This major is a program that prepares individuals to assist patients limited by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, mental, developmental, and learning disabilities, as well as adverse environmental conditions, to maximize their independence and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents.
Includes instruction in the basic medical sciences, psychology, sociology, patient assessment and evaluation, standardized and non-standardized tests and measurements, assistive and rehabilitative technologies, ergonomics, environmental health, special education, vocational counseling, health education and promotion, and professional standards and ethics.
What can you do with a major/degree in Occupational Therapy/Therapist Major?
If you work as an Occupational Therapist, it is your job to assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
Job opportunities for occupational therapists are extremely strong in the future as this career subsector is expected to see a sixteen percent (16%) growth 2018-2028.
Occupational therapists need at least a master’s degree in occupational therapy; some therapists have a doctoral degree. Occupational therapists also must be licensed.
Trade Associations and Professional Organizations in Occupational Therapy/Therapist Major
Professional associations are groups of professionals dedicated to topics in specific fields. Professional associations provide a wealth of online resources, some of which are geared specifically towards students. These organizations typically also host conferences and events, providing great opportunities for learning and networking across your field of interest.
- American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
- American Educational Research Association
- American Occupational Therapy Association
Publications/Magazines in Occupational Therapy/Therapist Major