MU recognized for occupational therapy program
NEW CONCORD — The master's of occupational therapy bridge program at Muskingum University has been ranked the second best online occupational therapy master's program in 2022 by OnlineMastersDegree.org, an organization created to support online learning at the master’s level.
The site analyzed more than 7,700 schools using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The ranking is based on number of online programs in subject area, number of online students, online program tuition and fees, percentage of students offered institutional aid and amount of institutional aid awarded per student.
“Muskingum University worked with me when I was designing this program to make it very affordable compared to other programs,” said program director Mary Arnold. “For occupational therapy, we were found to be flexible, affordable and accessible. That’s exactly what I set out to build.”
The need for occupational therapists continues to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 16% from 2019 to 2029.
In October 2021, the Council of Graduate Schools reported a 7.3% increase in first-time graduate student enrollment in fall 2020. First-time, part-time student enrollment rose by 13.5%. The CGS report cites the growth of online and hybrid learning options as a primary driver of these trends.
The MU program launched in fall 2019 and had its first graduating class in May 2021. A graduation ceremony was Thursday at the Anne C. Steele Center.
The MU program is a two-year, 69-hour degree program for licensed occupational therapy assistants. No GMAT, GRE or bachelor’s degree is required. However, applicants must have completed 90 semester hours of college credit and hold a valid OTA license.
Online instruction is complimented with 18 weekend on-campus labs, which provides students the opportunity to continue working full time while earning their degree. The full accredited program will prepare students to sit for the national examination for occupational therapist, administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: MU recognized for occupational therapy program
