Although the designation “Candidacy Status” is not a guarantee of accreditation, it does indicate that the resource allocation and plan for development of the proposed program appears to demonstrate the ability to meet the applicable ACOTE Standards if fully implemented as planned.”
How has ICOT performed in past accreditation reviews?
The current BS/OTD Candidacy Application was so highly regarded that the ACOTE staff members requested permission to use parts of it as an example in their training materials for other programs.
ICOT has had multiple formal accreditation self-studies of the BS/MS program and on-site evaluations in its almost 30 years of programming. Both have resulted in very high marks for the program with the longest length of accreditation being achieved each time.
How often does ICOT report to ACOTE?
We submit an annual report to ACOTE each February. Our BS/OTD self-study report is due in November 2026.
What is a self-study?
A self-study is a comprehensive report of the program to be reviewed by a team of ACOTE staff. They will provide feedback at that time of any needed modifications to make a final accreditation decision.
What is the accreditation timeline for the BS/OTD?
|
2022 |
2023 (Fall) |
2026 (Fall) |
2027 (Spring) |
2028 (Fall) |
|
Candidacy status attained |
Admit the first cohort of BS/OTD |
Submit the self-study report to ACOTE |
Achieve pre-accreditation status* |
Onsite evaluation with final full accreditation decision December 2028 |
- *ACOTE has determined that the program is likely to meet the applicable ACOTE Standards if fully implemented in accordance with its plans
What will happen if ICOT OTD program does not receive accreditation as expected?
There are many checks and balances along the path to full accreditation. If any unexpected concerns arise, they will be able to be dealt with in a timely manner. We are confident in the pathway to accreditation given our past experiences with the highly successful BS/MS program and initial success with the BS/OTD program.
If the program does not achieve full accreditation as expected Ithaca College will work with each individual student to assist in a seamless transfer either to the IC OT BS/MS program or to another accredited program so they will be eligible to sit for the NBCOT exam.