How Long Does It Take to Become an Occupational Therapist? 

How long does it take to become an occupational therapist? If you have a bachelor’s degree, it takes two to three years to earn the graduate degree required to become an occupational therapist. If you are a high school student, it takes five to seven years to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees required to become an OT. 

Scan the rest of this blog post for an overview of the occupational therapy field; the degrees, fieldwork, certifications, and licenses required to become an OT; and what factors will affect your occupational therapy education timeline. 

Occupational therapists are an important part of a healthcare team and typically treat patients in collaboration with other healthcare providers, including physicians, physical therapists, and mental health counselors. OTs specialize in helping people who are recovering from an illness or an injury to return to activities that are important to them. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for OTs is expected to grow by 11% between 2023 and 2033, which is much faster than average. 

Occupational therapists must earn an undergraduate degree, which usually takes four years, and a graduate degree, which takes two or three years, depending on whether you pursue a master’s in occupational therapy or a doctorate in occupational therapy.

There are also accelerated programs that make it possible to reduce your occupational therapy education timeline. For example, Russell Sage College’s accelerated master’s in occupational therapy allows eligible students to earn a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in just over five years, which is less time than it would take to pursue the degrees separately.

You can pursue a graduate degree in occupational therapy with almost any bachelor’s degree, as long as you satisfy the prerequisites for OT graduate programs. 

At Russell Sage College, creative arts in therapy, biology, health sciences, psychology, sociology, and even English, are some of the bachelor’s programs that can satisfy the prerequisite requirements for Sage’s occupational therapy graduate programs. 

You have a few different options for an occupational therapy graduate degree. The most common OT graduate degrees are a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, also called an MSOT, and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, also called an OTD.

An OT master’s typically takes two years of full-time study, and an OT doctorate takes three years, full time. 

Both an MSOT and an OTD prepare you to take the occupational therapist licensure exam and to work with patients. A doctorate is required for some positions in education and research and may be an advantage if you aspire to a leadership role in health care or policy.

OT graduate programs include a clinical training component referred to as “fieldwork.” During fieldwork, aspiring OTs work with clients under the supervision of licensed occupational therapists.

Supervised fieldwork is scheduled during the timeframe of your MSOT or OTD degree and does not add time to your occupational therapy degree length. At Russell Sage, an academic fieldwork coordinator helps you arrange fieldwork. 

Fieldwork is important because it is when future occupational therapists begin to get real-life experience in different settings and with different patient populations. Fieldwork also provides opportunities to build a professional network with mentors and potential employers. 

Russell Sage College’s OT curriculum includes five fieldwork experiences — more than most programs — giving you extra opportunities to build skills and make connections, without adding to your occupational therapy degree length.

After you complete your academic program and earn your master’s or doctorate in occupational therapy, you are eligible to apply for certifications and licensure. The following information pertains to New York’s requirements; be sure to review the requirements for the state where you plan to practice.

Russell Sage offers in-person occupational therapy graduate programs in Troy, New York, as well as an online master’s in occupational therapy. The following information is for OTs seeking to practice in New York. Be sure to review your own state’s requirements  

Once your MSOT or OTD degree is conferred, you’ll have to pass the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy exam to be licensed as an OT in New York state. This is one of the last steps to becoming an occupational therapist. 

You may choose to study for a few weeks or a few months before you schedule your exam. You can find more information about applying for and scheduling your NBCOT certification exam at nbcot.org. 

Some aspiring OTs take a college or university’s pass rate into consideration when they are choosing an MSOT or OTD program. Russell Sage’s 2023 pass rates (the most recent year available) were 95% for the MSOT and 100% for the OTD. 

Occupational therapists must be licensed through the state where they plan to work. In New York, you can apply for your OT license in New York after you complete your OT graduate degree and pass the NBCOT certification exam. 

Learn more about New York’s requirements for occupational therapists licenses and wait times for OT licenses from the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions.

While you’ll need to factor in study time for the NBCOT exam and a few weeks wait time for your license to be approved, the biggest factor influencing how long it takes to become an occupational therapist is your education. 

You can reduce your occupational therapy education timeline if you meet the qualifications to be  accepted into an accelerated occupational therapy program like Russell Sage’s 3 + 2 program. 

Accelerated OT programs allow you to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in just over five years — less than the six-and-a-half years to earn a traditional, four-year bachelor’s degree followed by an MSOT.  

Most MSOT programs take about two years, and most OTD programs take about three years. 

Your goals will help you decide whether to pursue an MSOT or an OTD.  Both an OT master’s and an OT doctorate prepare you for the occupational therapist licensure exam needed to work directly with patients.

Individuals with a doctorate in occupational therapy have additional opportunities to be listed as a primary investigator on research, take on leadership roles in health care practices and policy organizations, or join the faculty of OT education programs.

OT graduate programs require applicants to have completed clinical observation hours prior to applying, but this requirement will probably not add substantially to your occupational therapy education timeline.

At Russell Sage, applicants are expected to have completed 20 hours of clinical observation prior to applying for the MSOT, and 40 hours of observation prior to applying for the OTD. Many applicants complete these hours at their workplaces or via volunteer roles. 

To recap, the biggest factor influencing how long it takes to become an occupational therapist is your education. 

If you have a bachelor’s degree, it takes two to three years to earn the graduate degree required to become an occupational therapist (two years for a master’s in occupational therapy or three years for a doctorate.) 

If you are a high school student, it takes five to seven years to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees required to become an OT, depending on if you are eligible for an accelerated program and the graduate degree you prefer. 

Email [email protected] to learn more about traditional or accelerated programs that allow you to earn a bachelor’s degree and graduate degree in Occupational Therapy or apply today!

Connect with a graduate admissions counselor for more information about Russell Sage’s on campus occupational therapy master’s or occupational therapy doctorate, or apply for your OT graduate program today! 

If you are outside of New York, you may also be interested in Sage’s online master’s in occupational therapy.