Hey everyone! I was wondering what your thoughts were between obtaining a doctorate vs getting a masters in occupational therapy. Besides price being a factor what else would you all consider? It seems like most programs are already transitioning into the doctorate program therefore it leaves the masters out of question. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
General Admissions & OTCAS MSOT vs DOT
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OTadventures
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Hi there!
Schools promote their OTD offering saying that it gives more potential for experiences that prepare students for future roles in leadership, research, and teaching. I am interested in leadership & teaching later down the line, so that's why I looked into the doctorate initially.
However, I decided on the master's for a couple of reasons:
1) In some circumstances it may take 6-12 months less to do an MSOT, so you'll be out in the workforce a little bit earlier. There are still opportunities to further knowledge through CEUs and earning specialities and certificates.
2) A post-professional OTD is an option down the line. It's possible to complete these programs online while working full-time (also see #5)
3) OTDs require a ~1 semester capstone project that may function like an additional FW II or research project. I like the idea of being able to delve deeper into an aspect of OT, but I'm not sure what that would be yet and also think I'm personally more interested in gaining hands-on clinical experience and working in the field before focusing in on research question in a particular area of practice. Should I do a thesis down the road towards earning my OTD, I think the quality of my project and personal interest I have in my topic will be stronger -- but that's just me.
4) There's a lot of confusion surrounding AOTA's talks about mandating an entry-level doctorate in 2027. They actually "paused" this via abeyance, so currently the master's remains the standard. If this mandate eventually goes forward, people with a master's will be "grandfathered" in so it won't effect their ability to practice. Also, think about all the amazing OTs out there in the workforce who have taken on leadership roles in their workplaces just based on their years of experience, even they only have a bachelor's in OT.
5) Teaching in OT programs generally requires a level of education higher than the degree goal of the students you're teaching. Therefore, since many programs are shifting to OTD, schools will be more likely to have openings for faculty who have at least a post-professional OTD or a doctorate in another field (i.e. health science, education). See page 11, A.2. 7. here which says, "At least 50% of full-time core faculty must have a post-professional doctorate."
This was really convincing to me because if I really want to go into teaching/academia/research, I'll likely be a better candidate with a post-professional OTD or other doctorate degree.
6) Most jobs don't pay new grads more if they have an OTD. The exception to this might be in the school system where pay grades may be determined by number of credits. See otsalary.com to learn more about pay rates based on your location.
Here are some links that helped me as I thought through this myself:
Occupational Therapy: Masters vs. Doctorate (Caroline did an MSOT but she gathers perspectives from people all across the board)
OTD vs MSOT: Which One Should You Choose? (Allison did OTD)
7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Pursuing an OTD — Marvelous Mirracles (Amirra did an OTD and strongly advises to consider cost)
The MOT vs OTD: Which Degree To Pursue? | myotspot.com
*Check out threads on Reddit and the Facebook Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students group.
If the price difference isn't that large, then OTD may be worth it for you. I think it really depends on your personal situation and goals. Just my two cents. Hope this helps!
@OTadventures hit the nail on the head for every single point that I say when I talk about one versus the other. Tiny addition to #5, it's even possible that rather than an OTD, having a PhD in some rehab science may be more beneficial down the line if you are interested in teaching/research, as opposed to an entry-level doctorate degree (OTD). I also want to add that I even shadowed a few OTs last year who had about 20 years of experience each, were working in a highly specialized field (NICU), and had done their own research and written papers for journals and had a Bachelor's level OT degree. I, myself, will be attending a research-based MSOT program. There are other ways to get involved in research other than getting an OTD, I think you may just have to look out for them!
Honestly, I'm pretty happy to be going through all of this early enough that I don't need to deal with the OTD mandate. If you choose to get a MSOT/MOT, getting a PP-OTD is ALWAYS an option and might be a more viable one after you have experience, have paid down your loans, have saved money, and have zeroed in on a topic you are especially interested in researching. Hope this helps!
Honestly, I'm pretty happy to be going through all of this early enough that I don't need to deal with the OTD mandate. If you choose to get a MSOT/MOT, getting a PP-OTD is ALWAYS an option and might be a more viable one after you have experience, have paid down your loans, have saved money, and have zeroed in on a topic you are especially interested in researching. Hope this helps!
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I guess my thing right now is that I got accepted into one DPT program and its at the University of St. Augustine of Health Sciences and i havent heard many good things about the program there. It's very pricey and has huge cohort sizes. I applied to OT programs as backup just to help and I got into Brenau's OTD program. So that's where my battle was because I would rather go to a good reputable school that has good clinical affiliations and goos helpful staff rather than ones who just throw you in and let you drown in your agony.
So I have a few things to say about this. Firstly, you should be confident about your choice of pursuing OT or PT. This is your career, your schooling, your debt you are taking on so just make sure you are happy with the choice you are making!
Secondly, St. Augustine is a for-profit college, if you're not exactly sure what that is, I would definitely definitely suggest reading a bit about how they run schools, reputation, outcomes, etc. I am not speaking from experience, so I would absolutely suggest finding current students and reading first-hand accounts. If you haven't heard good things about the USA campus, run lol the last thing you want is to be 100k+ in debt with a degree/schooling you are unhappy with.
Thirdly, your desire to rather go to reputable school with good clinical affiliations, and helpful staff is GREAT. That is probably the most important thing to look for in a school.
So basically, be sure that you want to be an OT and not a PT. That is important. They are similar but still have their own functions and places in the healthcare team. Don't drown in debt just to get to this degree a year earlier. If you need to, reapply next year and be happy with the school you're going to.
Thank you for the insight! No I surely would rather be an amazing OT rather than a mediocre PT. And USA doesn't have many clinical affiliations and students usually dont get a pick where they placed even though they give you a wish list and such. I love either career and I know I will be happy but I have to look at it in a practical view point too. Because USA is almost 200K whereas for Brenau Im paying 100K and getting a great education in return. They have awesome clinical affiliations and it has a very reputable name as well. Most of the recent USA grads I have talked to told me not to apply here because of how much the curriculum has changed and because their cohort sizes are so huge the focus on the student just isn't there. And that's not personally something I want. Like I don't want to be just thrown in and not be given any sort of attention or feedback on my education because thats just a compromise for me at that point. and most DPT programs only have like 30-40 students. So if I am getting that elsewhere why would I spend 100k more and be miserable in an environment that Im just not going to like. The last thing I would want is my experience to be so bad that I hate practicing as a future clinician you know. And that's not fair to me or my future patients. But like I said I appreciate the insight and I definitely thing I am going to accept the OTD offer as it plays the most fair decision for me and my life. And I would be happy with doing for sure. Also i feel like there are so many PT students that when applying in the Job market this will also be good because although OTS are highly wanted there probably aren't as many as there are PTS. You can correct me if I am wrong though.
I get that you would rather be an amazing OT than a mediocre PT, I think most people would rather be, but that's not really my question. Would you rather be an amazing OT or an amazing PT? My question was more directed about the professions themselves, not the schools. Where does your passion lie, in OT or PT? If you think that it's PT, then reconsider going to USA and reapply next cycle to schools you would be happy about going to. If you think it's OT and you are happy with Brenau, then you have your answer. I think looking at it from the practical perspective is really important, paying 200k for a degree (almost as much as a medical degree, might I add) for a profession where you'll make somewhere in the range of 65k-85k depending on setting and location is probably not the best move, but it is your choice. And honestly, listen to those current students who are telling you how terrible their experience is. They are the real ones going through it, they have no other MO other than trying to help you.
no youre absolutely right! And like i said before because I have been in both settings I have loved them both equally. And I've always been in the mindset that I would apply to PT school first see how that turns out but Im not like heartbroken or anything for that matter since that didn't work in my favor. And quite frankly im very excited to be starting at Brenau because I get the whole summer to myself to do whatever it is I please without worrying about anything. Like I just want to throw a party and celebrate because I finally achieved what I wanted to. It feels so good <3
Well that all sounds awesome, I'm super happy for you! And omg seriously, I feel the exact same. Just this past week I finally got into my top choice MSOT program and it starts in the Fall as well, so I'm really excited to have a great summer to do whatever I want to and not have a care in the world before the storm hits hahaha. I've felt over the moon since I got the email lol I'm also getting married in less than 3 months so life just feels so great right now 
)))
)))ahhhhh thats soooo exciting!!!!! Congratssss to you!!!! And wishing you a beautiful married life ahead of you!! That's so freaking exciting and you literally can help plan your wedding and everything in the time you are getting to yourself! That's just awesome! There was one question I did want to ask you though. Since a lot of programs are transitioning into the doctorate although a masters degree is the standard you need to start working a doctorate is still acceptable in the job market correct? especially when you apply to jobs and such?Well that all sounds awesome, I'm super happy for you! And omg seriously, I feel the exact same. Just this past week I finally got into my top choice MSOT program and it starts in the Fall as well, so I'm really excited to have a great summer to do whatever I want to and not have a care in the world before the storm hits hahaha. I've felt over the moon since I got the email lol I'm also getting married in less than 3 months so life just feels so great right now
Exactly, I'm stoked that I don't have to start school before the wedding (which is what I thought was going to happen lol..) and thank you thank you!!
Yes the OTD is absolutely accepted in the job market! I shadowed a few recent grad OTDs working in the ICU. From what I have gathered in my time as a prospective student weighing the two, this has become a big topic of discussion because a lot of people in the field are not for the OTD mandate for a number of reasons. It increases the barrier for entry for some people, regardless of Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate, all OTs are registered and certified to do the same job, and the PP-OTD has been an option for a number of years. I think everyone is fine with it being an option but not with it being a mandate.
Yes the OTD is absolutely accepted in the job market! I shadowed a few recent grad OTDs working in the ICU. From what I have gathered in my time as a prospective student weighing the two, this has become a big topic of discussion because a lot of people in the field are not for the OTD mandate for a number of reasons. It increases the barrier for entry for some people, regardless of Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate, all OTs are registered and certified to do the same job, and the PP-OTD has been an option for a number of years. I think everyone is fine with it being an option but not with it being a mandate.
I want to give you the disclaimer again that I am not a practicing OT and everything I know is an amalgamation of talking to current OTs in-person or online, reading articles, and talking to current students. I would definitely take a gander at the following:
Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students
This is a great facebook group where a lot of people either in the field, interested in the field, or in school can discuss things and ask questions. I would really suggest trying to connect with current and past Brenau students as well as current OTs who can answer your industry-specific questions.
Occupational Therapy subreddit
This is a great forum to generally talk about the field and ask questions as well.
Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students
This is a great facebook group where a lot of people either in the field, interested in the field, or in school can discuss things and ask questions. I would really suggest trying to connect with current and past Brenau students as well as current OTs who can answer your industry-specific questions.
Occupational Therapy subreddit
This is a great forum to generally talk about the field and ask questions as well.
Thank you so so much! Yeah the ICU is actually one of my top interests and I would love to like work in that area. Again Im not sure how high the demand is for OT in an inpatient setting vs an outpatient setting. But im sure outpatient has a lot higher demand as far as I know. But you can correct me if Im wrong. All I just wanna be sure of is that Ill have a job out of school. Like going through this and getting a good job is all im asking for. LOL
That's definitely something to ask a practicing OT who has experience applying for jobs and seeing where the demand is. It sounds like it's been tough to get a job out of school because of COVID and saturation of the market but those kinds of things seem to ebb and flow and depend on setting and location, so it's probably hard to tell. Talk to OTs, they can definitely answer your questions and soothe your qualms better than I can!
I have and a lot of them told me that finding a job in the outpatient setting is more like in demand than in-patient. But again its exactly like you said it all depends on the market and because we are still in pandemic times like all of that definitely gets taken into consideration too you know.
For sure! I think it's also important to know that rarely do people get their dream job out of college, it takes time, building your experience, and waiting for the right opportunity to come along!
otstudent95
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Hi ! Thanks for the informative post, i've been trying to decide between an MSOT or OTD program myself so I enjoyed reading your post! For 5. I read through the page you had listed and quoted and was a bit confused. Right above the statement you quoted it states, "All full-time core faculty who are occupational therapy practitioners teaching in the program must hold a doctoral degree awarded by an institution that is accredited by a USDE-recognized regional accrediting body. The doctoral the degree is not limited to a doctorate in occupational therapy."
So if I'm not mistaken, this states that 50% of faculty members that do not have an OTD, have a doctorate degree in a different field, not that you would be a better candidate with a post-professional doctorate?
OTadventures
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Hi, glad that you found it helpful!
Yes, reading all the standards outlined by that ACOTE document can be confusing.
Here's how I understand it (remember, I'm just a prospective OT student).
1) To teach in an OTD program, all of the full-time faculty need to have earned a doctorate-level degree from an accredited school.
2) This doctorate level degree can be in occupational therapy or a different field.
3) 50% of the full-time faculty need to have a post-professional doctorate. This could be a PhD, doctorate in another field, or a post-professional OTD. So, when I say that an individual would be better qualified for a faculty position if they have a post-professional OTD, this is because in theory they would be qualified for 100% of faculty positions in a program (according to these standards), while someone with an entry-level OTD would only be qualified for 50% of the positions in a program. Of course, the number of positions available to someone with an entry-level OTD depends on the degree types of faculty already employed.
I am making a projection, but I take this to mean that a post-professional OTD could be looked on more favorably than an entry-level OTD if two people are applying for the same position. If you have an entry-level OTD, you could get a teaching position in an OTD program, but you would be more competitive if you have a post-professional OTD degree.
which link are you guys talking about?
OTadventures
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Wow, thank you. That link was extremely helpful. I had kind of reasoned that a PP-OTD might be better in the long-run just because you have experience beforehand, but I had no idea of the technical details surrounding the advantages of having a post-professional degree over entry-level. If a lot of schools continue to move towards the entry-level degree, though, I wonder if these standards will shift to reflect that...but as long as the mandate remains in abeyance, it will only prolong that being the case.
otstudent95
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Got it! Thanks for the clarification! A lot of universities are transitioning from the MSOT to the entry-level doctorate so I wonder if this would remain the standard... Between St. Austine's OTD program and Stanbridge's MSOT program, the OTD program at St. Augustine is actually cheaper but if a PPOTD would make me more competitive this definitely changes things for me...
otstudent95
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I was wondering the same thing... top occupational therapy programs such as Tufts University only offer an entry-level doctorate degree and I know several other universities such as USC are transitioning to exclusively only offer the entry-level doctorate degree.
That is true and I think a lot of schools started making the transition when the 2027 OTD mandate was first implemented, but due to push back from the OT community (and I'm sure for other reasons I'm not entirely versed in), like @OTadventures mentioned, the mandate has been put into abeyance. Schools may continue to transition into the OTD, but it seems unclear if the mandate will actually go through (maybe it will!). The school I will most likely be attending is a top 20 school but it is a MSOT program, so not every university has transitioned! If by 2027 I feel that I really need an OTD or PhD to progress my career, it will always be an option, but I will never be able to go back in time and choose a cheaper, equally valid entry-level degree that is the MSOT. I have chosen my school for many other reasons (research, fieldwork, faculty, price, proximity, values/emphasis, start date) but this has definitely also played a part!
