Montana Occupational Therapy Schools

Each state has the right to enact its own rules and regulations regarding occupational therapy education, licensing and practice. While many states adhere to the rules established at the national level, other states have more stringent regulations that go beyond what we see in most states. This is true of Montana and several other states when it comes to the use of physical agents. However, in many other areas regarding occupational therapy, the state's rules fall in line with national guidelines.

In Montana, home to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and Yellowstone National Park, occupational therapists must have a master's or doctoral degree and have passed a licensing examination and still possess a license to practice. Occupational therapy assistants need have only an associate degree and pass the necessary examinations. To receive licensure individuals must apply to the Montana Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. It is the job of the board to determine whether applicants meet the criteria. This is one way that the board is able to regulate the profession.

Residents of Montana who wish to become professional occupational therapists have a tougher path than do residents of most other states. As of the time of the writing of this article, no school in the state was offering courses to lead to a degree in occupational therapy. However, residents of the state do have the option of going online and getting a master's or doctoral degree in the discipline through an online program.

Unfortunately, not all students do well in this type of learning situation. Many students need the atmosphere of a classroom setting to stay motivated and learn. There are schools that offer degrees in similar professions. University of Montana, a four-year public institution with a student population just greater than 14,000, offers degree programs in physical therapy. The school offers a bachelor's, a master's and a doctoral program.

While physical therapy and occupational therapy are similar you should not assume they are the same profession. If they were exactly the same then there would be no need for the two separate disciplines. Be sure to research the difference in the professions thoroughly and compare the outlook for jobs and salaries in both professions. Four to six years is a significant amount of time to donate to earning a degree. Think what a let down it would be to earn that degree and then learn that the profession you worked so hard to get into is not what you thought it would be.

After researching the discipline, if you decide that occupational therapy is definitely the path you want to travel there are ways to get there. This may include a combination of earning a four year degree at a local school and concentrating in science and then beginning a master's program online or out of state. You should also speak with someone in admissions at a school that does offer an occupational therapy degree for professionals, and get advice on the best way to proceed to reach your goals.