Physical & Occupational Therapy Degrees Online

Therapy degrees online are available in several areas including physical therapy, occupation therapy, and respiratory therapy.

Occupational therapy and physical therapy professions within the medical and health care field offers flexibility and a good level of income for those who love to help people. Therapy involves treating physical and emotional health with creative activity. One program offering several therapy degrees is Boston University which is a doctorate in Physical Therapy, a M.Sc. for Practicing Occupational Therapists, and a Masters in Occupational Therapy. Another program is A. T. Still University that offers programs in Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a Master of Science in Advanced Occupational Therapy Studies. You can also study for a Masters in Occupational Therapy or a Doctoral of Physical Therapy. Today, people are living longer than they ever have before, and an increase in the number of aging individuals has led to a demand for well-trained physical therapists.

Occupational and Physical Therapy and Related Programs

A.T. Still University

• Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
• Master of Science in Advanced Occupational Therapy Studies (M. S.)

Boston University

• Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy

Utica College

• Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy

Grand Canyon University

• Physical Therapy Assistant to Bachelor of Science in Biology: Pre-Physical Therapy Program

California University of Pennsylvania - Online

• Master of Science in Exercise Science - Sport Performance Training & Injury Prevention
• Master of Science in Exercise Science - Rehabilitation Science

Penn Foster Schools

• Physical Therapy Aide
• Occupational Therapy Aide

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Physical Therapy Education

In courses in therapy degrees online that you will study range from medical terminology and physiology, to mental health and gerontology. In addition to taking classes online, students usually also need to several months of supervised fieldwork in clinics or community organizations in order to gain hands-on experience before completing their program.

To succeed in the online occupational therapy master program and in the career, you need to have a strong background in mathematics, science, and communications. The careers and professions are fast paced but are also very rewarding. More advance training in physical therapy colleges may required over four years of training; however, diploma and certificate programs may be completed in about two years.

Direct relationships with the patients is an important part of the job and it provides a lot of satisfaction to the professional. Physical therapists work with patients who have physical injuries or disabilities by helping them recover through various therapeutic exercises and activities that strengthen muscles, improve mobility, and relieve pain.

The patients are those who are accident victims, those with conditions as burns, amputations, stroke, vertigo, low back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy. Physical therapists develop rehabilitation plans and then offer evaluations based on the patients' activities and progress. They assist them in many activities such as teaching patients to walk again helping athletes improve after injuries etc. They also with patient to develop home therapy programs.

Occupational Therapy Education

As an occupational therapist, you would be trained on therapeutic modalities, pain management, sports and hand injuries, ethics for professionals, psychology in occupational therapy, and best practices. Students learn to assist clients and patients in relearning daily activities such as grooming and feeding and computer use.

They use physical exercise to increase client strength, mobility, and dexterity. Many occupational therapy degrees online programs of study are available at the master degree level. For example Boston University offers a M. S. for Practicing Occupational Therapists. Therapy degrees online programs are aimed at meeting the needs of practicing clinicians who wish to improve and advance their skills and knowledge.

Physical Therapy Careers and Occupational Therapy Careers

Both physical therapy assistant careers and occupational therapy assistant careers are in high demand but they both require either a physical or occupation therapy degrees online. Physical therapists work with clients to overcome physical injury and improve mobility. This can be a physically demanding career, but it is also richly rewarding. If you love helping people, a career in physical therapy might be a good choice for you.

With physical and occupational therapy degrees online, responsibilities include developing rehabilitation plans for patients and providing ongoing evaluations of their activities and progress and training those with permanent disabilities to use adaptive equipment.

With a occupational therapy masters degree, or a physical therapy masters degree, you can work in clinics, public and private educational services, nursing care facilities, home health agencies, outpatient care and community care centers, government agencies, and private practice. Occupational therapists can specialize in providing architects and contractors with design and accessibility consulting services. They also work in such areas as technology development and ergonomics.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of physical therapists is expected to grow by 30% from 2008 to 2018. The same goes for occupational therapist assistants and aides.

The median annual income for physical therapists was $72,790 in 2008. The middle 50% earned between $60,300 and $85,540. The lowest 10% earned less than $50,350, while the highest 10% earned over $104,350.

The median annual income for occupational therapist assistants was $48,230 in 2008. The middle 50% earned between $39,240 and $57,810. The lowest 10% earned less than $31,150, while the highest 10% percent earned more than $65,160.

The median annual income for occupational therapist aides was $26,960 in 2008. The middle 50% earned between $21,930 and $33,340. The lowest 10% earned less than $17,850, and the highest 10% earned more than $46,910.

The demand in physical and occupational therapy degrees online is quite high, and those who enter into this health care professionals can work in many locations. For those looking for flexibility, the is a good program to consider, for example people with children, as there is lot of flexibility in the scheduling. One of the largest areas of job growth for occupational therapists is in business consulting.