Occupational Therapy Degree Programs

Degree Program Requirements

Occupational therapy is a medical profession that cares victims of mental, emotional or physical strains. Their ability to dispense this duty demands that they should have the strong educational qualifications. These mandatory educational requirements include:

•   A bachelor’s degree resulting from a stint as an undergraduate student. As part of the undergraduate courses, prospective occupational therapists have the option of majoring in various subject areas. These academic disciplines include kinesiology, sociology or biology.
•   A master’s degree in occupational therapy is another mandatory requirement for all Canadian-based occupational therapy hopefuls. Furthermore, those who wish to get into clinical practice must also undertake the master’s degree program.

Successful applicants must have a baccalaureate degree as per the admission requirements of some universities.

In most instances, the master’s degree program takes an additional three years to complete. The major headache for future occupational therapists in Canada lies with the ability to find an accredited learning institution. This process can however be less taxing thanks to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT).
CAOT accredits various universities in line with their reputation as qualified providers of knowledge. The organisation has a website, where applicants can research and find the most qualified institutions to equip them with occupational therapy skills. Examples of accredited universities and colleges in Canada include University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, University of British Columbia and Universite Laval among others.
There are parameters that point to an institution’s accreditation by CAOT. These tell-tale signs include the following:

• The institution ought to offer extensive background coverage of the profession. An accredited institution would be able to cover the diversity of occupational therapy as a field. This includes enlightening learners on other related subject areas like anatomy, sociology and neuroscience.
• Accredited institutions also have qualified educators within its ranks. Such institutions will have amassed a reputation for churning out qualified occupational therapists in the preceding periods.
• The academic standards of the institution must also be in tandem with the overall academic parameters. This puts all the prospective graduates at par with the peers from other institutions.
• The best schools to undertake a course in occupational therapy must be able to provide fieldwork experiences to the students. This allows them to accumulate some form of hands-on experience.

After graduating from school and gaining certification form CAOT, the graduates must now decide on their specialisations. The various areas of specialisation in occupational therapy include:

• Occupational therapy for handicapped children- Involves caring for children to enable them perform their daily activties. Such medical professionals would have to help their patients gain acceptance from their agemates.
• Elderly-based occupational therapy-Entails caring for elderly patients and improving their quality of life.
• Occupational therapy for mentally-ill people- Such medical professionals cater to the health needs of people suffering from mental and emotional deficiencies. The main aim is to help them cultivate productive relationships.
• Getting the required degree conditions is the first step to becoming an occupational therapist in Canada. Thanks to CAOT, finding an accredited institution is an easy feat.