Occupational therapists have the privilege of working with individuals with impairments or disabilities to develop or regain the “occupations” that are meaningful in their lives. Occupational therapists may help people improve performance of daily living tasks, learn in school, engage in social relationships and community activities, or resume job duties impacted by illness or injury.
As a student in Nazareth's occupational therapy degree program, you learn how to develop or improve a person’s sensory, physical, cognitive/perceptual, and/or psychosocial abilities. You learn to modify the environment to help the person to be as self-sufficient and productive as possible. The program prepares you for entry-level general practice and develops your initial skills in areas of specialization such as early intervention, school-based practice, neurological rehabilitation, environmental analysis and modification, ergonomics, and treatment of upper extremity and orthopedic impairments.
Outcomes: Nazareth occupational therapy students consistently have 100% graduation rates and high pass rates on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam.
Is a doctorate required? No. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which oversees occupational therapy education, determined in 2019 with the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) that people can enter the field as an occupational therapist with either a master's degree or a doctoral degree. If AOTA ever decides to mandate doctoral degrees for entry, all OTs with their master's degree will be grandfathered in and will not require additional education.
Admissions standards for occupational therapy »
“The strengths of the OT program include building close relationships with OT professors over five years and gaining more hands-on experience than is required by the profession. We do three week-long, and two 3-month fieldwork placements, which allow us to participate in providing OT in schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals, home care, and rehab centers. Each OT 'practice' course is connected to a clinical experience working with clients on campus and off-site. As a student OT, I’ve had so many opportunities to build a network.” — Morgan Monahan ‘17G, shown in the campus clinic helping a child build muscle tone, improve posture, encourage attention, and develop his skills using both hands.
Occupational therapy jobs are expected to grow 17.9% (adding 23,700 jobs nationwide) in the decade ending 2028, much faster than average, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. News & World Report in 2017 ranks occupational therapists among the top 20 health care jobs and #28 overall among The 100 Best Jobs.