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Career

AOTA's Advanced Certification Program

Take the next step to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities in a specialized area of practice. AOTA's exam-based advanced certifications are a recognized way to show you have the expanded capabilities to excel.

Areas of certification

Woman pushing man in wheelchair outside while walking dog

Gerontology

Gain recognition for your knowledge and experience working with older adults.

Female occupational therapist sitting on floor with toddler with prosthetic leg playing with building blocks

Pediatrics

Gain recognition for your specialized knowledge and critical thinking in the area of pediatric occupational therapy.

Toddler girl playing with blocks with female smiling in background

Advanced Certification eligibility criteria

  • Certified or licensed by and in good standing with an AOTA-recognized credentialing or regulatory body
  • A minimum of three years as an occupational therapist
  • A minimum of 3,000 hours of experience in the certification area within the last 5 years
  • A minimum of 500 hours of experience delivering occupational therapy services to clients in the certification area within the last 5 years

AOTA Advanced Certification credentialing process overview

Step 1: Application

Submit your application.

Step 2: Application review & approval

You will receive an initial decision (approved to test, more information needed, or denied) within 10 business days.

Step 3: Exam eligibility

You will have 90 days from the approval date to take your exam.

Step 4: Certification cycle

Your certification cycle begins the day you pass the exam and lasts for five years.

Step 5: Certification maintenance

You are required to earn at least 60 contact hours of professional development and maintain at least 1,500 hours of experience in the certification area within your five-year certification cycle.

Step 6: Recertification

You will complete the recertification process at the five-year mark, once you have met all of the recertification requirements. Then your new certification cycle begins. After this step, you go back to step 5.