Different Opportunities for Occupational Therapy Education
It is necessary to be certified if you wish to work in the sphere of occupational therapy. This responsible profession predetermines thorough groundwork before you enter this field. This is not hard to find the training programs and some of them even provide online training.
First of all, you should decide for yourself what position you would like to have in the sphere of occupational therapy. The programs will differ depending upon the goal you are after. Different levels of preparation for your future occupation will tell on your salary.
There are a lot of associate degree programs that train occupational therapist assistants. There are Master’s level programs and doctorate-level programs that prepare occupational therapists in accordance with requirements of AOTA – the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Alongside with these opportunities there are distance education programs that will let you study this field if you want to choose it as your occupation for life.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program lasts for two years and provides all those who pass the exam at the end of it with associate’s degree. The graduates can choose to be either Occupational Therapy Associates or Occupational Therapy Aides. They need more specialized education if they are more ambitious. When assistants work with occupational therapists this experience help them greatly and contributes to their qualification but still this is not enough to work as occupational therapists and Master’s degree is necessary.
The career is rather rewarding and prospects are good therefore it is worth taking efforts to get a Master’s degree and become a highly paid professional. Master’s degree will let you be competitive on the market. The goal of education is to prepare the students so that they would be able to pass the MBCOT exam or National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Is it possible to study occupational therapy online?
Classroom training is necessary for students as they study occupational therapy. This is topical for such subjects as rehabilitation practices, physical therapy, psychology and etc. However, there are online programs as well that offer one more alternative for those who want study this challenging field.
Online program is a great choice in case you want to have more flexible schedule. In other words, you are able to design the schedule on your own and study at any time you wish. This is very convenient and a great option for people who had to leave studies before. Now they need to revise knowledge they acquired and study further. The goal of online program is the same – to pass the examination and get certification. Online programs are frequently chosen by people who are engaged in part time job and need support as they pursue the goal to get education.
The Importance of Practice for Occupational Therapy Education
Practice is necessary for students who want to get their degree. Occupational therapy practice is often a requirement when a student qualifies for some position. Therefore clinic and occupational therapy offices eagerly accept students. Alongside with this requirement there is a range of others that are needed too if you want to start working as an occupational therapist:
- You should be a graduate of high school or have General Educational Development (GED) with strengths in essential subjects, such as physics and biology.
- Be a bachelor in healthcare.
- Have certification and Master’s Degree.
- You will have to study a proper set of necessary skills for becoming a good professional. Besides, you will not be able to get you Master’s degree until you have more than 40 hours of work as a volunteer in clinic.
You should also take into account that requirement can vary from one school to another and different states issue different regulations for OT specialists.
The best US occupational therapist schools
There are a lot of schools that prepare good OT specialists, but some schools are considered better than others. The top list of the best US occupational therapy schools includes Boston University, University of Southern California, University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Washington, Colorado State University, Washington University of St.Louis, Tuffs University (Boston School of Occupational Therapy).
In the course of your training you will also have to choose type of work you are going to have. It can be a rehabilitation work or work in the sphere aimed at wellness of the patient. You can decide to work with elderly people, disabled children or mentally disabled patients.
There are schools that provide combined Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in the sphere of Occupational Therapy. They are Eastern Michigan University, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, University of Southern California, Eastern Washington University and Philadelphia University. They all are accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association.
For instance, seasoned program of Eastern Michigan University train their students in accordance with “3+2 system”, when 3 years of undergraduate work are followed by 2 years of work in order to get Master’s degree. The result of combined education is Bachelors Degree and Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy.