Criminal Background Checks And Drug Screening

Background checks are required for all Pace MSOT students. Many facilities that provide clinical fieldwork experiences to students require criminal background checks, health screenings, fingerprinting, and drug tests before allowing the students to participate in the clinical experience. It is our policy that students’ background checks be complete, prior to the start of classes or within 8 weeks of enrolling in the MSOT program. Failure to produce a criminal background check may result in delayed graduation or the inability to graduate from the program. Students may also be required to undergo a drug screening or fingerprinting prior to participating in specific fieldwork sites. Students should be aware that they are responsible for all expenses incurred to meet these requirements and they may be required to undergo a criminal background check more than once over the course of the program.

Students are reminded that fieldwork sites may deny a student's clinical participation because of a felony or misdemeanor conviction and a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination or to attain state licensure as an Occupational Therapist.