Online Occupational Therapy Master's Degree
Overview
Occupational therapists help patients with injuries and disabilities develop or recover the skills they need to live and work on a daily basis. This may mean helping someone adjust to using a prosthetic limb, teaching parents how to care for a child with cerebral palsy, or running memory drills with an elderly patient.
Students must hold a master’s degree in order to be licensed as an occupational therapist, and most online occupational therapy master’s degree programs are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in the field. Some online programs offer a dual degree option, so students can earn their bachelor’s and master’s in occupational therapy through an accelerated program.
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Coursework
| Example courses | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical kinesiology | |||||||||
| Ergonomics and assistive technology | |||||||||
| Understanding the process of aging | |||||||||
| Theoretical perspective of pain | |||||||||
| Neuroscience | |||||||||
| Hand and upper extremity rehab | |||||||||
The typical curriculum for an online master’s in occupational therapy program includes courses such as neuroscience, rehabilitation science, therapeutic skills, and kinesiology, which is the study of human movement.
Since the core role of an occupational therapist is to work with patients to improve physical and mental functions, students earning their master’s in the field must put in face time with patients to hone their skills. In most occupational therapy programs, that means supervised field work at nursing homes, rehab facilities, and hospitals.
Students must complete this clinical experience before they apply for licensure through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, a nonprofit credentialing organization.
Job Outlook
| Median salaries* | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapist, individual and family services | $64,500 | ||||||||
| Occupational therapist, hospitals | $72,450 | ||||||||
| Occupational therapist, physical/occupational therapy offices | $73,800 | ||||||||
| Occupational therapist, nursing care facilities | $78,400 | ||||||||
| Occupational therapist, home healthcare services | $79,600 | ||||||||
*per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
An aging baby boomer population means serious job growth for licensed occupational therapists, who often work with elderly patients to manage everything from arthritis to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. More than 36,000 new occupational therapy jobs will be created by 2020, primarily in rehab and orthopedic settings that deal mainly with elderly patients, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The median salary for occupational therapists can range from $64,500 to $79,600, depending on the work setting, with home healthcare service as the most lucrative career path, according to BLS data.
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