Did You Know CEU Requirements Can Be More Than Just a Number?

Most physical therapy and occupational therapy professionals are required to fulfill continuing education requirements to renew their license. These requirements are determined individually by each state. While there are a few states that don’t have occupational and physical therapy CEU requirements, the majority do. Some states make it easy and simply require a total number of units or hours. Many states, however, make it more complicated.

What is a Special Requirement?

Some states require specific exams or a particular course about a certain subject, while others just require a specified number of CEUs on a particular topic. Examples include:

• Pain management: any course in Michigan and a specific course in Oregon
• Human trafficking: a course from an approved list in Texas
• Implicit bias: a course from an approved list in Maryland and from an approved provider in Illinois

The most common physical therapy CEU requirements are a jurisprudence exam or a specific number of CEUs related to ethics and jurisprudence.

The most common occupational therapy CEU requirements are a specific number of hours or credits that are directly related to the practice of occupational therapy.

Some of the requirements, as in the examples above, are the same for both physical therapy and occupational therapy professionals. Most states, however, have separate PT and OT boards, and have different special requirements for each profession.

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How Do You Find the Special Requirements for Your State?

It can be confusing to figure out the specific OT or PT CEU requirements for your state and profession. The most definitive resource is always your state board. You can often find your CEU requirements on the state board website, but even then you may have to dig deeper. The board homepage may state the total number of occupational or physical therapy CEUs required, but they may only list the special requirements in detail in the rules and regulations documents.

While there are plenty of groups on the internet that you could ask for clarification, do so with caution. People are generally trying to be helpful, but they don’t always realize that the requirements for your state are probably not the same as the requirements for their state. State boards also add new requirements from time to time. While the state will often notify you about these updates in an email, it's easy to miss these updates!

So Can CEU Keeper Help Me With This?

Yes! We regularly review state requirements and get updates from state boards regarding changes to their CEU requirements. We strive to keep the information on our CEU requirements pages accurate and up to date, but recommend you familiarize yourself with your state rules as well. While you are ultimately responsible for knowing about and completing the special requirements, it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes looking out for you!

With a CEU Keeper subscription, your special requirements will be listed right on your dashboard. We include specific details about how to fulfill the requirement and direct links to our sources. CEU Keeper will help you stay organized and in compliance, so you'll never miss a requirement. Start your free trial today!