Online Masters Degrees in Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is one of the fields in health care that works with people experiencing disabilities on physical or mental planes or both. It assists in improving motor functions and reasoning abilities. The end goal is to teach skills through various tools that help them become more independent in personal and professional lives. Occupational Therapy is different from physical therapy which focuses only the major muscle groups and exercising [walking and standing]. In contrast, OT is holistic and addresses physical and psychological concerns.

Treatment plans are created by the occupational therapist after evaluating the patient and these are translated into action through his aides and assistants. Examples of application of occupational therapy include among others working with a developmentally child and those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. As of 2007, a practitioner of occupational therapy needs to possess a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited institution as a minimum requirement. Course content spans physical, biological and behavioral sciences and application of occupational therapy theory and skills with requirement for completion of supervised field work. License requirements apply.

Career prospects are robust in this discipline with faster than average growth of 23% projected by US Bureau of Labor Statistics through 2016. Work settings for occupational therapy are mostly in hospitals though they may also be practiced in mental health homes, nursing facilities and home health care organizations. Increasing numbers in elderly population are expected to drive growth in this field. Salaries are attractive with median annual earnings standing at $60,470 in May 2006 and the top 10% drawing $89,450.

University of Phoenix and Strayer University lead the premier group of institutions offering quality programs followed by Kaplan and Argosy Universities known for their high standards of academic excellence. Not to be bested, Capella University also joins the group providing “best in class” education.