North Central College will help meet the demand for one of the fastest-growing professions by adding a master of occupational therapy degree to its academic programming in fall 2018.
To get a job as an occupational therapist, an individual needs a minimum of a master’s degree.
Heidi Matthews, dean of NCC’s School of Education and Health Sciences in Naperville, said occupational therapists work with a variety of people of different ages and disabilities, helping them learn, or in some cases relearn, how to perform basic, everyday tasks.
For a person who’s had major surgery, the activity could be bending over to put on their socks or trousers. For others, it could be learning kitchen safety when cooking for themselves.
Matthews said the demand for occupational therapists is increasing because the population is aging and facing more chronic health issues.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 27 percent between 2014 and 2024, when an estimated 30,400 more jobs will be added.
The Chicago-area ranks second in metropolitan areas with the highest employment of occupational therapists.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 3,190 people in May 2016 were employed in the profession in the Chicago market, where the median annual income was $84,250.
Occupational therapists in the area around McAllen, Texas, had the highest median income at $118,380.
An occupational therapist can work in a variety of settings, and Matthews said students will learn from experienced faculty who’ve practiced in those backgrounds.
Federal data shows that in 2014, 27 percent of occupational therapists worked in hospitals, 24 percent in offices and 12 percent were affiliated with primary and secondary schools. Nine 9 percent were employed by nursing homes, and another 9 percent worked in home health care.
“We hope to develop dynamic, critical-thinking problem-solvers and lifelong learners ready to engage in their communities as evidence-based, engaged occupational therapists,” Matthews said.
Pamela Monaco, dean for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, said the college is always looking for ways to expand learning opportunities by studying the job market, what degrees other colleges are offering, and what might fit in with the college’s liberal arts mission.
Monaco said a master’s degree in occupational therapy not only meets needs in the job and college markets, but also fits in well “with who we are as a college.”
North Central’s program will take 24 continuous months to complete and begins in the fall of each academic term. Students will complete their degree in August of the second year.
It’s estimated that 70 percent of the classes will be taught in the new Wentz Science Center, and the remaining 30 percent will offered online.
