In the News
Muskingum University’s Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Ranked 2nd in the Nation
OnlineMastersDegrees.org, an organization created to support online learning at the master’s level, ranked Muskingum University’s Master of Occupational Therapy Bridge Program 2nd in Best Online Occupational Therapy Master’s Program in 2022.
OnlineMastersDegrees.org 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 Director of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program 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 percent between 2019 and 2029. The MOT program launched in Fall 2019 with its first cohort graduating in May 2021. The next cohort will be graduating this Thursday, May 5 at Muskingum University’s Graduate Commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. in the Anne C. Steele Center.
The MOT program is a two-year, 69-hour degree program for licensed Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA). 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 with 18 weekend on-campus labs provides students the opportunity to continue working full-time while earning their degree. The fully accredited program will prepare students to sit for the national examination for occupational therapists, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®). Click here for more information about the Master of Occupational Therapy Bridge Program.
According to OnlineMastersDegrees.org, Muskingum’s recognition comes at a time when enrollment in master’s degree programs is on the rise. In October 2021, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported a 7.3 percent increase in first-time graduate student enrollment in Fall 2020. First-time, part-time student enrollment rose by 13.5 percent. The CGS report cites the growth of online and hybrid learning options as a primary driver of these trends. Click here for more information about the national ranking.
