No. There is no doctoral mandate for occupational therapy. ACOTE, the body that accredits every OT program, states on its student resources page: “There is NO mandate regarding OT doctoral-degree-level education.” You can still become an OT with an accredited master’s degree. (Checked October 9, 2026.)
What ACOTE says today
“There is NO mandate regarding OT doctoral-degree-level education. Institutions can decide to transition the occupational therapy program to the doctoral degree level, remain at the master's degree level, or offer both degree options.”
ACOTE’s school directory says the same thing: “Entry into the occupational therapy profession can be achieved at the master’s or doctoral degree-level” (acoteonline.org).
Where the “2027 doctorate” idea came from
ACOTE did announce a move to the entry-level doctorate as the single point of entry, with 2027 as the compliance date. Many school pages, blogs and even search results still repeat it. It never took effect:
- A 2019 California Assembly committee analysis records that “In October 2018, AOTA and ACOTE placed the pending 2027 doctoral level educational mandate for compliance in abeyance pending a six month review.” (AB 829 analysis)
- ACOTE’s current position is the quote above: no mandate, and schools choose.
If a page tells you a doctorate will be required to sit for the NBCOT exam starting in 2027, it is out of date.
The trend: more OTDs, but master’s programs remain
Many schools have chosen the doctorate anyway. From ACOTE’s directory (422 OT programs as of October 8, 2026):
| Entry-level OTD | Master’s | |
|---|---|---|
| All programs listed by ACOTE | 231 | 191 |
| Accredited | 158 | 160 |
| New programs still in development | 73 | 31 |
Master’s programs are still offered in 42 of the 51 states and territories that have an OT program. But new programs lean doctoral: 73 of the 104 OT programs working toward accreditation are OTDs. Some schools offer both. See all master’s programs and all OTD programs.
What this means if you are applying
- Both degrees lead to the same exam and license. ACOTE says graduates of accredited programs are eligible for the NBCOT exam and for licensure in all states, DC and Puerto Rico.
- The OTD takes longer. It adds a doctoral capstone, so it usually costs more. Compare in master’s vs. doctorate and OT school cost.
- Check that a master’s program is still admitting. Some schools stop admitting master’s students when they switch to the OTD. Every program page here shows whether we found a “no longer admitting” notice.
What about OTA programs?
The same applies to occupational therapy assistants. ACOTE states: “There is NO mandate regarding OTA associate-degree-level education.” OTA programs may stay at the associate level, move to a bachelor’s, or offer both. Today 207 OTA programs are associate-level and 19 are bachelor’s. See OTA schools.