Occupational Therapy Ethics CEUs | 10 OT Courses

Earn your AOTA-Approved occupational therapy continuing education units (CEUs) with our online OT ethics courses! Learn how our 10 ethics OT CEU courses address OT’s core values—and find out which states require ethics courses.

Courses meet the OT ethics requirements in the following states (scroll down to learn more):

Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah

Courses that explore ethics in occupational therapy

One of our values at OT Potential is to “do justice” and help create a world that is more equitable and humane. That’s why it’s so important to us to offer courses that help you develop your understanding of ethics in occupational therapy.

Here are our 10 ethics courses, under the AOTA Code of Ethics core value that they do a deep dive into:

1. Altruism 

2. Equality

   • Disparities in Supports for Autism in Latino Families (1 hour)

3. Freedom

4. Justice

   • Beyond Individualism: Ethical Considerations for OTs (1 hour)

   • Beyond Occupational Injustice (1 hour)

   • Beyond Cultural Competence in OT (1 hour)

   • Building a Global OT Profession (1 hour)

   • Diversity In OT (1 hour)

   • OT Education for Planetary Health (1 hour)

   • Racism and Occupation (1 hour)

   • Anti-racist OT Praxis (1 hour)

5. Dignity

6. Truth

7. Prudence 

   • The Ethics of AI as Therapists (1 hour)

To take one of our courses, all you need to do is listen to the episode of the OT Potential Podcast and then join the OT Potential Club to take a test and generate a certificate.

States that require continuing education courses on OT ethics

In our post on OT CEU requirements, we’ve identified the following states that require an OT ethics course. Under each state we are sharing the exact language around the requirement and a link to the source document.

Georgia (2 hours, each renewal)

“Each licensee must complete a minimum of two (2) hours of the required twenty-four (24) continuing education hours in the ethics of occupational therapy practice. These hours may be obtained online.”

See OT Potential’s full Georgia CE Requirements Guide

Illinois (1 hour, each renewal)

“…continuing education units (CEUs) which must include: 1 hours of Ethics (approved by AOTA, LOTA, or NBCOT) and a 1 hour course provided by LSBME on the rules and regulations for OTs and COTAs.”

See OT Potential’s full Illinois CE Requirements Guide

Louisiana (1 hour, each renewal)

“In each renewal period, one contact hour shall include a course in ethics.”

See the Louisiana Administrative Code 

Maine (1 hour, each renewal)

“Ethics Requirement. During each reporting period, one (1) hour of the total required ten (10) hours for occupational therapists and one (1) hour of the total required six (6) hours for occupational therapy assistants shall be on ethics in
the practice of occupational therapy. The one (1) hour of ethics can be satisfied with any qualifying continuing education activity as set forth in Section 3(2)(B).”

See OT Potential’s Maine CEU Requirements Guide

Massachusetts (2 hours, each renewal)

“For each renewal period, each physical and occupational therapy professional’s continuing competency points must include two points in ethics, laws and regulations governing practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or some combination thereof.”

See OT Potential’s Massachusetts CE Requirements Guide

Mississippi (2 hours, each renewal)

“Two (2) contact hours of an ethic courses(s) related to the practice of occupational therapy shall be required during each licensure period. Ethics training may be live face-to-face or non-live training.”

See OT Potential’s Mississippi CEU Requirements Guide

North Carolina (1 hour, each renewal)

“For each renewal period, the licensee shall document completion of at least one contact hour of a qualified activity for maintaining continuing competence related to ethics in the practice of occupational therapy that shall be included in the total points for the year. Continuing competence activities in ethics shall be related to developing the licensee’s ability to reflect on, determine, and act on the moral aspects of practice as required by Rule .0308 of this Chapter.”

For reference: .0308 CODE OF ETHICS 

“Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 90-270.76(a)(2) the Board adopts by reference the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2005) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, including subsequent amendments and editions. Copies of the American Occupational Therapy Association Code of Ethics may be obtained online at aota.org at no cost. To the extent the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics might conflict with the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Practice Act or the Rules of the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy, the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Practice Act or the Rules of the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy shall take precedent.”

Per The Rules of the North Carolina Board

Ohio (1 hour, each renewal)

“License holders shall complete at least one contact hour of ethics, jurisprudence, or cultural competence education per renewal cycle.”

Per the Ohio Administrative Code 

Tennessee (1 hour, each renewal)

“One (1) hour of the required twenty-four (24) continued competence credits shall pertain to the AOTA Code of Ethics or other ethics related continued competence activities which have implications for the practice of occupational therapy.”

Per the Rules of the Tennessee Board of OT

Utah (2 hours, each renewal)

“The standards for qualified continuing professional education include… completion of a minimum of two hours related to legal and ethical principles of practice.”

Per the Utah Administrative Code

Bonus option for Massachusetts, Ohio and Utah

In addition to our 10 ethics courses above, OT professionals from Massachusetts, Ohio and Utah can consider taking our two courses Legal Considerations Part One and Part Two to meet their ethics requirements—as the regulations in these three states specifically mention laws and jurisprudence as qualifying for their ethics requirements.