Best Occupational Therapy Colleges and Universities in the World
About Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) is a client-centered health profession that promotes health and well-being through rehabilitation, allowing physically, emotionally, cognitively, or neurologically impaired and challenged people to reclaim their lives. Instead of relying on medications or surgical procedures, occupational therapists (OTs) help people regain their quality of life by focusing on patient education, functional skill training, and involvement in everyday activities.
In general, occupational therapy is considered an allied health profession, and occupational therapists quite often work alongside doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, or other health professionals. They work with people of all ages and in a variety of physical and psychological settings. This occupation is perfect for students who wish to help others achieve self-sufficiency by addressing their needs.
Duties of an Occupational Therapist
The work of occupational therapists is unique in the sense that they rely on evidence-based interventions to offer extremely tailored and holistic care to their patients. They can work with different age groups such as toddlers, children, young people, elderly people, and people with special needs such as physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental health issues. Therefore, the duties and responsibilities of an occupational therapist will vary from one patient to another. The following are a few generalized duties that occupational therapists are required to perform regardless of where and with whom they work. Although, occupational therapists are responsible for a lot more than just these duties:
- Identifying and evaluating patient needs and care
- Developing tailored treatment plans to help patients become self-reliant
- Making sure that the patient adheres to the treatment plans
- Assessing patients’ environments, such as work and/or home, to identify patient problems
- Advising on modifications to meet the patient’s demands and increase independence
- Educating patient family members or caregivers on how to use specialized equipment such as wheelchairs
- Assessing documents and paperwork related to patients
- Keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in their field
Popular degrees for pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy
To begin a career as an occupational therapist, students must have a formal degree in occupational therapy, preferably advanced degree like master’s degree. Students with an associate degree or diploma in occupational therapy can also begin their careers in the field with a low-level position such as an assistant occupational therapist. The following are some of the typical degrees offered by universities across the world pertaining to occupational therapy.
Bachelor’s programs
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
- Bachelor of Health Professions
- B.S. in Rehabilitation Studies
- B.Sc. in Physical Therapy
Master’s programs
- M.S. in Occupational Therapy
- Master of Occupational Medicine
- M.S. in Advanced Occupational Therapy
- M.Sc. in Occupational Therapy Practice
- M.S in Geriatric Therapy
Doctoral programs
- Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences
- Ph.D. in Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences
- Ph.D. in Physical Therapy
- Ph.D. in Geriatric Therapy
Specializations in Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy has a wide range of specialties. Adding a specialization to an existing degree will enable a student to develop specialized knowledge in a certain field, improve the credentials, and open doors to new high-paying work prospects. Students can either go for specialization for a master’s degree, doctorate, or certification program after earning their master’s. Depending on their passion, students can choose one or more of the following specializations in occupational therapy:
- Gerontology
- Pediatrics
- Driving and community mobility
- Mental health
- Low vision
- Neuro-developmental treatment
- Physical rehabilitation
- School systems
- Mobility specialist
- Clinical anxiety
- Hand therapy
- Feeding, eating and swallowing
- Environmental modification
- Autism
- Diabetes
- Brain injuries
- Assistive care
- Aquatic therapy
Duration of programs in Occupational Therapy
The typical duration of an occupational therapy undergraduate degree in the USA is four years, whereas it can be three-four years in other countries such as the UK and Australia. There are some universities that offer accelerated programs and dual degree options in the field of occupational therapy. If a student wants to enter the job market sooner rather than later, even an associate degree is sufficient to get a job as an occupational therapy assistant. In addition to the degrees, pre-occupational therapists are required to pass a national certification exam to obtain a license to become registered occupational therapists.
Country | Associate Degree | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree | Doctoral Degree |
USA and Canada | 2 years | 4 years | 1-2 years | 4-7 years |
UK | 2 years | 4 years | 1-2 years | 4-7 years |
Australia | 2 years | 4 years | 1-2 years | 4-7 years |
Career opportunities in Occupational Therapy
The places of employment for an occupational therapist include hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, home care, nursing homes, special schools, industry, and private enterprise. Occupational therapy jobs are on the rise and are projected to grow more
- Occupational therapist
- Occupational therapy assistant
- Mental health therapist
- Physical health therapist
- Pediatric therapist
- Rehabilitation therapist
- Geriatric therapist
Average salaries for an Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapist are among the highly paid specialist in the allied health care profession. The salaries of occupational therapists depend upon different factors such as
- Education (advanced degrees pay more)
- Job location (the USA, UK, and Canada are high paying countries)
- Experience (entry-level jobs pay less)
- Skillset
- Employer
The average salaries for occupational therapists in some parts of the world are given in the following table:
Country | Average salary in USD*/year |
Canada | 1,25,065 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
UK | 1,22,088 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
USA | 1,21,000 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
Australia | 89,923 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
Netherlands | 77,005 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
Sweden | 74,153 (Source: Salary Explorer) |
*Note: All prices mentioned in the USD are for reference only. Exchange rates may vary from time to time and from country to country.
Top 50 universities in the world for Occupational Therapy based on world rankings (Shanghai/QS/THE)
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
19 | 8 | 11 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
26 | 22 | 18 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
27 | 67 | 44 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
37 | 33 | 33 | University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
38 | 69 | 58 | University of Sydney | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
42 | 27 | 26 | New York University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
43 | 65 | 70 | University of New South Wales | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
46 | 42 | 37 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
47 | 51 | 54 | University of Queensland | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
55 | 101-150 | 65 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
58 | 80 | 57 | Monash University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
77 | 151-200 | 124 | University of Southampton | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
87 | 151-200 | 116 | Lund University | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
100 | 29 | 52 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
107 | 23 | 51 | Washington University in St. Louis | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
110 | 50 | 69 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
111 | 101-150 | 88 | University of Montreal | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
112 | 95 | 62 | Boston University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
112 | 61 | 63 | University of Southern California | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
120 | 101-150 | 85 | Ohio State University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
126 | 101-150 | 125 | University of Alberta | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
140 | 92 | 80 | McMaster University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
151 | 151-200 | 189 | Cardiff University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
163 | 101-150 | 140 | University of Pittsburgh | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
170 | 201-300 | 201-250 | Western University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
173 | 97 | 154 | University of Florida | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
179 | 101-150 | 72 | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
180 | 101-150 | 185 | University of Gothenburg | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
189 | 101-150 | 178 | University of Liverpool | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
206 | 301-400 | 301-350 | RMIT University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
209 | 101-150 | 115 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
230 | 201-300 | 162 | University of Ottawa | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
233 | 201-300 | 127 | Maastricht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
240 | 201-300 | 251-300 | Queen’s University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
272 | 201-300 | 251-300 | Dalhousie University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
275 | 151-200 | 172 | Tufts University-Boston School of Occupational Therapy | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
285 | 201-300 | 301-350 | University of Illinois–Chicago | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
326 | 401-500 | 301-350 | University of South Australia | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
362 | 301-400 | 201-250 | La Trobe University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
431 | 201-300 | 351-400 | Colorado State University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
1001-1200 | NA | 601-800 | Glasgow Caledonian University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
1001-1200 | NA | Reporter | University of Northampton | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
601-650 | 501-600 | 401-500 | University of Plymouth | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
651-700 | 901-1000 | 601-800 | Ulster University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
701-750 | 801-900 | 401-500 | Northumbria University, Newcastle | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
801-1000 | NA | 1001-1200 | Robert Gordon University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
801-1000 | NA | 401-500 | Bristol, University of the West of England | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
NA | 501-600 | NA | Thomas Jefferson University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
NA | 301-400 | NA | Medical University of South Carolina | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
NA | 42 | 39 | Karolinska Institute | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the USA for Occupational Therapy
Every student wishes to study in the USA because of the high-quality education, unique curriculum, multicultural environment, and numerous job opportunities, especially in health care courses like occupational therapy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment rate for occupational therapists is expected to increase by 18% between 2018 and 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. This is the ideal time to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy in the USA. Even a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy or allied sciences with relevant experience is enough to get an entry-level job in the USA.
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
19 | 8 | 11 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
42 | 27 | 26 | New York University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
100 | 29 | 52 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
107 | 23 | 51 | Washington University in St. Louis | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
112 | 95 | 62 | Boston University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the UK for Occupational Therapy
As per the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), there is a shortage of occupational therapists in the UK. Therefore, this is a good chance for overseas students interested in occupational therapy to study in the UK, as they will be able to find work in this sector quickly after graduation. Students with a graduate degree in occupational therapy can easily find work in the National Health Service (NHS), which is a publicly funded healthcare system in the UK. Undergraduate occupational therapy institutions in the United Kingdom are progressively accepting students from a diverse range of academic backgrounds.
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
77 | 151-200 | 124 | University of Southampton | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
151 | 151-200 | 189 | Cardiff University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
189 | 101-150 | 178 | University of Liverpool | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
1001-1200 | NA | 601-800 | Glasgow Caledonian University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
1001-1200 | NA | Reporter | University of Northampton | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in Canada for Occupational Therapy
Canada is known to be one of the highest paying countries for occupational therapists [1,25,065 USD/year (Source: Salary Explorer)]. Therefore, many students interested in working in Canada also prefer to study in Canada.
The top Canadian universities, such as the University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, etc., emphasize more on master’s courses in occupational therapy. There are other universities in Canada that offer bachelor’s courses in occupational therapy as well as allied fields like biology, physical therapy, health education, and so on, which students can pursue and then move on to specialized courses in occupational therapy.
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
26 | 22 | 18 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
27 | 67 | 44 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
46 | 42 | 37 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
111 | 101-150 | 88 | University of Montreal | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
126 | 101-150 | 125 | University of Alberta | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in Australia for Occupational Therapy
The demand for admission to the USA and UK institutions is intense, whereas Australian universities are a little easier to get into, particularly in health-related fields. In comparison to the USA, an undergraduate degree in occupational therapy takes only three years instead of four. Furthermore, fees for undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy degrees are lower in Australia than in the USA and the UK. These reasons are enough for students to want to study in Australia.
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
37 | 33 | 33 | University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
38 | 69 | 58 | University of Sydney | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
43 | 65 | 70 | University of New South Wales | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
47 | 51 | 54 | University of Queensland | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
58 | 80 | 57 | Monash University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the Netherlands for Occupational Therapy
Despite being a small country with a majority of Dutch speakers, the Netherlands has a great number of universities that offer English courses, and therefore, many international students wish to study there. In terms of quality education and accredited courses, Dutch universities compete directly with some of the most prestigious universities in the UK and the USA. Just like universities in the USA and UK, Netherlands universities offer graduate courses in occupational therapy. Few colleges even offer dual degree courses compiling both graduate courses and undergraduate courses in occupational therapy.
QS Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
55 | 101-150 | 65 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
110 | 50 | 69 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
179 | 101-150 | 72 | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
209 | 101-150 | 115 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
233 | 201-300 | 127 | Maastricht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
Academic requirements for studying Occupational Therapy
For their undergraduate degrees in occupational therapy, several universities around the world allow students from a variety of academic backgrounds. However, for a master’s degree in occupational therapy, an undergraduate degree in occupational therapy or a related discipline such as exercise science, physiology, psychology, or biology is essential. The academic requirements for bachelor’s and master’s programs in occupational therapy typically include some or all of the following combinations:
Bachelor’s level
- A pre-degree or foundation course with a GPA of 3.0 or greater (on a scale of 4.0)
- Academic transcripts
- SATs or ACTs score
- Personal statement
- Letter of recommendation (optional for some universities)
- Valid passport
- English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL (generally above 90) or IELTS (generally above 6.0)
Master’s level
- A bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy or allied fields from an accredited institute with a GPA of 3.0 or greater (on a scale of 4.0)
- Academic transcripts
- Personal statement
- Letters of recommendation
- Valid passport
- Work experience (preferable)
- GRE score
- English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL (generally above 90) or IELTS (generally above 6.0)