The healthcare industry abounds with specialists who can make a meaningful, lasting difference in the lives of the people they see and treat.

But if there’s one profession in the field that can be noticeably transformative, it’s that of an occupational therapist.¹ As champions of self-sufficiency, they play a critical role in helping patients regain their independence—and return to life’s daily demands, activities, and joys.

But how long does it take to become an occupational therapist? What are the different occupational therapy education requirements and training prerequisites? And what can an OT, as they’re often referred to, expect to handle on the job? Our definitive guide on how to become an occupational therapist will answer these questions and more.

What Do Occupational Therapists Do?

Occupational therapists are highly-trained healthcare professionals whose primary responsibility is assisting adults and children with gaining (or reclaiming) their capacity to manage both routine daily tasks and larger, more complex activities.²

Some occupational therapists may work closely with a patient who recently had a limb amputated and offer a handful of therapeutic approaches to help ensure they can perform basic actions (such as brushing their teeth, using a wheelchair, and/or bathing). Other OTs may help children impacted by a neurological condition like cerebral palsy.

Indeed, occupational therapists work with a broad array of people with an equally wide range of conditions. These include: ^3,4

• Developmental issues, such as intellectual disabilities, learning problems, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Neurological disorders, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Down syndrome
• Injuries, like burns, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and strokes
• Chronic conditions, i.e. spina bifida and cancer

Occupational therapists also assist clients with emotional and mental health complications like anxiety and depression. This demonstrates why occupational therapy is important—it addresses both physical and mental aspects of a patient’s well-being. Some may also work with patients who are recovering from a recent surgery, whether that’s abdominal surgery or a knee replacement.

Therapeutic Methods

How do occupational therapists help their patients achieve autonomy?

Naturally, the answer to this rests on the patient’s condition, concerns, and goals. But a few of the most popular tactics include:

• Developing an exercise program to help clients recover from an injury or manage pain
• Boosting the safety of a client’s home or work environment, such as implementing grab rails, ramps, and visual signs 
• Training patients (and, in some circumstances, their loved ones) on how to move safely, from getting out of bed to stepping out of the shower
• Employing technology and tools (and training clients on how to use them), such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), voice-controlled systems, and neuromedical devices

Areas of Specialization

If you’ve been Googling how to become an occupational therapist?, you might be pleased to learn that you may have the opportunity to select a specialization that resonates with you. A few of the most popular health careers include:⁶

• Pediatrics
• Gerontology
• Hand therapy
• Seating and mobility
• Mental health
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Physical rehabilitation

Physical Therapy vs. Occupational Therapy

Within all of this, you may be asking, “What's the difference between an occupational therapist and a physical therapist,” especially since both specializations concentrate (in many cases) on helping patients move comfortably and safely through the world.

Overlaps certainly exist between the two, but physical therapy is more concerned with improving a patient’s mobility or navigating aches, pains, and stiffness. Occupational therapy strives to help patients return to their routine activities and live as autonomously as possible.

Educational Requirements for Occupational Therapists

So, what degree do you need to become an occupational therapist? And how long is schooling for an occupational therapist?

Let’s have a look.

Necessary Degrees 

Occupational therapists must hold a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree. ^7,8

Aspiring OTs may pursue either a master of occupational therapy (MOT) or a doctorate of occupational therapy (ODT).⁹ Wondering what you can do with a master's in occupational therapy? It can lead to specialties such as pediatric occupational therapy, mental health occupational therapy, or geriatric occupational therapy. However, both provide candidates with the knowledge and training they need to treat an assortment of health conditions.

A doctorate in occupational therapy, however, typically takes two to three years longer to complete than an MOT and offers students an even deeper understanding of the field. Generally speaking, an ODT may be ideal for those who want to work in academia and/or address larger, more complicated issues affecting healthcare, such as individuals who want to work in:¹⁰

• Occupational Therapy Program development
• Policy analysis
• Leadership positions

An MOT, on the other hand, might be the best choice for those who want to start practicing and building their career as soon as they can.

Relevant Coursework 

Whether you choose to go after an MOT or an ODT, you may take classes under an occupational therapist program that will prepare you well for both working directly with clients and performing research. These might include:

• Neuroscience 
• Psychology
• Physiology
• Kinesiology
• Biomechanics¹¹
• Occupational therapy principles
• Therapeutic media, materials, and processes
• Anatomy
• Interpersonal and interprofessional communication

Aiming for a doctorate degree? You can expect to take more advanced courses ranging from research methods to program development.

Accreditation and Choosing a Program

It’s important to note here that it’s vital to select an Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE©)-approved institution, which is the gold standard set forth by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). This may include schools that have attained “Accreditation” status, “Probationary Accreditation,” or “Candidacy” status.¹²

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential schools, it’s just as crucial to choose occupational therapy programs that offer:

• An experienced faculty
• A hybrid of online courses, in-person classes, and labs that align with your schedule and lifestyle
• Fieldwork placements
• Equitable, ethical, and inclusive teachings
• Training in a variety of diagnoses

MOT Degree

4 Steps to Becoming an Occupational Therapist

How to become an occupational therapist can be summed up in four steps:

1. Earn an Undergraduate Education

What degree do you need to be an occupational therapist? As discussed, you must first obtain a bachelor’s degree.

Many OTs hold a degree in an associated discipline, such as health science, kinesiology, biology, psychology, or sociology. And yet, the American Occupational Therapy Association does not require OT candidates to have a certain major. Meaning, it may be perfectly fine if you majored in English and want to change tracks to dive into healthcare.  

That said, it’s essential to ensure you’ve fulfilled all of your prerequisites before tackling the following step. Prerequisites vary by graduate program but they usually include:

• Medical terminology
• Statistics
• Physics
• Abnormal psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Sociology
• Biology (with lab)
• Anatomy (with lab)
• Physiology (with lab)
• Human development

Finally, prior to moving on to the second step, you may want to gain relevant experience in the area of occupational therapy (or a related specialty), which will demonstrate your commitment to the field of study. How to do so? Through extracurricular activities and volunteer positions, like helping out at a rehabilitation unit or volunteering with the Special Olympics.¹³

All told, a bachelor’s degree takes four to five years to complete (or six years for students who attend school part-time).

2. Complete a Graduate Program

Your next step? Choosing between an MOT and ODT. (And bear in mind here that you can pursue a doctorate later on in your career, but you must first complete your master’s before you can enter the field).

An MOT may take two to three years to finish; an ODT might be completed within three to four years.¹⁴

3. Engage in Clinical Training and Internships

A quality education is one thing; gaining first-hand experience is another. To this end, occupational therapists must obtain clinical experience through an internship. This may take place in any number of settings, such as a:¹⁵

• Hospital
• Rehabilitation center
• Clinic

What you will be doing as an intern will hinge on the healthcare environment and the nature of the internship. You might observe how an OT applies specific therapies, or you may shadow a specialist during consultations. Also, while the duration of internships depends on your state of residence and your graduate program, they typically go on for 10 to 12 weeks (or, in some cases, as long as six months). No matter the length of your internship, you may benefit enormously from learning from like-minded, experienced professionals.

4. Obtain Your Certification and Licensing

Like most other medical specialists, hopeful occupational therapists must become certified and licensed. Licensing requirements vary by state, but all OT candidates are required to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT©) after completing their advanced degree and fieldwork training.

The comprehensive, four-hour test covers a host of topics, including:¹⁶

• Fundamental concepts of occupational therapy
• Client factors and contexts
• Assessment tools and techniques
• Analysis and interpretation
• Formulating intervention strategies
• Ethics and legal considerations

Finally, occupational therapists must commit to continuing education to maintain their licensure. This can be accomplished in several ways, including completing courses conducted via podcasts.¹⁷

The potential return of all this effort to become a licensed occupational therapist? Priceless.

Earn Your Master’s with Alliant International University

Occupational therapy is a key component of holistic healthcare. Designed to help people function with enhanced ease, it can make a huge difference in a patient’s life—and yours.

Alliant International University can turn your dreams of working in occupational therapy into a reality. The Master of Occupational Therapy program blends a world-class faculty with the latest research to prepare students for the rigors of the profession. All of the courses in the program are also informed by a dedication to ethics, equity, and inclusion.

Ready to jumpstart your career in occupational therapy? Request more information today.

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Sources:

1. Aota.org. https://www.aota.org/about/what-is-ot. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
2. What is the role of an occupational therapist? https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/role-of-an-occupational-therapist. Accessed August 26, 2024. 
3. Seladi-Schulman, Jill. “Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: How Do They Differ?” Healthline, March 11, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/occupational-therapy-vs-physical-ther…. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
4. “What Is the Main Role of Occupational Therapy?” Cleveland Clinic, August 23, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/occupational-therapy. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
5. “25 Tools Every Occupational Therapist Should Know How to Use.” Rehabmart.com. https://www.rehabmart.com/post/25-tools-every-occupational-therapist-ne…. Accessed August 24. 2024.
6. Stromsdorfer, Sarah. “20 Occupational Therapy Specialties to Advance Your Career.” myotspot.com, June 4, 2023. https://www.myotspot.com/occupational-therapy-specialties/. Accessed August 25, 2024. 
7. Stromsdorfer, Sarah. “7 Best Undergraduate Majors for Occupational Therapy.” myotspot.com, April 30, 2023. https://www.myotspot.com/occupational-therapy-undergraduate-majors/. Accessed August 25, 2024.
8. Aota.org. https://www.aota.org/career/become-an-ot-ota. Accessed August 24, 2024. 
9. Schwartz, Michele. “Masters vs Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.” The Virtual Pediatric OT, April 24, 2024. https://www.thevirtualpediatricot.com/masters-vs-doctorate-in-occupatio…. Accessed August 24, 2024. 
10. “Masters vs Doctorate of Occupational Therapy: What to Know - Sdn.” Student Doctor Network, August 23, 2022. https://www.studentdoctor.net/2021/10/04/masters-vs-doctorate-of-occupa…. Accessed August 24, 2024. 
11. “Earn a Degree to Learn How to Become an Occupational Therapist.” Occupational Therapy License. https://www.occupationaltherapylicense.org/how-to-become-occupational-t…. Accessed August 25, 2024.
12. How to get into Occupational Therapy School. https://www.studentdoctor.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OTAdmissionsGu…. Accessed August 26, 2024. 
13. “How Long Does It Take to Get a Bachelor’s Degree?” Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-bachel…. Accessed August 25, 2024. 
14. Foundations of the certification examinations. https://www.nbcot.org/exam-info/foundations. Accessed August 24, 2024. 
15. “Occupational Therapy Internship: The Only Guide You Need.” THERAPY ABROAD, February 14, 2022. https://www.therapyabroad.org/occupational-therapy-internship/. Accessed August 24, 2024. 
16. “Guide for Occupational Therapy National Board Certification Exam.” ExamMaker.ai. https://www.exammaker.ai/guides/occupational-therapy-national-board-cer…. Accessed August 25, 2024. 
17. “OT Continuing Education Requirements (2024) • OT Potential.” OT Potential • Occupational Therapy Resources, August 23, 2024. https://otpotential.com/ot-continuing-education-requirements. Accessed August 25, 2024.