Occupational Therapy

Do you …

Enjoy working with people… want to make a meaningful contribution… appreciate a creative challenge… value flexibility… enjoy tapping into your imagination… want to work as a member of a health care team… seek a career with a future… prefer job variety AND stability… like the sciences and the arts… seek graduate education that leads to a professional career in a health field? Then a career in Occupational Therapy is for you.

Occupational Therapy Rated as Top Career

• US News & World Report rates Occupational Therapy as one of top 25 Best Careers in 2006, 2007 and 2008
• Employment in Occupational Therapy is expected to increase 27% or more by 2014 (U.S. Department of Labor)
• The median salary of Occupational Therapists in 2006 was $60,855 (Salary.com)
• Sage offers the only accredited MS in Occupational Therapy in the upstate New York region

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a health care profession dedicated to helping individuals of all ages to maximize their functional independence. Occupational therapists work with people whose abilities to manage everyday tasks of living are affected by developmental deficits, the aging process, environmental barriers, physical injury or illness, or psychosocial issues. The word occupation refers to how people use time, or are occupied in their daily lives.

Occupational therapists help people to identify or return to the occupations that are important to them. They assist people to adapt old methods or learn new strategies so they can return to work or family roles after illness or injury and develop the daily living skills needed to live and work independently. OTs work in a variety of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, homecare, preschools and schools, private practice and community agencies.

Occupational Therapists are in high demand across the country as critical caregivers in today's rapidly growing health care system. The profession offers many opportunities for a career rich in both meaning and reward.

OT Program Accreditation, National Certification & State Licensure

The Sage Colleges Occupational Therapy Program is registered with the NYS Education Department and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, 301/652-2682. The most recent reaccredidation was granted in May 2007. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the national certification exam that is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice occupational therapy; however state licenses are usually based on the results of the national certification exam. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the certification exam or to attain state licensure.