Renee Leuschke is a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Registered & Licensed with over 10 years of experience working in hospitals and outpatient clinicals. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She currently works with clients with neuro-related diagnoses such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis.
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Occupational therapists (OTs) help patients develop or improve everyday motor skills. So how do training programs work online? How much do online OT programs cost and do they prepare you for solid careers after certification? Let EduMed guide you through the process from start to finish, from learning about and vetting programs to selecting a school and discovering your salary potential. Get your OT career started today.
Working with patients who have injuries or disabilities, occupational therapists help people get their lives back on track through targeted recovery plans. They use therapeutic techniques to improve and maintain their patient’s ability to perform everyday tasks and are essential members of the allied healthcare field.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in May 2023 that occupational therapy jobs are expected to see a 12% growth in job openings, a rate considered to be much faster than average.
While occupational therapy is a very hands-on career, online master’s in occupational therapy programs do exist for students who want to complete their coursework remotely. Online programs still require a set amount of in-person, clinical hours for graduation. You have a lot of options when it comes to earning your occupational therapy master’s degree online.
Inside the OT Master’s: How It Works
The master’s degree is the minimum required to become a licensed occupational therapist. Most programs last between two and three years, and a growing number of programs provide a bulk of their curriculums online. There are currently no fully online master’s degrees in occupational therapy, thanks to the mandate that graduates have a certain amount of hands-on experience. However, outside of these fieldwork curriculum requirements, many online programs offer the majority of their instruction through virtual means.
In Detail: the OT Master’s Curriculum
Each occupational therapist curriculum is unique; however, there are certain points that each one hits to ensure students are fully prepared for the expectations of the career. Broad subjects include anatomy, neuroscience, health and wellness and assistive technology. This covers a wide range of theory and practice in patient care, all of which will come in quite handy when it’s time to use those knowledge and skills in the clinical setting. Let’s take a look at some courses you’re likely to encounter while pursuing your master’s degree.
Patient Care Management
The basics of patient care, beneficial communication, and professional communication skills are addressed in this class.
Evidence-Informed Practice
Students learn how to apply what they know to patient care through the use of problem solving, as well as logical and critical thinking.
Anatomy for Occupational Therapy
The basics of human anatomy are taught within the occupational therapy context. Special attention will be given to understanding how physical problems relate to physical performance.
Occupational Therapy with Children
Effective means of providing occupational therapy to children are explained in this course. Subject matter will focus on individuals from birth to adolescence and include theory, practice methods, research data and regulatory considerations.
Occupational Therapy with Older Adults
As patients get older, their therapy needs change. Students will learn how illnesses, injuries and disabilities change with age and how current occupational therapies can be applied to meet the special needs of older patients.
Professional Development
Provides an overview of the occupational therapy profession, including a discussion of professional organizations, ethical considerations, professional roles and how societal views can affect treatment.
Leadership and Management
With the use of self-assessment tools and interactions with others, students discover how to effectively lead in a professional environment, including learning about marketing, budgeting and program evaluation.
Community-Based Fieldwork and Seminar
This class teaches students the basic theory and practical skills to safely and effectively manage and lead when treating a broader community.
Neurological Conditions and Occupational Performance
This course aims to teach students about neurological conditions, including how to evaluate and treat neurological issues patients may face.
Capstone Project
Students will choose a topic to research, then collect and analyze data and learn how to apply their finding to the practice of occupational therapy.
How Long Does It Take to Graduate?
The amount of time it takes to complete an occupational therapy master’s program depends on several factors, such as number of credits required to graduate, course load (full-time versus part-time) and program format. Most students in an online program can expect to take about three years to graduate. The timeline below provides a rough outline to help visualize the process of earning an online master’s degree in occupational therapy.
Year 1, Fall Semester
Introductory topics relating to occupational therapy will be covered during the first semester. Courses will cover topics such as an overview of the profession and basic theories of practice.
Year 1, Spring Semester
More advanced occupational therapy professional topics are addressed now, including foundational concepts relating to the human body, research methodologies and providing patient care.
First Summer
Students will take only one or two courses during the summer period.
Year 2, Fall Semester
Now courses get into the more substantial subject matter that will actually apply to occupational therapy practice. Introductions to research methods and techniques are usually used extensively during the final year.
Year 2, Spring Semester
The shift to advanced coursework continues and will include other related, advanced subjects such as clinical research, advanced treatment and evaluation techniques.
Second Summer
Students will continue their academic training through hands-on and real world instruction.
Year 3, Fall Semester
The third year consists of advanced level courses and hands-on instruction. There is a strong emphasis on fieldwork and clinical experience.
Year 3, Spring Semester
Depending on the program, there may not be a second semester during the third year. If there is, students can expect to continue their hands-on training and may have to complete a capstone project.
Advantages of Earning Your OT Master’s Online
Earning an occupational therapy degree online can have numerous advantages over the traditional on-campus program. While online learning isn’t perfect for everyone, it has benefits that are pretty hard to beat for some.
Convenience
The ability to take OT courses on your own schedule is a major benefit of attending an online program. Even blended programs that have in-person curriculum requirement make obtaining a master’s degree in occupational therapy so much easier when the bulk of the curriculum is available online. When completing these in-person requirements, many online programs still keep things convenient by allowing you to find a nearby location where you can complete the field requirements. Since this hands-on training takes place near the end of the program, you’ll already have the knowledge and skills to hit the ground running.
Cost
Online OT programs can often be less expensive than their on-campus counterparts, even at the same university. And even if the tuition isn’t cheaper, you may not have to pay certain fees as an online student, lowering your total out-of-pocket costs. Still, you’ll want to make sure you understand all of the costs involved and have a plan to finance your OT program before you enroll. As an online student, you’re eligible for the same type of financial aid as traditional students aside from a few scholarship opportunities that may only be offered to students attending classes on campus. The key to securing financial aid is to start early. You can learn more about financial aid opportunities that can help pay for your online OT degree by reading our comprehensive guide to financial aid and browsing our list of scholarships for OT students.
Developing Persistence
When you’re working as an occupational therapist, persistence is the name of the game. Many patients will need guidance for quite some time; their advances might seem so incremental that it becomes frustrating for everyone involved. And some patients might not be willing or ready to receive your help, which means you must be even more persistent when convincing them, from one session to another, to stick with what they need to do. Having the discipline to remain persistent in helping a patient or finding alternative treatments is essential. Completing an online degree requires persistence, too. The self-directed nature of the program means you must have firm self-discipline to complete assignments on your own, often by creating a personal schedule that requires you to stick to the program.
Honing Your Multitasking Skills
Online programs provide maximum flexibility, which is why they typically attract those with other obligations, such as work or family. As a result, online students quickly become masters of multi-tasking. Those multi-tasking skills can carry over to practice as an occupational therapist. It’s common for occupational therapists to juggle several things at once, such as keeping track of how many times a patient does a particular action, anticipating what activity the patient will choose to do next and figuring out how to apply that as a treatment. Then, while the occupational therapist is typing up notes following the treatment, they are planning what activities to suggest when working with the next patient.
Core OT Master’s Knowledge & Skills
The specific skills and knowledge an occupational therapist must know to treat patients will be conveyed through a reputable program. The level of familiarity with certain skills and information will grow as you get more advanced training. Regardless of which degree you’re earning, you can expect to learn the following skills, all of which will be useful in the occupational therapy setting.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is a bit of a buzzword these days, but that doesn’t diminish its importance. Occupational therapists should expect to deeply review research data, medical files and other relevant patient records to not only establish treatment models, but identify any unknown issues that must be also be addressed.
Empathy
The ability to understand and feel what the patient is going through helps create a rapport. This is important not just to establish good communication, but also to build credibility, respect and trust with the patient. An occupational therapist will be far less effective when a patient is constantly second guessing the value or motivation of the assistance offered.
Patience
Patience is another must for occupational therapists. It might be nice to quickly treat and assist a patient, but often injuries, illnesses and certain medical conditions are simply so severe or complex that they cannot be easily treated. Therefore, occupational therapists must ensure they take the necessary time to deliver quality treatment while keeping the patient comfortable and at ease.
The ACOTE is the accrediting body of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTA is the leading professional association representing occupational therapists and occupational therapy students in training. AOTA works to promote the professional and academic interests of those in the occupational therapy field.
ACOTE is recognized by both the US Department of Education as well as the Council for Higher Education (CHEA). It accredits more than 400 programs in the United States and its territories. ACOTE ensures that graduates of accredited programs have the necessary level of knowledge and training to treat patients as effectively, safely and ethically as possible.
When accrediting a program, ACOTE will look for a variety of factors at the school, such as inclusion of both classroom and fieldwork training, acquisition of foundational knowledge in scientific subjects and principles, familiarity with diversity issues, awareness of various forms of treatment models, the ability to develop treatment models to address many different types of patient issues and possession of effective interpersonal skills to communicate with patients and colleagues.
Do Occupational Therapists Need a License?
Getting a master’s degree in occupational therapy is not quite enough to become registered and start treating patients: all 50 states require occupational therapists to become licensed before they start practicing. Each state has its own requirements for licensure, but they all require taking and passing the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination.
To be eligible to sit for the NBCOT exam, occupational therapists must graduate from an accredited occupational therapy program and finish all fieldwork requirements. Additional requirements for licensing will include completing and submitting a state-specific license application and paying an application fee. The current fee, as of 2019, is $515 via online application, and $555 via paper application. Exam applications are valid for three months. To learn more about what is required in your state, check with your state licensing board.
Admissions & Required Materials
Most occupational therapy programs evaluate prospective students based on their prior academic performance and what they can offer to the school in terms of student body enrichment. This means good grades are very important, although their overall importance will depend on the prestige and rigor of the program. Some programs look for certain types of students and thus may have additional admissions requirements, such as a certain amount of experience working as an occupational therapist aide or assistant. Let’s take a closer look at the core admissions and application requirements for these advanced educational programs:
Master’s program application
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA, often a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade (C+ or B-, depending on the school and course) in:
Human anatomy and physiology I (with lab)
Human anatomy and physiology II (with lab)
Statistics
Introduction to psychology
Introduction to sociology or introduction to anthropology
Two or more letters of recommendation, with at least one coming from a licensed occupational therapist
At least one year of experience working as a full-time and fully credential occupational therapist aide or assistant
Completion of additional prerequisites with a minimum grade (C+ or B, depending on the school and course) in:
Abnormal psychology
Scientific writing
Communication
Human growth and development.
EduMed’s Top Online Master’s in Occupational Therapy
EduMed’s Best in Class initiative spotlights top online occupational therapy programs that combine quality, affordability, and career-focused training. Our expert rankings, built on a review of over 7,700 accredited schools, highlight programs offering outstanding value and student outcomes. Our detailed rankings methodology ensures full transparency into how we chose the best. Start your search here to find an online occupational therapy program that matches your goals and sets you up for success.
Temple University’s Occupational Therapy (Transitional Program) OTD is a 21-credit, fully online doctoral program designed for recent MOT graduates and licensed occupational therapists seeking to advance their careers. The curriculum includes courses on clinical education, public health issues, leadership, and outcome analysis. The program prepares students for leadership roles and higher education teaching positions, emphasizing evidence-based practice and client-centered care. Tuition is $1039 per credit for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The University of Florida offers an online Continuing Education Unit (CEU) program for occupational therapy professionals. This program provides unlimited access to a variety of courses designed and taught by University of Florida faculty and advanced practitioners. Participants can take courses at their convenience on any device, and new courses are added regularly. The program meets licensure requirements and is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
The University of Utah offers a Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) program online. Designed for practicing occupational therapists, this program focuses on advanced theoretical knowledge, leadership, and evidence-based practice. Applicants need at least two years of practice and a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy. The curriculum includes core courses, electives, and a capstone project, allowing flexibility and personalized study plans.
Base Methodology for EduMed’s “Best Online College Rankings” for the ‘24-’25 school year.
One: Create a list of eligible schools & programs
To be eligible for ranking, schools were required to meet the following criteria based on data pulled from The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which was self-reported by the schools themselves.
Institutional accreditation from an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
At least one online component in a program within the ranking-subject area.
The existence of academic counseling on campus and/or online.
The existence of career placement services on campus and/or online.
Two: Assign weightings to eligible schools & programs
After creating the list of eligible schools, EduMed data scientists assigned weights and ranked schools based on a mix of metrics, which were all self-reported by the school themselves to the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
The metrics are listed below in order of most- to least-heavily weighted.
Online Programs – Number of online programs, either partially- or fully-online, in the relevant subject area. Because exact numbers change often and can be difficult to verify, we use a range-based scoring system to represent this category with laptop icons.
% in Online Ed. – Percent of total students taking at least one distance education class.
Tuition – Average in-state tuition for undergraduate students studying full-time, as self-reported by the school.
% Receiving Award – Percent of full-time, first-time students receiving an award in 6 years.
Avg. Inst. Aid – Average amount of institutional grant aid awarded to full-time, first-time undergraduates.
Student/Faculty Ratio – The number of students per faculty member.
Shannon Lee has written thousands of articles in the higher education space over the last 20 years, with a strong emphasis on medical and health. As the daughter of two professionals who retired from work in major hospital systems, Shannon brings her personal experience to bear on her writing on nursing, healthcare, and allied health.
James Mielke is a freelance writer currently based in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to higher education topics, other areas of research and writing include food history, cooking, dining, and golf. After COVID-19 hastened the end of his line-cooking-as-grad-school-for-food-writing experience, he has spent the last handful of years as a full-time freelancer. He regularly contributes to multiple higher education-centric pages, including EduMed. In addition to higher education topics, he has contributed to Eaten Magazine, Food Republic, The Midwesterner, Golfweek, and the Courier-Journal. James has a history degree from Belmont University and is an unapologetic fan of the Grateful Dead.
Kathleen Curtis is an American writer currently living in Louisville, Kentucky. She has developed content around education for more than a decade for both domestic and international clients.
Michael Hoffman is a skilled freelance journalist with nearly 15 years of experience specializing in the research and writing of online content. He has authored nearly 300 articles for higher education-focused websites (including over 140 for EduMed) covering a wide range of academic disciplines, such as business, healthcare, education, public service, computer science and information technology, and many others.
Michael is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara College of Law. Prior to becoming a professional writer, Michael practiced for several years as a civil litigator in Los Angeles and worked in Santa Monica, California as a development executive for a major film producer.
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