OT program with shorter completion time

Applying to College
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My 10th grade DD is interested in becoming an occupational therapist. Looking for higher ranking university with merit hopefully. Her high school only offers DE with 1 point boost like AP. She will complete IGETC when she graduates from high school. So far all A’s in both high school and college classes except 2Bs during 1st semester of 9th grade. Good extracurricular with research and volunteering hours, starting clubs, advanced level in piano.

She wants to stay in California. Anyone has a list of colleges including those that has BS/MS program in OT ?

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I don’t think there are any short cuts to become an occupational therapist. You can read everything you need to know here:

https://www.aota.org/about/what-is-ot

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Tagging @Mjkacmom

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California Board of OTs has a list of schools- it includes BS/MS.

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What do you mean by “shorter completion time”?

To become an occupational therapist, your daughter will need to first get a bachelors degree, then a masters (which typically takes two years). IIRC there are then three mandatory clinical rotations that must be done. Then she will need to pass her licensing exam.

I’m not sure there is any way to shorten this.

Plus…your daughter is a 10th grader. The requirements to become an OT could easily change before she gets to that point…and the course of study won’t get shorter!

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For her masters, she will need an accredited OT program. Other than that…rankings don’t matter one bit.

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USC has the BS to OTD program which is 2 additional years instead of 3.

There are also masters programs.

As stated above, you do not know what the requirements will be by the time your student attends.

Keep in mind that these programs require volunteering etc before applying.

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The USC program is tiny! Another 6 year BS/OTD option is Marquette in Wisconsin
.

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Dominican University of California offers a BS/MS OT program that is 5.5 years.

It seems that the BS must be in psychology and the MS portion begins junior year while also completing the BS.

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Keep in mind that for years a MS for PT school was enough. Now they need a Doctorate. Good chance this will happen in OT also.

Standing Out In Occupational Therapy Now Requires A Doctorate.

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This is what I meant in my post above. Allied health professions programs seem to be getting longer. Masters are at least two years when in the past they were one. Some programs like PT and audiology now require doctoral level degrees.

This kid is a 10th grader. No way to know how the licensing requirements will change in the many years between now…and when this kid enters a program.

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Yep. Just wanted them to know a change could happen. Seems like the trend.

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About 20 years ago, the entry level OT degree was a bachelor’s degree. With OT now requiring at least a master’s degree, the cost of entry (both time and money) into the profession is significantly higher. Raising the entry level degree to a doctorate additionally raises the cost of entry into the profession. This may be a desirable outcome for current OTs because it limits the entry of new OTs into the profession because some potential OTs will not be able to afford the time or money for the required education.

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