Masters Vs Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

ByOT Team Updated on OT Guide
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Are you willing to become a professional occupational therapist??????????


Are you eager to know what qualification or skills you need to have for becoming a
professional occupational therapist?????????????


Are you eager to get in deep about the difference between Masters and Doctorate of
Occupational Therapy???????????


If yes, this guide is going to provide descriptive answers for all of your queries.
Before starting up further, we would like to tell you one thing that you need to pursue a
Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy or need to be Doctorate in Occupational Therapy
for adopting Occupational Therapy as a profession.


Masters in Occupational Therapy or Doctorate in Occupational therapy has been always
remained a bit controversial and contentious. And the debate just levels up due to the
possible OTD mandate happening.


The guide will help you in knowing about the differences between both and surely serve to
be a perfect path while selecting the right path for you. Selecting a particular qualification
brings up a bit of financial burden along with it. So, one need to do some extra research on
the different platform before opting the one.


Before starting up further, there are very few questions that we would like to evaluate. If
you are eager to know what exactly are, they, just explore the given below:
Why are you going to pursue your master’s or doctorate? Are you willing to serve people
through Occupational therapy or you are willing to teach undergraduate or graduate
students?

Do you love or enjoy working in research?


Is budget not your issue? Are you comfortable with the increasing costs you have to payout
for pursuing different programs?

Which one to choose: Masters in Occupational Therapy or Doctorate of Occupational
Therapy?


It is a complicated question in itself. The selection of Masters or Doctorate in Occupational
Therapy depends on different factors.


If you are just willing to be a traditional clinician Masters’s in Occupational Therapy might be
a great option for you. With a master’s degree, you can finish your program on average of
about a year sooner. It usually takes about 2.5 years to 5 years to complete a master’s in
Occupational therapy.

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy usually puts on about $20,000 to $30,000 of additional
burden to the student. But still, as a better qualification can provide you extra leverage, you
can easily get off your student loan a bit faster.


Master in Occupational Therapy along with Doctorate in Occupational Therapy can
effectively secure your future. You can get a stable job in clinical settings throughout your
entire career.


Your degrees alone can do nothing. If you want to be a part of this noble profession, you
need to pass the National Board Exam and have to complete the continuing education
courses every year.

Cost Consideration MOT VS OTD


Doesn’t matter how qualified you are, the majority of the entry-level occupational therapists
got near about the same pay scale. The situation seems to be more painful if you have done
OTD and getting the same entry-level pay.


If you are aiming for OTD we would prefer you to go for straight OTD rather than opting for
MOT first. Just a year longer can help you in gaining a full-time salary quite soon.

It can cost about $60,000 to $70,000 more on OTD than MOT but the chances are quite higher that you will get a better pay scale later on.
You need to consider your due diligence before proceeding further. Make sure to compare
all the programs and go through the curriculum and tuition differences in detail.

It is always advisable to do your homework before finalizing your decision. Smaller aspects can provide you with better aspects in the future. So, make the decision accordingly.

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