Obtaining a master’s degree in occupational therapy can be lengthy and expensive. Occupational therapy training can also be extremely demanding and will require a great amount of time from their students in order to complete both the didactic and the clinical training aspects of the program. The most common pathway to becoming an occupational therapist is by graduating from a university or college that offers an accredited program. Most of these programs are aimed at students who prefer to enroll in campus-based classes and be either full-time or part-time students. However, there are others who also prefer to get their degrees through a distance learning program that utilizes the web. Because of the technological advancements made today, students have other ways of earning a degree without actually having to set foot in an actual campus. More recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students who enroll in schools that offers degree programs online. Most of these students hold a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy and have completed most of their clinical work at an approved clinical setting.
Individuals who are considering a career in occupational therapy can complete their didactic coursework by enrolling in an accredited and recognized school that offers a Master’s degree in occupational therapy. However, aside from online education, it is also necessary for occupational therapy students to complete their training hours through an internship at an accredited health facility such as hospitals, nursing homes, or rehabilitation centers. The actual training will provide occupational therapy students the experience they need in order to administer the best quality of care to their patients.
Attending an occupational therapy degree program online makes it more feasible for students to remain employed in order to support their families while still being able to obtain a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Most students who are enrolled in a master’s degree program in occupational therapy normally work for at least 8 hours a day. Therefore, attending a campus-based program will make it extremely tough for them to keep up with their classes. This is why an online occupation therapy program is the best option for students who still want to keep their regular jobs while earning a degree at the same time. Online programs are also suitable to students who have to attend to their families and children such as stay-at-home mothers.
There are other advantages of being able to get a degree online. It allows flexibility of schedule, making it easy for students to keep up with their daily routines while earning their degree for career advancement. Students get to choose when to review for a test, when to do their school work, or even what day of the week or what time of the day to take an exam. Although schedule seems lenient in online programs, students must be committed in doing their responsibilities as students and they must exert a lot of effort in order to stay in the program since they are on their own. Another advantage of taking online therapy courses is convenience. Students do not have to go through long commutes and they do not have to go school after their work hours since they take their classes in their own homes. Online courses utilize video conferences, e-books, web-based testing, online discussions and lectures in order to make this possible. Students also do not have to break their budgets in order to obtain a degree since students enrolled in online programs do not have to pay for additional fees such as housing costs, commute expenses, student union fees, university/college health fees, parking fees, and textbooks.