An occupational therapist degree is your first step towards an exciting career! If you're considering pursuing this degree, there are a few basic things you'll need to be aware of, to be certain you're prepared to start off on the proper foot.
To become fully licensed occupational therapist, a Master's degree in occupational therapy is required. So that you can pursue this career path, you'll first want to complete your Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, preferably a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy, or a degree in one of the natural sciences. Occupational therapy schools are incredibly competitive, so it is vital that you keep your grades as high as you possibly can during your undergraduate studies.
There are two paths one may follow as a way to earn an occupational therapist degree. The first solution to be accepted right into a program is to enter into a 4+2 or 4+1 program with your current undergraduate college. By choosing this path, you will smoothly transition from your own 4 year degree program into your Master's studies. Your Master's in occupational therapy can be acquired in a total of 5 or 6 years by getting into one of the plus programs.
Alternatively, if you've already completed your Bachelor's degree, you can apply right to an occupational therapy program at a school. By choosing to directly enter a Master's program, you will probably complete your studies in about two to three more years. Choosing to enter a school's plus program, if one can be acquired, is often the best choice, as a Master's degree can be acquired a little faster, usually.
Before you'll be accepted into an occupational therapist degree program, you will have to fulfill certain prerequisites. That is very important to know, as you need to make sure to take these courses throughout your undergraduate work. https://www.sensoryfitness.org/ following coursework will be required ahead of being accepted in a Master's program for occupational therapy:
Calculus
Social Sciences
General Psychology
Human Physiology and Anatomy
General Biology
General Physics
Organic Chemistry
Statistics
You'll want to be sure that you obtain good grades in all of these courses, as having low grades could add more time to completing your degree path.
Once you have been accepted right into a degree program for occupational therapy, whether a Bachelor's or Master's, you'll normally spend the first few years in the classroom, doing academic coursework. You will be likely to complete both general education type classes, along with courses specific to the field of occupational therapy.
Before you can be licensed, you will also need to have half a year of supervised clinical work under your belt. This experience often will come in the final year of one's education, when you are spending less time in a classroom, and much more time doing practical work in local clinics.
If you intend to pursue an occupational therapist degree, the most important thing you can do is make sure you do well in your undergraduate studies, particularly your science related courses. When looking for schools where you could obtain your Master's degree, you'll want to also be sure the institution is accredited and that the school offers programs that may allow you to focus on any specialty you had in mind.