Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a diverse health care field aimed at helping physically impaired people improve their ability to perform daily living and working tasks. Occupational therapists (OT’s) work with people experiencing health problems such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, cancer, congenital conditions, developmental problems, and mental illness. Practitioners work in a wide range of settings including schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, psychiatric facilities, and community health programs. Occupational therapy helps people regain, develop, and build skills that are essential for independent functioning, health, and well being.
Occupational therapy can prevent injury, the worsening of existing conditions or disabilities. They thereby promote independence in individuals who may otherwise require institutionalization or other long-term care. Occupational therapy can help keep health care costs down while maximizing the quality of life for individuals, families, and caregivers. Occupational practitioners can be credentialed at either the professional (occupational therapist) or technical (occupational therapy assistant) level after completing a baccalaureate or entry-level master's degree (OT) or 2-year associate degree (OTA) program. This can be completed in one of over 200 accredited programs at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Once you have decided to pursue a career in OT, you should contact at least 10 different programs. A nationwide listing of more than 200 educational programs offered by colleges and universities is available from the American Occupational Therapy Association: http://aota.org. This website includes information on OT accreditation, post professional programs and student registries.
Currently, you need to request a separate application from each program of occupational therapy in the spring of your junior year. There is no centralized application service.
Although the application process varies from school to school, the majority of the occupational therapy programs require:
- Completed application packet
- Application fee
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcript from every college or university attended
- Official scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Personal Statement
THIS LIST OF COURSES SHOULD FULFILL MOST ACCREDITED PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMS, THIS LIST MAY NOT BE EXHAUSTIVE, IT SHOULD MERELY BE A GUIDE. IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO CONTACT INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS REGARDING SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.
| Biological Science (1 year) |
BIOL 117 & BIOL 118 |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology (1 year) |
BIOL 251 & BIOL 252 |
|
Introductory Chemistry |
CHEM 107
(CHEM 107 is only offered in the Fall). |
| Introductory Psychology (1 semester) |
PSYC 111 |
|
Developmental Psychology |
PSYC 220 |
| Abnormal Psychology (1 semester) |
PSYC 223 |
| English (1 year) |
Any courses in the English (ENG), Rhetoric (RHET), Writing (WRIT), Creative Writing (CW), or Comparative Literature (COLI) departments. |
| Statistics (1 semester) |
MATH 147 or MATH 148 or PSYC 243 |
Additional Requirements/Recommendations include:
| Physics (1 -2 semesters) |
PHYS 121 (and PHYS 122) |
| Sociology (1 semester) |
Any sociology course |
| Anthropology (1 semester) |
Any anthropology course |
| Medical Ethics (1 semester) |
PHIL 148 |
| Neurobiology (1 semester) |
BIOL 313 |
Additional classes may be required from the College of Community and Public Affairs (HDEV); those vary with each program however.
For more information about Occupational Therapy Programs, contact: American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. 4720 Montgomery Lane PO Box 31220 Bethesda, MD 20824-1220 Phone: 301-652-2682 - TDD: 1-800-377-8555 - Fax: 301-652-7711
Last updated: 8/5/09 by MG
