Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) for its new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program which will welcome its first cohort of students in January 2026.
Oklahoma Baptist University Receives Candidacy Status for New Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
September 25, 2025
OBU has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) for its new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. The university will welcome its first cohort of students in January 2026, marking a significant step in OBU’s development of hybrid health science programs.
Candidacy Status is the first step in a three-step initial accreditation process and allows the program to admit its first cohort according to an ACOTE timeline. Next steps include a preaccreditation review and an initial on-site evaluation, which will determine ACOTE’s Preaccreditation Status and Accreditation Status decisions.
Hybrid, Accelerated Learning Model
The program features a 24-month hybrid, accelerated format that allows students to balance personal and professional commitments while receiving their degree. Students will engage in online coursework, then practice essential skills during periodic on-campus immersions at OBU's Shawnee campus, and extensive fieldwork experiences including three Level I rotations, two 12-week Level II fieldwork experiences and one 14-week Capstone project.
During on-campus immersions, students will refine practical skills in the recently remodeled lab space and connect with the faculty and peers they have come to know through online classes. These sessions foster community and allow students to integrate faith into learning while applying faith-based principles and occupational therapy techniques in real-world scenarios.
Nationally Recognized
Founded in 1910, Oklahoma Baptist University is a nationally recognized Christian liberal arts university in Shawnee. OBU transforms lives by equipping students to pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of God in Christ.
Applications for the January 2026 cohort are open, with a Fall cycle priority deadline of December 1. For more information, visit okbu.edu/programs/occupational-therapy-otd or contact occupational.therapy@okbu.edu.