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What degree do I need to become a certified Occupational Therapist?

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Ashlee’s Answer

Hi Nelonna, first you would want a Bachelor's of Science either in Biomedical Science, Health Human Sciences, or Kinesiology with tracks/concentrations in Pre-OT, General, Exercise Allied Health etc. Then you'll need a Master's in Occupational Health Sciences or Therapy (MHS or MOT). I would also encourage you to consider an OTD or Doctor of Occupational Therapy, since in the next 6-10 years, this profession will require this degree as well. Also keep in mind: a lot of professional schools want As and Bs in all classes, volunteer hours, internships, and as close to a 4.0 GPA as you can get. I hope this helps!
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Jesse’s Answer

I can tell you that my BS is in Industrial Technology and my classmates for my Master's ran the spectrum. I took 4-5 classes to meet the prerequisits for the program I applied for (I only applied for one, and was accepted). I find it is more important to volunteer and find out if rehab is something you want to do. If you want to get a job as a rehab tech you will get a good idea if this is the right field for you. Answer the question: why do I want to help people and in what way am I best suited to help people? Then check out different fields. If you find something you are passionate about, try to match the passion, but know that there are many different ways to make it happen for you. As a Degree OT requires more and more time and money to complete it becomes more important to do the work to find out if the juice is worth the squeeze. Not 💯 that you want to go? Take your time, with any luck you'll be working far longer than you were in school for and there is no use taking on a bunch of school debt to become something just to hate it later.
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David’s Answer

Ashley's information is accurate but I would like to add that you dont need a BA in science to join a master in OT program. I have a BA in psychology and some of my classmates had BAs in english. If you have a science oriented ba, you will need to take some prerequite courses before you can start the Masters in OT program. The programs you apply to can tell you what courses you will need; I had to take statistics and anatomy/physiology
Thank you comment icon Hi David, yes you are correct! Technically a BS degree in any health program isn't required to get into a health-oriented field. I recommend it though, since the amount of pre-preqs required for MOT/OTD programs that are outside the other degrees, often leads to financial and time constraints. However, you are absolutely correct, and I think it's important that students understand they can change career paths as needed, after/close to completing a degree. Thank you for your feedback! Ashlee R.
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