Find the Perfect Occupational or Physical Therapy Degree Online

When people get sick or injured, they often need rehabilitation therapy experts to get back to total health. An occupational therapy degree online or a physical therapy degree online can prepare you to help people move, breathe, walk, and live better. If you want to contribute to people’s overall quality of life, these degrees can be a perfect choice.

You’ll notice that the phrase “rehabilitation therapies” is plural for a reason. There are numerous therapies available, including physical, occupational, respiratory, and more. All, in some way, help patients get back to strong, independent living.

ARTICLE NAVIGATION:

• Levels for a Physical or Occupational Therapy Degree Online: Certificate | Associate | Bachelor | Bachelor Completion | Graduate Certificate | Master’s | Post-Graduate Certificate | Doctorate
• Accreditation for Occupational & Physical Therapy Online Degrees
• Can a Physical or Occupational Therapy Online Degree Meet Licensing Requirements?
• Licensing for Rehabilitation Careers
• Career Outlook with a Physical or Occupational Therapy Degree Online
• Salary Potential with an Occupational or Physical Therapy Degree Online

Diploma

People with no college experience who want a fast track to a career in occupational therapy can enroll in an online diploma program. These diplomas qualify graduates to become an assistant for an occupational or physical therapist. They can be completed entirely online. Courses teach the basics of therapy services, patient interaction, and anatomy and biology.

Diplomas can be completed quickly. In fact, these only require five short online courses, with completion possible in as little as one month. The typical completion time, however, is three or four months.

Certificate

Certificates in rehab therapies can be completed 100% online. They only require a high school diploma for enrollment. Programs create fast pathways to a variety of entry-level positions. Grads can work for therapy and rehabilitation facilities.

These certificate programs take longer than a diploma, but they are still relatively short. The Certificate in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, for example, can be completed in as little as one year.

Some programs focus on a specific subject. Focuses for online rehabilitation therapies programs include concussion management, therapeutic recreation, and disability studies.

Associate

This level of occupational therapy degree online, which requires two to three years, is required for occupational therapy assistants. An associate in physical therapy degree online can also be used to build towards a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy. Associate degrees require only a high school diploma for enrollment. They offer elective class choices to meet a student’s needs and goals.

Programs are available entirely online, but some have in-person requirements. One example is the Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant from St. Catherine University. To complete the program, students must attend 12 skills labs for hands-on practice. These labs occur every three to four weeks at sites in California, Minnesota, Texas, and Virginia.

Bachelor

Requiring roughly four years of study, a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation therapies can lead to a career as a recreational therapist. With specialized training and courses, graduates can also transition to a career as an exercise physiologist.

These rehabilitation therapy degrees online may cover therapy as a broad topic or focus on a narrow subject. For instance, the Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation & Human Services from the University of North Dakota offers multiple concentrations. Choose from focus areas including gerontology, developmental disabilities, mental health, substance abuse, and addictions.

Some programs are designed to transfer into a master’s in physical therapy degree online. The Bachelor of Science in Health Science from South College is a pre-physical therapy education. As such, it prepares students to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.

Bachelor Completion

These programs require applicants to have an associate’s degree before enrolling. They allow you to complete a bachelor’s degree in roughly two years by building on your current education. When complete, graduates can pursue many careers including respiratory therapy and occupational therapy.

Many bachelor completion degrees cover respiratory care and therapy. Although an associate’s degree is the basic requirement for a respiratory therapist, these degrees build on your knowledge and improve your skills and job potential. Some employers prefer candidates with bachelor’s degrees.

Graduate Certificate

A graduate certificate in rehabilitation therapies is ideal for anyone who wants to add to a current therapy career. Occupational, respiratory, and physical therapists can find many benefits from these certificates. They could help a graduate qualify for additional roles. Grad certificates also make you more competitive in the job market. This credential helps students enhance their career earnings. Students can specialize in a specific area, such as oncology, therapeutic recreation, or injury prevention.

They require a bachelor’s degree for enrollment and are available 100% online. These programs are usually short and can be completed in one academic year. The Graduate Certificate in Oncology Rehabilitation from Oakland University, for example, has 17 credit hours.

Some of these programs focus on a specific subject. For example, the online rehabilitation therapies program from Northern Arizona focuses on assistive technology. In this program, students learn how to help people who have disabilities and mobility problems. Other programs center on therapeutic recreation, healing practices, and assistive technology.

Master’s

With a master’s in occupational therapy degree online, graduates can become occupational therapists. They can also, depending on their major, become respiratory therapists. Although this career only requires an associate’s degree, a master’s degree provides benefits. Master’s graduates will have advanced skills, greater earning potential, and training for leadership roles. Students can specialize in orthotics, assistive technology, respiratory care, and music therapy.

Enrollment in these online rehabilitation therapies degrees requires a bachelor’s degree. The degree takes two to three years of study online. The Master of Science in Respiratory Therapy from the University of Cincinnati, for example, requires 30 credit hours. It can be completed in less than two years.

Post-Graduate Certificate

Students with a master’s degree can choose a post-graduate certificate to further their skills and knowledge. Available mostly online, the program from Regis University requires 12 credit hours and can be completed in one year. This program includes one weekend intensive session from Friday to Sunday afternoon. The Regis University campus is in Denver, Colorado.

Students learn manual therapy and other techniques. Graduates are qualified to sit for the Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) test administered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).

Doctorate

If you want to become a physical therapist, a doctorate in physical therapy degree online can make it happen. Online doctorates are also available in occupational therapy. These degrees make you one of the top experts in your field. Physical therapist positions require doctorate degrees. They can also lead to teaching and consulting roles.

Most of these programs require at least a bachelor’s degree, although some will expect a master’s. You can find 100% online doctorates, but many are mostly online with short sessions required at a physical campus.

Accreditation is the process of confirming a school’s quality and consistency. Schools receive institutional accreditation, delivered by regional groups. This covers the entire college or university. Departments, programs, and majors, on the other hand, receive programmatic approval from groups that focus on that subject.

There is no one group that covers rehabilitation therapies degrees online as a whole. However, some bodies accredit different types of therapy degrees found in our database. Broadly speaking, therapies fall into three categories: occupational, respiratory, and physical. There are others, but these can be considered the “big three.”

Here are the primary accrediting bodies for therapy degrees found in our database:

• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) — This group provides accreditation for occupational therapy. Established in 1923, it approves doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degrees.
• Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) — Established in 1954, this group focuses on education in respiratory and inhalation therapy. It accredits associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, as well as professional-degree advancement programs. It also accredits a handful of programs that train sleep-disorder specialists.
• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) — This institution is a branch of the American Physical Therapy Association. APTA is a physical therapy authority that builds practices, provides industry research, and offers patient-care resources.

There are other programmatic accreditations in addition to those listed above. The Graduate Certificate in Orientation & Mobility from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, for example, is accredited by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals.

If you enroll in a rehabilitation therapy degree, make sure it is accredited by one of these groups or another accrediting body. Always verify accreditation to ensure it will meet licensing standards.

Yes, these degrees will qualify graduates for licensing. There are numerous licensing options depending on what degree you complete. For example, the Doctor of Physical Therapy from Utica University has approval from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This qualifies students for licensed physical therapist testing.

Just as there are many accrediting bodies, there are also many licensing groups for professionals in rehabilitation therapy.

Occupational, respiratory, and physical therapists must all similarly have licenses through the state. The process is different for each profession in each state. Many of the licenses, however, are overseen and administered by a national association.

For example, to become an occupational therapist in any state, applicants need to hold licensing. This licensing requires testing through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). To sit for testing, applicants must specifically have an occupational therapy degree online from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

Again, each state is different, but here is the process you will likely follow:

1. Firstly, graduate from an ACOTE-accredited master’s program.
2. Then, apply for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) tests. This includes a national certification exam.
3. Next, you need to follow your state guidelines for becoming licensed. For example, to become licensed in Minnesota, you fill out an application, show proof of education, and pass the NBCOT tests. The fee in Minnesota is $185 for an occupational therapist. There is also a fee of $33.25 for a criminal background check. In this state, you must get a new background check every two years.

Resource:

• NCBOT - Get Certified

Many of the careers that involve rehab therapy have stronger outlooks and job growth than the average.

Occupational Therapist

The profession of occupational therapist is expected to see a growth of 14% between 2021 and 2031. By the end of this ten-year span, there will be more than 150,000 occupational therapists. This growth is propelled by an aging population and the search for non-invasive treatments for long-term conditions.

Occupational Therapist Assistant

This career will grow even stronger than occupational therapists. With an expected growth of 25%, there will be a total of 54,500 therapy assistants by 2031.

Respiratory Therapist

Also driven by an aging population, there will be an increasing need for respiratory therapists. This career is expected to grow by 14% and will have more than 150,000 positions by 2031. This career will also grow because therapists can help reduce the number of patients readmitted to hospitals.

Physical Therapist

This career requires a doctorate or professional certificate and vigorous licensing. The job pool, however, is surprisingly large and expected to keep growing. The position is expected to grow by 17%, resulting in 280,000 physical therapists by 2031.

Resources:

• Occupational Therapists (BLS)
• Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides (BLS)
• Respiratory Therapists (BLS)
• Physical Therapists (BLS)

These careers bring fantastic salaries. Most notably, physical therapists have a median salary of $95,620 per year, while the top 10% earn more than $127,000. Physical therapists working for home healthcare services have the largest salaries. Their median annual income is almost $100,000.

Here are the salaries for other careers in rehab therapy:

• Occupational therapist: $85,570
• Respiratory therapist: $61,830
• Occupational therapist assistant: $61,730

Earnings may depend on where you live. For example, the highest-paying state for physical therapists is Nevada, where the median salary is $104,210. California is second with a median salary of $103,510. The metro area with the highest salary for this position is San Jose, California, where the median income is $123,190. In fact, eight of the top-ten metro regions are in California.

Resource:

• BLS - Employment by State

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