Occupational Therapy major

Occupational Therapy: courses, careers, and where to study

Occupational therapy prepares you to help people regain everyday skills after injury, illness, or disability so they can take part in the daily activities that matter to them.

Occupational therapy focuses on helping people do the everyday activities that matter to them, from dressing and cooking to working and playing, when a physical, cognitive, developmental, or mental-health condition gets in the way. Students learn how the body and mind support purposeful activity, then study how to assess what a person can and cannot do, set meaningful goals, and design interventions that rebuild skills or adapt the task and environment instead. Coursework blends anatomy, neuroscience, and human development with psychology and the social side of health, alongside training in standardized and observational assessments, assistive and adaptive technology, ergonomics, and the professional ethics that govern client care. Unlike physical therapy, which centers on movement, strength, and recovery of the body itself, occupational therapy is organized around participation in daily life and the practical adaptations, routines, and tools that make activities possible.

In the United States, entry into clinical practice as an occupational therapist generally requires a graduate degree, either a master's or a clinical doctorate, and graduates must pass a national certification examination and obtain a state license before treating patients, so prospective students should verify a program's accreditation and their state's licensure rules. Programs typically combine classroom and lab work, where students practice assessments and fabricate adaptive equipment or splints, with supervised fieldwork placements, and doctoral-level programs add a culminating capstone project. Graduates work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, schools, skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, mental-health settings, and home health, often specializing over time in areas such as pediatric, geriatric, hand, or school-based practice.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of occupational therapists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $98,340 and projects employment to grow about 13.8% from 2024 to 2034; a master's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.