Gannon University | Occupational Therapy

Gannon University's entry-level Occupational Therapy Program offers the following options for master's level entry into the profession:

a five-year combined bachelor's/master's with acceptance and entry in traditional freshman, sophomore, and junior year
a post-baccalaureate sequence of three academic years including six months full-time field work for students who have already earned a bachelor's degree
a three or four year program of study which allows OT assistants to become Registered Occupational Therapists (OTRs)

On April 4, 2019, the AOTA Representative Assembly voted to support dual entry-level degrees for Occupational Therapists (master's or doctoral). This decision allows our master's program to continue to offer an efficient 5-year path into the occupational therapy profession for undergraduate students; pos-baccalaureate and OTA students can complete the program in 3 years.

Program Overview

Occupational Therapy is a profession that works with a variety of individuals with disabilities in all stages of the human life cycle. Occupational therapists develop, teach and evaluate specific rehabilitation programs for each individual in an effort to help clients achieving health, well-being, and participation in meaningful activities. Occupational therapists work in all areas of health care, including hospitals, private practice, schools, long term care, mental health and community programs, home health care, business and industry, and consulting.

Opportunities for advancement are great, and after working only a short time, Occupational Therapy graduates may advance to become supervisors, clinical educators, case managers and ADA consultants. A master's degree is required in order to be eligible to take the national certification exam. The Federal Department of Labor outlook for Occupational Therapy is for it to grow "much faster than average" - that is, growing by more than 27% over the next 10 years. Many of our graduates have jobs prior to graduation and frequently select from multiple employment offers. The U.S. News and World Report (2016) identifies Occupational Therapy as one of "the best health careers" (#17/100) which should have strong growth over the next decade.

What Makes Us Different

Gannon University is one of the few Occupational Therapy programs that offer select students opportunities for graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships, as well as departmental scholarships for the last year of the program.
Students in Gannon's Occupational Therapy program will integrate research and active learning experiences in the classroom and community.