Occupational Therapy Degrees

Certificates vs Professional Certification

The difference between a certificate from a school and NBCOT professional certification, and why a certificate cannot qualify you as an OT or OTA.

Last reviewed 3 November 2026

Key points

  • A certificate is an award from a school or training provider. Professional certification, here OTR or COTA, is awarded by NBCOT after you meet its requirements and pass its exam.
  • A certificate is not NBCOT certification and does not qualify someone as an OT or OTA.
  • Certification is also not licensure. NBCOT states that certification is not the same as licensure.
  • Certificates can still be useful for other purposes; check what they actually lead to.

Two meanings of “certificate”

The word is used for two different things, and mixing them up is a common mistake.

A certificate from a school. A university, college or training provider issues it after a course or set of courses. It may be short or long, and it may be at graduate or non-degree level. Our certificates page lists such awards and records the exact award a school publishes. Duration does not decide the category, and a school-issued certificate is not relabelled as a degree. See methodology.

Professional certification. NBCOT awards the OTR and COTA credentials. NBCOT states that OTR and COTA professionals have completed occupational therapy education and passed a national certification exam, and that only people who keep Active in Good Standing status can use the credential. For US-educated applicants, NBCOT requires graduating from an ACOTE-accredited program with an entry-level OT degree (OTR) or an OTA degree (COTA). A school certificate does not replace that.

What a certificate cannot do

  • It does not make you an OT or OTA, and it does not give you NBCOT eligibility. BLS states that OTAs usually need an accredited program, fieldwork and a passing exam; occupational therapist routes likewise run through accredited programs.
  • It does not grant a license. Licensure is set by each state, and BLS states that all states require licensure for occupational therapists. Check the state board.
  • It is not a shortcut around fieldwork. Entry-level programs include supervised fieldwork that is done in person; see online coursework and in-person fieldwork.

ACOTE’s guidance warns that students in a program that is not accredited can earn credits but cannot take the NBCOT exam. Marketing language such as “certified,” “credentialed” or “become an OT” on a non-accredited certificate should be treated with caution. See understanding ACOTE accreditation.

When a certificate can make sense

A certificate may be appropriate for purposes other than entering the profession, for instance:

  • Before applying. Taking courses to meet prerequisites for an OT program. These are coursework, not a qualification, and acceptance varies by program; see pre-OT pathways.
  • For practitioners. Post-professional or specialty study for people who already hold credentials. BLS notes that optional specialty certifications are available for OTAs, but we have not read details of any specific one and do not describe them. Programs for practitioners are not entry-level; see entry-level vs post-professional OTD.
  • Aide and support roles. BLS states that aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training, and that aides are typically not regulated by state law. A course for aide work is not a route to OTA or OT. See OT vs OTA vs aide.
  • Adjacent interests. Courses in related topics like disability studies or assistive technology may be valuable but are not occupational therapy qualifications.

How to check a claim

  1. Who issues the award, and is it a school certificate or an NBCOT credential?
  2. Is the program ACOTE-accredited at the OT or OTA level? Check ACOTE’s directory.
  3. Does the provider say, in writing, that graduates are eligible for the NBCOT exam? If it only says the course “prepares you,” ask what that means.
  4. What does the state board say about the credential, if you want to practise?
  5. Does the award require in-person supervised practice?

Admission to a certificate does not guarantee anything about certification. A degree alone does not grant a license, and neither does a certificate.

If your goal is to enter the profession, look at OTA programs, master’s programs and entry-level OTD programs. For an overview of routes, read how to become an OT and how to become an OTA. Compare awards in the compare tool.

Sources

Checked 2026-11-03.

  • NBCOT, get certified: https://www.nbcot.org/get-certified
  • NBCOT, what is an OTR or COTA professional: https://www.nbcot.org/occupational-therapy/what-is-an-otr-or-cota
  • BLS, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapy-assistants-and-aides.htm
  • BLS, Occupational Therapists: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapists.htm
  • ACOTE, students and the public: https://acoteonline.org/students-public/

Official sources

This guide is general information, not legal, licensing or financial advice and not a statement about any school. Confirm current requirements with ACOTE, NBCOT, your state licensing board and the school.