Occupational Therapy Programs Online: Finding the School for You

The basics of patient care, beneficial communication, and professional communication skills are addressed in this class.

Students learn how to apply what they know to patient care through the use of problem solving, as well as logical and critical thinking.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This class teaches students the basic theory and practical skills to safely and effectively manage and lead when treating a broader community.

This course aims to teach students about neurological conditions, including how to evaluate and treat neurological issues patients may face.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.