Occupational therapist plan and direct educational, vocational and social programs designed to help people with disabilities become self-sufficient. The treatment program consists of assisting individuals with work-related movements such as adapting their equipment or strengthening muscles and assisting in developing recreational skills.

Occupational therapists practice in a variety of settings, such as specialized hospitals, general hospitals, rehabilitation centers, community and governmental agencies, public schools, nursing homes, research centers and the armed forces.  Average salaries for full-time occupational therapists start at $32,000 per year and could increase into the $60,000 range with experience.

To work as an occupational therapist, one must hold a post-baccalaureate degree (either a master's or doctoral degree) and be certified as an occupational therapist. Certification involves taking the Occupational Therapist Registered OTR® examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®).

An occupational therapist's education includes general college requirements, such as writing, communication, and mathematics; basic knowledge in the natural, physical, and social sciences; and professional education coursework consisting of health sciences, clinical sciences and direct observation of the practice of occupational therapy.

Occupational therapy programs are highly competitive and have limited seats available in each entering class. Students wishing to pursue degrees in this area should have strong undergraduate GPAs, a solid background in the physical and nature sciences, and have several hours of practical and/or shadowing experience. Students can begin their preparation for these programs while in high school by completing four units of English; three units of mathematics, including geometry and algebra I and II; two units of foreign language; two units of natural science; two units of social sciences and one unit of speech.

There are limited occupational therapy programs available in the state of Missouri. Missouri State University does not offer a program in occupational therapy. However, students can complete prerequisite coursework that will allow them to apply to a program elsewhere. The University of Missouri-Columbia and Saint Louis University each offer students the option to complete a five-year, joint bachelor/masters degree in the field. Each institution allows students to transfer courses completed at Missouri State to meet application requirements. Saint Louis University also offers an entry level master's degree option for students who wish to matriculate at the post-baccalaureate level. Rockhurst College in Kansas city offers an entry level master's degree program option while Washington University in St. Louis offers both master and doctoral level degree programs.

For a complete listing of accredited master and doctoral level programs, consult the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. website at www.aota.org.

Each OT program has a very specific list of prerequisites; therefore, students should contact the school at which they intend to apply for special course requirements. The following list of suggested courses are common requirements. Please consult the Missouri State Catalog online at www.missouristate.edu/catalog for specific course requirements.

• ART 100: Two-Dimensional Design
• BIO 121: General Biology I or
• BMS 110: Concepts in Biomedical Scienes
• BMS 307: Human Anatomy
• BMS 308: Human Physiology
• CHM 105: Fundamentals of Chemistry or
• CHM 160: General Chemistry and CHM 170 and 175
• CFD 155: Principles of Human Development or
• PSY 331: Psychology of Childhood
• MTH 135: College Algebra
• MTH 340: Statistical Methods or
• MTH 545: Applied Statistics or
• PSY 200: Psychological Statistical Methods
• PHY 100: Survey of Physics and Laboratory or
• PHY 123: Introduction to Physics I (with laboratory)
• PSY 121: Introductory Psychology
• PSY 304: Abnormal Psychology
• PSY 365: Aging and Adjustment or
• SOC 375: Sociology of Aging
• SOC 150: Introduction to Society
• PLS 101: American Government or 
• HST 121: U.S. History to 1877 or 
• HST 122: U.S. History from 1877