Occupational Therapy Schools in North Dakota

The North Dakota state has 2 ACOTE accredited Occupational therapy Schools which provide an entry-level master degree or Doctoral degree. Plus, the state also has 4 ACOTE accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Schools which provides an associate degree. The license is required to practice as an OT or OTA in the state of North Dakota and it’s compulsory for the graduates of OT schools to apply for the licensure.

The 2 Occupational therapy schools in North Dakota are-

1. University of Mary
2. University of North Dakota (UND)

Occupational therapy in North Dakota-

The occupational therapist, Occupational therapy assistant, and OT/OTA students have their own state association, i.e. NDOTA (North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association).

The NDOTA is a non-profit volunteer organization which provides a professional community for its members. The NDOTA is a state-based professional organization and public voice for the occupational therapy profession in North Dakota.

The main role of the association is to promote the occupational therapy profession, create public awareness, provide support to the therapist in continuing education and improve and maintain the quality of occupational therapy profession in the state of North Dakota. The NDOTA is an affiliated state body of the American Occupational therapy association.

Website – www.ndota.com

Occupational therapy License in North Dakota-

Occupational therapist and Occupational therapy Assistants are required to get a license from the North Dakota’s Board of Occupational Therapy Practice.

The minimum requirements for the license are –

• Entry-level master degree or OTD degree
• NBCOT exam’s passing certificate.
• Application fees of $125.

Temporary OT/OTA License:

 A temporary license to practice as an occupational therapist (OT) or as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) may be granted to persons who have completed the educational and experience requirements for licensure and are waiting to take or receive the results of the certification examination.

The holder of a limited permit must take the exam within four months of completion of the education and experience requirements. The permit may be renewed once.

Occupational therapy schools in North Dakota

#1 University of Mary
The Occupational therapy school at University of Mary offers entry-level Doctor of Occupational therapy. The school has discontinued MSOT and replaced by the OTD program. The OTD program has been granted Candidacy status from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the AOTA.

The University of Mary Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree is offered in Bismarck, ND, and Billings, MT. The main campus is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, with a satellite campus in Billings, MT.

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree is designed for students who have a Bachelor’s degree. This program takes 3 years to complete, which includes 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork experiences and a 16-week doctoral capstone experience. A selected group of students may apply for early assurance into the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program if they have attained a high school GPA of 3.5 or an ACT score of 24.

University of Mary School of Health Sciences
Course Offered–	Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (Entry-level)
University Campuses	Bismarck, ND; Billings, MT
Public or Private-	Private Institute.
Program Director-	Dr. Janeene Sibla
Course Duration-	OTD – 3-year program
Class Size	—
OT Admission	Once a year (Summer).
Application Procedure	To apply for the program, please submit your application to OTCAS and indicate the University of Mary is one of your choices. A personal interview.
Minimum Requirement	A bachelor’s degree; A cumulative GPA of 3.0; GRE score report; A TOEFL score of 90 in iBT (for an international candidate ) 3 Reference Letters (One of these references must be completed by a previous or current work supervisor); 20 volunteer hours with an occupational therapist. It is highly recommended that the hours occur in more than one area of practice.
Prerequisite Coursework	Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab; General Chemistry with lab OR Physics with lab; General Psychology; Developmental or Lifespan psychology; Abnormal Psychology; Statistics; Medical terminology or a passing grade on competency exam.
Address	Occupational Therapy Program 7500 University Drive Bismarck, ND 58504-9652 (800) 408-6279 x8212 [email protected]
Website	www.umary.edu

#2 University of North Dakota (UND)

The Occupational Therapy Department offers a three-year entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree. Students may be admitted with 2 years of designated prerequisite courses, a baccalaureate degree is not required. The OT school also offers 2-year Bachelor of General Studies Degree with a health Studies option to fulfill the minimum requirement for the 3-year professional OT program.

The UND has two campuses offering the Master of Occupational Therapy degree. The main campus is located in Grand Forks, ND, and the satellite located in Casper, WY.

NOTE- The OT School is applying for an entry-level OTD program to the ACOTE. The school may begin the OTD program from fall 2019 (if candidacy status is granted by the ACOTE).

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Course Offered–	Master of Occupational Therapy (Entry-level)
University Campuses	Grand Forks, ND
Public or Private-	Public Institute.
Program Chair-	Janet S. Jedlicka, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Course Duration-	MOT – 3-year program
Class Size	—
OT Admission	Once a year (Summer).
Application Procedure	To apply for the program, please submit an online application to the University of North Dakota. A personal interview.
Minimum Requirement	A cumulative GPA of 2.75 in the pre-requisites course; Sixty (60) hours of volunteer work prior to application; letters of reference; written essay; A resume; Volunteer information.
Prerequisite Coursework	Human Anatomy & Human Physiology; Introduction to OT; English Composition (I & II); Public Speaking; Introductory Psychology; Developmental psychology; Abnormal Psychology; Introductory Sociology; General Biology; General Chemistry; Statistics; Humanities; Fine arts.
Address	School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy Suite E321 1301 N. Columbia Road, Stop 9037 Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 Email- [email protected]
Website	med.und.edu

Occupational Therapy Jobs in North Dakota-

The outlook for occupational therapy employment is very good in North Dakota. The United States’s Bureau of Labor Statistics includes occupational therapy as one of its fastest growing occupations, with registered occupational therapists predicted to have a faster than average growth (21- 36%). Many Health Care Recruitment providers have reported a shortage of occupational therapists and OTA in North Dakota. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 470 employed and licensed occupational therapists in North Dakota in May 2016. And the requirement of license practitioner is increasing. Huge opportunities are there in North Dakota for the occupational therapist and occupational therapy Assistant.

Occupational Therapy Salary in North Dakota-

As per indeed.com, the average salary of an occupational therapist in North Dakota was $65,000 per annum (in 2016) and According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual and hourly income of occupational therapy professionals were $64,900 and $31.20, respectively in May 2016.