Growing a new profession: evaluating occupational therapy education in Mongolia

Mongolia’s healthcare system is experiencing growing demand for rehabilitation services, yet occupational therapy (OT) education programs in the country have rarely been formally evaluated. The undergraduate OT program at the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS), launched in 2014 in accordance with World Federation of Occupational Therapists guidelines, is Mongolia’s only such program. Although the program has undergone minor revisions over time, no comprehensive evaluation has yet been conducted. This study evaluated the program using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) framework to identify strengths and areas for improvement in relation to national health and social care priorities. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. In phase one, 82 stakeholders: students, alumni, faculty, and program administrators completed a cross-sectional survey analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, and one-way analysis of variance. Phase Two involved semi-structured interviews with 28 purposively selected participants, analyzed thematically using both inductive and deductive approaches. Survey findings showed higher ratings for the context and product domains ( M ≈ 4.0–4.3), lower ratings for input ( M ≈ 2.5), and moderate ratings for process ( M = 3.41). Statistically significant differences in perceptions were found across stakeholder groups, particularly regarding resources and practical training. Four qualitative themes emerged: the growing need for OT in Mongolia, limited public and institutional awareness of the profession, insufficient policy and financial support, and the need to strengthen program organization and teaching capacity. Overall, the findings indicate that although the program was generally perceived as valuable and socially relevant by participants, ongoing limitations in resources, infrastructure, and practical training continue to affect its quality. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of OT education in Mongolia and offers practical implications for curriculum development, faculty support, and institutional commitment, with lessons applicable to similar programs in low-resource or transitional contexts.