10 Accredited OTA to OTR Bridge Programs (No Bachelor’s Needed!)

If you’re an occupational therapy assistant (OTA/COTA) thinking about making the transition into becoming an occupational therapist (OTR), you’ll first need to figure out which OTA to OTR bridge program will be the best fit for you.

There’s a lot to consider including (but not limited to) cost, requirements, location, program flexibility (for the working COTAs!) and overall program length.

To help you with this major decision, I wanted to compile an all-in-one list of accredited OTA to OTR bridge programs that don’t require a Bachelor’s degree to help you narrow things down a bit.

Each OTA to OTR bridge program listed will have tuition information, location, program length, most recent NBCOT pass rate (with the latest stats from 2025), and any other essential information to help you with your decision.

And as mentioned above, due to many COTAs having their OTA Associate’s without a Bachelor’s, each of these OT graduate programs do not require a Bachelor’s degree as a pre-requisite prior to starting the program.

If you’re still on the fence about whether you want to make the switch to become an OTR, be sure to also check out our article Should You Transition From COTA to OTR? The Pros and Cons of Making The Leap.

So without further ado, here’s our list of 10 no-Bachelor’s OTA to OTR bridge program options.

Note: This post was most recently updated in April 2026, be sure to check each school’s individual website linked below for updates on tuition and requirements.

1. Belmont University

Location: Nashville, TN

Length of Program: 22 months

Cost: $108,320

Type of Program: Full-time weekend Master’s of Occupational Therapy degree. Meets in-person every third weekend with online courses weekly. Meets year round. Two Level II fieldworks are full-time in-person.

Additional Notes: OTAs must have one year of licensed OTA work experience prior to applying. PTAs are also able to apply to this MSOT bridge program with one year of PTA experience. 

NBCOT Pass Rate (from 2025): 97%

Program Website: Belmont School of Occupational Therapy

2. Middle Georgia State University 

Location: Cochran, GA

Length of Program: 28-month full-time Master’s of Science in OT (MSOT) program consisting of 7 sequential semesters, including two Level II Fieldwork experiences of 12 weeks each.

Cost: $23,484 total for in-state tuition, $41,300 total for out-of-state tuition. (This is a very affordable option)

Type of Program: Partially online/hybrid format, with most coursework completed online with once-monthly on-campus weekend labs and activities 

Additional Notes: OTAs must have one year of work experience, or a minimum of 1500 hours before applying, 

NBCOT Pass Rate: 75% (2025)

Program Website: Middle Georgia State University OT Program

3. Bay Path University-East Longmeadow

Location: East Longmeadow, MA

Length of Program: There are two tracks to choose from.

• Track 1: Four years of 109 credits completed over four years (this option is for COTAs with no Bachelor’s degree).
• Track 2: Three years of 81 credits (for COTAs already with a Bachelor’s degree in any field). Visit the website below for further details.

Cost: Estimated cost of $97,045 for Track 1 and $86,365 for Track 2 including fees.

Type of Program: Blended online and onsite Master’s of Occupational Therapy bridge program, with in-person coursework every other weekend. Two 12 week Level II fieldworks are full-time in-person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 78%

Program Website: Bay Path Occupational Therapy Department

4. Concordia University

Location: Mequon, WI

Length of Program: 2 years for COTAs with a Bachelor’s, 3 years for COTAs that do not have a Bachelor’s (this will include a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science followed by Master’s of Occupational Therapy. an OTD is available with one added semester.

Cost: A total of ~$77,246 over four semesters

Type of Program: Blended format, partially online Master of Occupational Therapy bridge program with one weekend a month on campus. In-person, full-time Level II Fieldworks.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 83% in 2025

Notes: COTAs must have one year of work experience prior to applying. Students will have the option to continue onto an OT Doctorate if desired while in the MOT program.

Program Website: Concordia University OT Bridge Program

5. Utica University

Location: Utica, NY

Length of Program: Five semesters

Cost: Approximately $109,915 in tuition (5 semesters × $21,983) plus fees

Type of Program: Online and in-person hybrid Master’s in Occupational Therapy program with in-person courses held every other weekend. Two three-month Level II Fieldworks are full-time in-person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 92%

Program Website: Utica University OT Department

6. Dominican College

Location: Orangeburg, NY

Length of Program: Three years (seven trimesters of coursework, two trimesters of Level II Fieldwork)

Cost: $90,385. See program website for further details.

Type of Program: Online and in-person full-time Master’s in Occupational Therapy program meeting every 3rd weekend in person. Both Level II Fieldworks are in-person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 83%

Program Website: Dominican College OT Department

7. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Location: Concord, NC

Length of Program: Two years for COTAs already with a Bachelor’s and three years for combined BS/MOT track for COTAs without a Bachelor’s. The program is full time, hybrid online and in-person. 

Cost: $$72,914 for the Master’s in OT including fees. This does not include the Bachelor’s degree cost for COTAs who need to obtain this as well.

Type of Program: Full-time online/in-person meeting in person every third weekend. Level II Fieldwork is all in person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 97%

Program Website: Cabarrus OT Department

8. New England Institute of Technology

Location: East Greenwich, RI

Length of Program: Two and half years

Cost: $104,161

Type of Program: Online/in-person Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. This bridge program is online with in-person classes 5 weekends per 10 week quarter. Two Level II Fieldworks are full-time in-person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 85%

Program Website: New England Institute of Technology OT Department

9. Keiser University (two locations)

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL and Fort Myers, FL

Length of Program: Two year, six-semester Master’s bridge program. The bridge programs include a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy followed by a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.

Cost: $79,864 

Type of Program: Online MSOT bridge program with two weekends in-person every 8 weeks. Level II Fieldworks are in-person.

NBCOT Pass Rate: 86% Fort Lauderdale; 90% Fort Meyers

Program Website: Keiser University OT Department

10. Muskingum University

Location: New Concord, OH

Length of Program: Two years

Cost: Approximately $65,288

Type of Program: Hybrid Master’s program with online courses and 3 on-campus weekend learning experiences in each 10-week term. Level II Fieldwork will be completed in-person during weekday hours

Additional Notes: No bachelor’s degree required although applicants must have completed 90 semester hours of college credit and hold a valid OTA license

NBCOT Pass Rate: 95%

Program Website: Muskingum University OT Bridge Program 

A Note About Level II Fieldwork

As you may have noticed, each Master’s or Doctorate Occupational Therapy program requires two 12 week, in-person full-time (40 hours per week) Level II Fieldworks. This is required by AOTA and ACOTE standards in order for the program to be accredited.

Both Level II Fieldworks are usually at the end of the program, but one may also be mid-program depending on the curriculum. I wanted you to be aware of this full-time requirement since I hear from applicants often wanting a fully online option (which doesn’t exist due to the need for that hands-on in-person training).

Because of this, I wanted to make a note that you will need to be prepared for 24 weeks of full-time in-person Level II Fieldworks regardless of the OTA to OTR bridge program you choose. Each program website will have a sample curriculum that should indicate when in the program they have their Level II Fieldworks.

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I hope you found this list of OTA to OTR bridge programs helpful! Be sure to also check out ACOTE’s full list of accredited OTA to OTR bridge programs here. This full list also includes OTA to OTR bridge programs that do require a Bachelor’s degree beforehand.

And for the most up-to-date tuition and program information on each of these programs, check back at each program’s individual website as well in case any of this data changes after this article is published. 

If I’ve missed any accredited COTA to OT bridge programs that don’t require a Bachelor’s, please let me know in the comments below! I will be sure to add them to the next updates. 

This post was originally published on June 17, 2020 and last updated on April 23, 2026.