This page summaries registration requirements for different applicants. Please see Registration Requirements and How to Meet Them for more information.
Canadian Program Registration Requirements
Education
Requirements include:
- a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy or an entry level masters degree in occupational therapy from a Canadian occupational therapy program approved by the ACOT Council
- Successful completion of 1000 hours of supervised clinical education
- Official transcripts
National Exam
Results from successful completion of the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE).
Change of Information
The Health Professions Act, RSA 2000 cH-7 s33 (3-4) and the Occupational Therapists Profession Regulation (AR 217/2006) s35 requires that regulated members must provide personal and employment information upon application and immediately when there is a change to that information.
While changes in contact information (including employment details) can be made online at member login, a change of name requires completion of a Change of Information Form and proof of change of name (marriage certificate, driver’s license, etc.). The completed form can be emailed or mailed to the College.
Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
312, 8925 – 51 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T6E 5J3
Practice Hours Required
- 400 hours within the past year;
- 800 hours in the past 2 years;
- 1200 hours in the past 3 years;
- 1550 hours in the past 5 years;
- or successful completion of the refresher/re-entry program. (320 hours)
Good Character
A current criminal record check which includes a vulnerable sector check.
Professional Liability Insurance (PLI)
Your clients could hold you responsible for damages resulting from a negligent act, error, omission or malpractice. Employer-provided policies typically cover the employee solely for the professional services rendered for that employer, not for activities outside of work or for complaints that come directly to ACOT.
The Health Professions Act requires all registered Occupational Therapists to hold professional liability insurance (PLI). Council has determined that starting in 2022-2023, in order to register for or renew their practice permit, OTs must personally hold PLI in the amount of no less than five million dollars ($5,000,000) per occurrence. Employer coverage will not be sufficient. This helps ensure that clients who have suffered damages can be compensated while protecting an OT’s personal assets against lawsuits and defense costs.
Sources for professional liability insurance
The College does not endorse one provider or carrier over another. Professional liability insurance may be purchased through:
- Society of Alberta Occupational Therapists
- The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
- An independent insurance broker: a listing of brokers is available through the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada
Please note: once a completed application is submitted, it may take up to ten (10) business days to be processed.
New Canadian Program Graduates
A new graduate of a Canadian University can apply for provisional registration while waiting for conferment of their degree, completion of the national certification exam, or submission of examination results to ACOT. A new graduate has up to one year on the Provisional Register to submit your successful NOTCE results and to request for official/complete transcripts to be mailed or sent directly from the candidate’s university to ACOT. An Occupational Therapist in the process of completing these following requirements for registration may be registered on the College’s Provisional Register:
- confirmation of entitlement to graduate with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy or an entry level masters degree in occupational therapy from a Canadian post-secondary institution
- proof of registration (receipt) to write the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE)
- information on employer, occupational Therapist supervisor, and projected employment start date
- a current criminal record check which includes a vulnerable sector check
- personal professional liability insurance.
New Applicant Registration Guide
Supervised Practice Guide for Graduates from Canadian OT Programs
When all registration requirements are met, members on the Provisional Register can apply for a General Register permit.
Canadian OT Labour Mobility
An occupational therapist (OT) licensed or registered in another Canadian jurisdiction may have their qualifications recognized for registration in Alberta under the Labour Mobility Support Agreement (LMSA) between provincial regulatory organizations.
If you are looking to practice in Alberta, make arrangements for the originating jurisdiction to complete an LMSA confirmation form and regulatory history.
ACOT will charge a $40.00 fee to process an LMSA.
Re-entry Applicants
The re-entry applicant is someone whose practice hour currency has lapsed, and they no longer meet the minimum practice hour requirements for registration on the General Register.
Re-entry applicants are first required to apply or re-apply to the Provisional Register (depending on whether they have been registered with ACOT before). They must also arrange for an eight-week (or 320hr) period of supervised practice. The signed Memorandum of Understanding of Supervisory Partnership (see pages 4 and 5 of the Supervised Practice Guide) must be uploaded to the registration application prior to the issuing of the applicant’s Provisional practice permit. The Registrar will review the supervisor’s competency assessment to determine if the applicant needs to complete any further coursework, training or exams identified in the competency assessment. Once all of the requirements are met, the re-entry applicant will be approved by the Registrar for transfer from the Provisional to the General Register.