Occupational therapy is a growing field that welcomes compassionate people who desire to improve lives. It can take five years to become an OT, whereas an OTA degree allows you to transition in as few as 16 months. Just complete the prerequisites, earn your degree, and pass the certification exam.
If you find yourself going through the motions of your daily routine and dreaming of working in a new field, a career change to occupational therapy (OT) could be what you need to reignite your passion.
At St. Catherine University, you can earn your associate’s degree in the field of occupational therapy in as few as 16 months and begin a new career as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). Our hybrid online OTA coursework can be completed from anywhere in the U.S., with fieldwork components coordinated in different OT settings near you and skills labs at one of our locations in Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, and California.
While occupational therapy is an excellent field, you should not take a career change lightly. It’s vital that you know why and how to transition to a new career, so there are no surprises once you start. Let’s learn what to expect from an occupational therapy career change.
Why Make a Career Change to Occupational Therapy?
If you’re considering a career change to occupational therapy, you likely aspire to help others. Every healthcare career provides a unique range of responsibilities, but few positions take the same comprehensive approach.
Comprised of six main practice areas, occupational therapy is a growing healthcare field dedicated to helping people of all ages live with and overcome mental, physical, and developmental challenges. This is accomplished by setting achievable goals and identifying new ways of performing activities of daily living (ADLs), along with other interventions that will allow them to live as independently as possible.
This makes occupational therapy an incredibly diverse field with widespread applications. When working with a child on the autism spectrum, the aim of treatment might be to find methods of coping with anxiety, so they can attend school. For an elderly couple wishing to age in place, occupational therapy might mean making modifications to the home to make it safer for those with limited mobility. For a stroke survivor, occupational therapy might aid in learning to dress and care for oneself safely and address other client concerns.
These are just a few of the many ways occupational therapy transforms lives daily, which helps explain why the demand for occupational therapy services is growing nationwide.
Learn more about how aging in place occupational therapy is changing the lives of our older loved ones.
Is Occupational Therapy a Good Career for a Career Changer?
One major question career changers ask themselves when selecting a new role is: Will this career bring me stability and happiness? Passion can carry you a long way, but it’s also important to know that an open position and a decent salary are waiting at the finish line of your education.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that occupational therapy assistants are among the 20 fastest-growing professions and earn an average of $68,340 a year. The BLS also projects that the OTA profession will grow 22% between 2023 and 2033, much faster than the average for all other occupations, including highly regarded careers like registered nurses.
Steps to Successfully Transition into Occupational Therapy
The first step toward an occupational therapy career change is selecting a program that works best for your schedule and goals and determining your eligibility.
St. Catherine University’s occupational therapy assistant program accepts students with varying education levels. While having college experience is helpful, it is not required to be eligible for our OTA program. To be eligible for our program, you will need:
- A high school diploma or a passing GED exam score
- A minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.5, or
- College credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, if applicable
We ask that you successfully complete four prerequisite courses before starting our program. You can take these courses online through our university. They can also be completed independently or in conjunction with the OTA program’s LIFE Core courses.
Once you’ve gained acceptance into St. Catherine’s OTA program, you must complete the curriculum on the expected timeline and graduate with the conferred degree. Finally, the last step in becoming an OTA is taking the NBCOT exam to become a certified occupational therapy assistant.
Find out more about the occupational therapist assistant degree and requirements.
How Long Does It Take to Make an Occupational Therapy Career Change?
While becoming an occupational therapist requires a master’s degree in OT and may necessitate five years of schooling or more, you can start your career in the field much sooner by becoming an occupational therapy assistant.
Offering three start dates a year, St. Kate’s Online OTA program makes it possible to earn an associate degree in occupational therapy in as few as 16 months through an innovative curriculum consisting of:
- Online coursework, designed to accommodate a variety of learning styles.
- Weekend skills labs (approximately every other month), providing in-person instruction at one of our sites in California, Minnesota, Texas, or Virginia.
- Level I and II Fieldwork experiences, where you’ll gain essential real-world practice.
We also incorporate a prep course for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy into our accredited program so that you are ready to sit for the NBCOT examination shortly after graduation.
What to Expect When Going Back to School for OT
OTs and OTAs perform different functions, though there is some overlap, and both require creativity, compassion, and boundless patience.
An occupational therapist evaluates a client’s needs and creates an individual treatment plan, then either handles the treatment themselves or hands it off to an OTA. The occupational therapy assistant then works with the client to implement this plan, setting and achieving goals, while reporting back to the OT along the way. This requires OTAs to have extensive knowledge of age-appropriate rehabilitation practices, psychosocial therapy approaches, and a positive and inspiring attitude.
This is why the online OTA program emphasizes the importance of both the remote and in-person aspects. Students must understand the dedication and discipline required to stay on top of the program’s schedule and utilize all the resources available.
Instructors serve as faculty advisors and course instructors in the program. They are available to support you in your educational goals and offer flexible office hours.
Your next best resource after faculty is your peers. Form study groups, ask questions, or vent your frustrations. Your fellow students in the program are the only ones going through the same experience, and they may have personal knowledge or wisdom that will benefit you in your journey.
Still unsure about becoming an OTA? Here are six reasons why the OTA career outlook is bright.
Make the Switch to OTA
Are you ready to pursue a career change to occupational therapy and strive toward new goals? With St. Kate’s program, you can direct your empathy and care toward a quickly growing field. Contact one of our dedicated advisors to learn more about enrolling in St. Catherine’s online OTA program.
