The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.
The accreditation, which follows a comprehensive self-study and site visit, allows graduates of the program to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam and pursue licensure.
ACOTE commended DMU’s program for its advocacy, development and use of technology and dedicated support staff.
“The faculty demonstrate advanced application of technology in their state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms. This results in a hybrid program that fosters inclusion of remote students so they feel a part of the live classroom experience,” ACOTE says in the report.
All standards were marked compliant, indicating the program meets every one of ACOTE’s rigorous standards for entry-level occupational therapy education, including curriculum design, faculty qualifications, assessment processes and student outcomes. In addition, ACOTE highlighted opportunities for continued program refinement as the program grows, including ongoing evaluation of the balance between individual and group skill assessments to support graduates’ readiness for clinical practice.
“We’re incredibly proud of this recognition,” says Wallace Boeve, EdD, PA-C, DFAAPA, dean of the College of Health Sciences at DMU. “This milestone reflects the passion, talent and dedication of our faculty, who prepare students to become compassionate and innovative occupational therapists.”
Occupational therapists help individuals develop, adapt, recover, improve and maintain the skills necessary to engage in daily life and live as independently as possible.
DMU’s three-year OTD program welcomed its first class in the fall of 2023. Students in the program complete eight semesters: five semesters of classroom-based learning, two semesters of supervised fieldwork and a final semester-long capstone experience and project. Students from the first class will graduate in May 2026.
“This accreditation affirms the intentional design of our curriculum and our faculty’s commitment to continuous improvement,” says Diana Feldhacker, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, department chair and associate professor of occupational therapy. “We are invested in preparing students to not only meet today’s practice demands, but to grow as reflective, adaptable clinicians throughout their careers.”
“The DMU OTD program goes beyond teaching us how to be clinicians,” says Josie Nordhagen, who will be one of the program’s first graduates this May. “It teaches us the importance of advocacy and how we can get involved in making a better change for the profession and the world of health care. I feel confident in my ability to explain what occupational therapy is and why it is an essential part of the care team.”
In 2025, U.S. News and World Report named DMU’s occupational therapy program among the best in the nation.