Occupational Therapy (OT) is a dynamic and diverse profession, enabling people and communities to overcome barriers imposed by illness, injury, disability, psychological impairment, developmental delay or the aging and dying process.

 

Occupational Therapy has recently been ranked as the second fastest growing profession in Australia and the fourth fastest growing profession in the USA. Occupational Therapists are in high demand in hospitals, mental health, aged care, disability and rehabilitation environments.

 

Highlights

• The Master of Occupational Therapy is completed in 2 years.
• Commencement is in May or September each year.
• The Bond OT degree is recognized in the USA and Canada for licensing and practice.
• Clinical research or business electives offered to prepare for private and public practice.
• Strong emphasis on practical experience with 1,000 clinical hours.
• Bond is Australia's #1 rated university.
• Australia is the worlds #1 English speaking country for education.
• Study International rates Bond as the Worlds Best Beachside University.
• Bond's MBA and Law Students are world champions.
• The staff to student ratio at Bond is 1:10 (one of the worlds lowest).
• USA Financial Aid (FAFSA based student loans) can be used at Bond.
• Canada Student Loans (eg. OSAP, StudentAid BC, Alberta Student Aid) can be used at Bond.

 

World Class Facility

The Bond Master of Occupational Therapy program is housed in the Bond Institute of Health & Sport which is 3 miles from the main campus. The Institute is a world class facility created exclusively for elite level health & sport programs at Bond. These are the Master of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physiotherapy and Master of Nutrition & Dietetic Practice.

Program Overview

This program is the first Occupational Therapy Masters in Australia to offer the opportunity to complete a clinical research project or undertake business electives in preparation for a career in private practice. You will engage in research training before specialising in one of two elective pathways:

 

Clinically-focused Research Pathway — the clinically focused research pathway culminates in an individual research project that may be eligible for publication. This pathway prepares you for entry into higher research degrees and careers in research and academia, as well as bolstering research networks; or

 

Business-focused Research Pathway — undertake business electives designed to prepare you for management roles and other positions in the growing private sector. This pathway culminates in an industry research project where you will apply both research and business skills. You will be taught by academics and industry staff who are current practicing clinicians with up to date industry knowledge.

Accreditation & Licensing in Australia, USA and Canada

 

AUSTRALIA

The Masters of Occupational Therapy is accredited (with conditions) by the Occupational Therapy Council of Australia and New Zealand Ltd (OTC). The program is also approved by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia where you will be eligible to apply for registration upon graduation. The program is also recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

 

U.S.A.

Step 1 - Foreign Degree Review

When you receive your degree outside of the USA, your first step is to have your degree evaluated so it can be deemed equivalent to an accredited USA program. The organization that performs the evaluation is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the review is called the Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED).

 

Step 2 - Initial Certification Exam

The U.S. organization that administers the initial certification exam required to practice in the United States is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Internationally trained therapists may not function as Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs), as OTAs must graduate from accredited OTA programs and pass the NBCOT exam for OTAs in order to practice. The roles of the OTA and Occupational Therapist are complimentary, but they are differentiated and are not interchangeable.

 

Step 3 - English Language Tests (waived for Australian program graduates)

English is the official language of the United States, and all candidates must demonstrate English-language proficiency by passing a test, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Graduates of occupational therapy programs in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are currently exempt.

 

Step 4 - State Regulatory Requirements

Therapists must meet the regulatory requirements of a state of jurisdiction in order to practice. Even though the NBCOT initial certification exam is federal, the individual states regulate occupational therapy services. Most of these jurisdictions require continuing education to maintain a license. Each state has a regulatory board and a professional association that provides resources regarding practice and continuing education. Contact your state regulatory board to determine the particular requirements of that state for initial and continuing ability to practice occupational therapy.

 

CANADA

The Canadian system of occupational therapy is one of the best in the world, with profiles ensuring that occupational therapy services are safe and meet specified quality standards of clinical practice. The Canadian Profile of Practice for Occupational Therapists (CPPOT 2012) presents a spectrum of competencies for Occupational Therapists.

 

The profile lists three levels of practitioner:

• Competent
• Proficient
• Advanced

 

This is measured across seven Occupational Therapy roles:

 

1. Expert in enabling communication
2. Communicator
3. Collaborator
4. Practice Manager
5. Change Agent
6. Scholarly Practitioner
7. Professional

The Bond University Master of Occupational Therapy will ensure you are prepared to meet these expectations for competent practice. It also has additional subject matter to exceed basic competency, and prepare graduates to meet the requirements of a Proficient practitioner.

 

In May 2015, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists amended the process to become an Occupational Therapist by introducing a competency-based exam. After completing 1,000 hours of field work (included in the Bond program), students are required to apply to the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO) to have their credentials assessed by a process called “Substantial Equivalency Assessment System” (SEAS). This assessment is designed to confirm the coursework that has been completed and it includes a competency based assessment to ensure that applicants can practice Occupational Therapy.

The assessment includes four sections:

1. Academic Credential Review
2. Profession-specific Credential Assessment
3. Jurisprudence Admissions test
4. Competency Assessment

Once this is complete, SEAS will send a report to the chosen province of work and the student will then be invited to write the National Exam (required in all provinces except Quebec) and be
registered. For more information, please visit www.caot.ca

 

OT Program Fees & Expenses

Tuition for the Master of Occupational Therapy program is AUD$116,520.

Living costs are approximately $30,000 per year.

The total estimated "all-in" cost  is AUD$176,000.

This is roughly US$137,000 or CAD$176,000 at the current exchange rate.

To see all the fees in detail (and convert to US or Canadian dollars), go to Fees & Expenses.

 

Scholarships

There is just one scholarship available for applicants to the Master of Occupational Therapy program. It's called the Health Sciences Graduate Program Scholarship.

• Covers up to 50% of tuition.
• Mostly based on GPA, but leadership skills & extra-curricular also considered.
• Applications must be received 4 months prior to your start date.
• Apply for this scholarship within the standard online application.

 

Financing Options

 

USA

Graduate students can use FAFSA based student loans to cover 100% of the costs of attending Bond (tuition and living). Go to our USA Financial Aid page for details and instructions.

 

CANADA

Canadian students can use federal and provincial loans (eg. OSAP, StudentAid BC, Alberta Student Aid) to cover some costs (eg. $15,000 per year), but the majority of the required funds will need to come from private sources or a bank loan. Go to our Canada Student Loans page for more information on government financing. Please contact the banks (eg. TD, Scotia, RBC) to enquire about a line of credit for grad school. As from 2017, the banks require a co-signor (guarantor) for most student loan applications.

 

Entry Requirements

1) A Bachelors degree in any health sciences discipline with a GPA of 2.5 (lower GPA's may be considered if you have a strong resume and/or references).

 

2) Completion of  the following pre-requisite classes which appear on your transcript:

• One semester of Human Anatomy *
• One semester of Human Physiology *
• Two semesters of Behavioural Science (eg. Psychology, Counseling, Sociology).

 

* Completing an Anatomy & Physiology combined class (eg. Anatomy & Physiology I) satisfies the requirements for 1 semester of Anatomy and 1 semester of Physiology.

 

Acceptance Rate

There are limited places available in the OT program but the acceptance rate is quite high (approximately 70%) for those who meet the minimum entry requirements.

Applying with the help of our North American office will provide your best chance of being accepted to the program.

 

Application Deadlines

There are no formal application deadlines for the Master of Occupational Therapy program. You can apply at any time, but the earlier the better. We suggest applying no later than 4 months prior to your planned start date so there is enough time to arrange financing, student visa, flights and housing etc (all of which we help you with). Also note the scholarship application deadline is 4 months prior to the program commencement date.

 

To receive monthly communications with suggested dates for completing each step in the process (and other helpful advice regarding housing, flights, student visa etc), please complete the form at Contact Us (if you have not contacted us before).

 

Go to our application page for the online application and list of documents required.