Looking for an academic program in Rhode Island that will provide a hot professional career path, with a projected 34 percent growth rate? One where, with a master’s degree, entry level positions earn a median salary of about $67,000 a year and as much as $90,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics?
The New England Institute of Technology in Warwick is now offering a master of science in occupational therapy (OT), the only master’s-level program at New England Tech, and the only master’s level for occupational therapy in Rhode Island, according to Rebecca Simon, the academic-fieldwork coordinator for New England Tech’s occupational therapy department.
With little fanfare, the program is proving to be a strong draw, Simon said. The first semester of the new master’s program, which began Monday, April 5, with 25 students, is fully enrolled. The next class, beginning in October 2010, is already filled, and there is a waiting list.
“Occupational therapists help people regain independence – or live at a maximum level of independence,” Simon said, defining the profession. “Our work focuses on ‘habilitation’ and rehabilitation.”
The term “occupational,” Simon continued, is defined as “activities that are meaningful to the individual. Our work is focused on outcomes to help them get there.”
Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings – including school systems, hospitals and community settings. “A salary of $65,000 is a mean for a master’s-level occupational therapist in Rhode Island,” Simon said.
One of the largest communities of need currently served by occupational therapists is children with autism, according to Simon. “A majority of the cases occupational therapists work with in the schools are kids with autism,” she said.
A second large client group is elderly citizens, with future projections that this segment will become even larger as baby boomers age. “They will need supportive therapy, whether in home care or in skilled-nursing facilities,” Simon said.
Occupational therapists, with a focus on daily activities, will play a vital role, she continued. “Our work focuses on how we can help them dress, bathe and eat independently, even things like managing their checkbooks.”
The innovative master’s curriculum is designed to be a bridge for professionals currently working in the occupational therapy field to move to the next level of responsibility, Simon said. The curriculum is offered in a weekend format that requires students to be on campus five weekends in each 10-week academic quarter.
The weekend format is a perfect fit for Bethany Pratt, 38, from Wakefield, who has worked as a certified occupational therapist assistant for 10 years with the North Kingstown School Department. Pratt, who earned her associate’s degree from New England Tech in 1999, is one of the new students enrolled this semester.
In her current job, Pratt said her work ranges from preschool to high school students, assisting with fine motor skills and visual motor skills. A big part of her workload, she said, is focused on children with autism. “I do a lot of sensory integration with autistic children,” she said.
“What attracted me most was the fact that this master’s degree program bridges the opportunity to go from an OT assistant to become a registered occupational therapist. I’ve been looking for years for such a program, but previously there was nothing around here,” she said. “This is the first one in New England. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to take the next step with my career.”
With her master’s degree, Pratt, who currently makes about $40,000 a year, says she can nearly double her annual pay scale. Also, she will be able to go into private practice, and she can work without a supervisor. •
