How Long Is Occupational Therapy School? Your Pathway to Becoming an OT
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy “enables people of all ages to participate in daily living.” In their work, occupational therapists, or OTs, work with patients to improve their ability to participate in the things that matter to them the most, whether that means dressing themselves or going back to work after an accident.
Licensed occupational therapists must have a master’s in occupational therapy in occupational therapy. After earning a bachelor’s degree, completing occupational therapy courses can take between two to six years, depending on the program and the chosen course of study.
What Are the Steps to Becoming an Occupational Therapist?
Becoming an occupational therapist includes earning bachelor’s degree, a graduate-level degree, completing the required experience hours, and obtaining licensing from the state where the new OT intends to practice. The exact timeframe varies, depending on the specific path you choose.
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree
The first step toward pursuing a master’s in occupational therapy is earning an undergraduate degree in a related field. To best prepare for a graduate OT program, students should enroll in a relevant undergraduate major, such as biology or health sciences. Some undergraduate students may have an option to choose occupational therapy as their major, but bachelor’s programs in OT are still relatively rare. In most cases, it’s best to complete a relevant undergraduate degree program that will provide you with the necessary prerequisites.
Even students who do not complete a directly related major may still be able to apply to an MSOT program if they complete the right prerequisite occupational therapy courses, such as:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Psychology
- Sociology or Anthropology
- Statistics/Research Design
Step 2: Complete Observation Hours and Grad Exams
Occupational therapy graduate programs require a significant investment of time and resources. To ensure that applicants understand the commitment and the profession, experience in the field is required as part of the MSOT application process.
At Iona University, for instance, applicants to the occupational therapy master's degree program must complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer or observation experience with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant prior to applying to the program. Experience in community service is also recommended, but not required.
At this point, some applicants may also need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and submit their scores along with their applications. However, programs are increasingly bypassing the GRE and other standardized testing in favor of a more holistic application review process that includes GPA as well as practical experience.
Step 3: Earn an Advanced Degree in Occupational Therapy
After completing the prerequisites for applying to a graduate OT program, aspiring OTs can apply to advanced degree programs. Different programs have different evaluation criteria. At Iona, OT applications are evaluated according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) holistic review process, which considers “their experiences, attributes, and academic metrics in order to select applicants who will best contribute to the program’s unique goals, learning environment, and the practice of medicine.”
Once accepted to a program, a master’s of occupational therapy can take between two and four years to complete, depending on whether the student is able to attend classes on a full-time basis.
Occupational therapy students will learn occupational development and performance, OT assessment and intervention processes, evidence-based practice skills, and habits for reflective practice. OT programs will also include clinical practice opportunities to prepare students for their professional lives as well as professional licensure and to help students choose their future specialties.
Step 4: Obtain State Licensure
Occupational therapists are licensed by the states where they practice. Earning a degree in occupational therapy is a prerequisite to applying for licensure, but there are also other requirements. In New York, OTs are licensed through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of the Professions. According to the NYSED, “to be licensed as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant in New York State, you must be of good moral character, be at least 21 years of age for licensure as an occupational therapist, be at least 18 years of age for licensure as an occupational therapy assistant, and meet education and examination requirements.”
Education and examination requirements for NY licensure include:
- Baccalaureate or entry-level master's degree in occupational therapy, or
- Post-baccalaureate certificate in occupational therapy from an institution acceptable to the NYSED
- Minimum of six months of supervised occupational therapy experience
- Score of at least 450 on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy OTR examination
Once the above requirements have been met, aspiring OTs can submit their applications along with the required fees and documentation to the NYSED.
Step 5: Get a Job as an Occupational Therapist
After becoming certified, you can apply for licensure in any state, which means you are eligible to practice in any state. Licensed occupational therapists can then begin their job searches. Many OTs may be able to find employment through the networks they developed and nurtured during their practical OT experiences and may even be hired through those experiences. Others may require further training in the specializations of their choice, or they may need to reach out to hiring agencies in the areas where they want to work.
Types of Occupational Therapists
As with many healthcare professions, there are different types of occupational therapists, with specializations typically divided by patient population. For instance, some OTs focus on working with the aging population as geriatric OTs, while others may work with pediatric clients or focus on the mental health aspects of physical therapy.
Specializing in a certain area of occupational therapy commonly happens after earning a master’s degree and does not impact the duration of the OT program. Rather, advanced OT certifications in different specialties are available to OTs who first gain experience in the area. A range of organizations offer advanced certifications for occupational therapists, including the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which offers certification in gerontology, pediatrics, and physical rehabilitation. Certification can help an OT further their career and may improve earning potential, as well.
Examples of Different Occupational Therapy Practices and Concentrations
Occupational therapists can choose to specialize in a specific patient population, such as children or older adults, or a specific concern, such as physical rehabilitation, brain injuries, and hand therapy. The following are a few occupational therapy specializations to consider as an aspiring OT, although this is certainly not an exhaustive list:
- Neurological Occupational Therapy
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Gerontology
- Mental Health Occupation Therapy
- Brain Injury Occupational Therapy
- Driving and Community Mobility
- Environmental Modification
- Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Hand Therapy
OT students can explore different specializations during their practical experiences and get ideas and input on specializations and certifications from the faculty in their OT programs.
Want to Know More About Our OT Programs?
Whether you are ready to take the next step toward a career as an occupational therapist or you just want to learn more about our program, you can reach out to the admissions experts at Iona. Give us a call, stop by our New Rochelle campus, or go online and apply to start your OT degree today.
