Students interested in occupational therapy can look forward to a new program in 2005. For the first time, The University of Wisconsin will offer an occupational therapy master’s-level program under the Department of Kinesiology in the School of Education.
Dr. Mary Schneider, the Occupational Therapy program coordinator, said the new program comes in response to The American Occupational Therapy Association’s change in criteria for all incoming occupational therapists.
The new standards, which go in effect 2007, state all occupational therapists must be educated at the post-baccalaureate level. Schneider explained this change was necessary because the health care system for occupational therapists is becoming more complex.
The new program will accept 25 students each semester and place emphasis on clinical skills, leadership and a better comprehension of evidence-based practice and research, according to a UW press release. The new structure will allow students to become certified occupational therapists.
Students will take part in three steps of education, which involve assessment and treatment, professional skills courses and research in the field, Schneider said.
“The new program gives hands-on experience right from the start,” she said. “Students gain experience across the life-span from infants to older adults.”
Occupational therapists work with people who endure obstacles due to illness, injury, learning disabilities, psychosocial dysfunction, cognitive impairment and mental illness, which prevent them from taking part in many professions.
According to the program’s website, occupational therapists evaluate individual obstacles and tailor solutions to individual needs. They also enable people to participate in ordinary activities despite their impairments.
The undergraduate program at UW began in 1943 and served 150 students by 1945. The program became the second largest in the country, and today it is one of the nation’s best, according to the program’s website.
Schneider credits the success of the program to UW because it is a “major research institution, [which] allows us to draw outstanding faculty.”
“UW’s faculty is qualified to train students to become future leaders,” Schneider said.
Ashley Nelson, a UW sophomore who is considering a career in occupational therapy, said she is more interested in the field now because of the new program.
“I think the new program will be beneficial for all UW students interested in occupational therapy,” Nelson said. “It will better prepare students to handle challenges when they reach the competitive workforce.”
In addition to the undergraduate program and the new master’s program, UW offers a doctorate program in Kinesiology.
Individuals who already practice occupational therapy can receive a research-based degree. Those with bachelor’s degrees in occupational therapy who want to increase their knowledge in the field can receive a Masters of Science in Therapeutic Science.
UW is the only university in the Midwest to offer an OT doctoral program. For more information on UW’s occupational therapy program, log onto the program’s website at
