Employment Forecast & MU OT Program Outcomes

In the year 2008, 31 individuals graduated from the Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Program. Of these 31, 27 graduates passed the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists examination at the time of their first attempt. This resulted in a 2008 first time test taker pass rate of 87.10 percent, which is above the national average.

During the 3 year period from January 2006 through December 2008, 94 individuals graduated from the Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Program. Of these 94, 80 passed the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists examination upon first attempt, resulting in a three year pass rate of 85% for first time takers for that 3 year time period.

Occupational therapists work in a wide variety of settings and with age groups from birth through older adulthood. Employment settings include school systems, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, day care centers, hospitals, community mental health centers, prisons, home health agencies, private practice, educational institutions, early intervention programs, and dozens of other sites.

Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Student Retention:

The Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Department has a very high retention rate. A high number of our students remain in the program after their admission. In the weekday entry-level program, 16 out of the 20 students who were admitted to the program as a cohort in 2001 graduated in 2006. A total of 14 of the 15 students in the cohort which entered in 2002 completed their studies in 2007. The weekend program also has very good student retention. Twenty out of a class of 21 admitted students completed the program and graduated in 2006. Similarly, 11 out of 13 students in the class of 2007 finished the program successfully.

Occupational Therapy Alumni Survey:

Each year the Occupational Therapy Department conducts a survey of its last graduating class. The graduates are asked to rate the curriculum on how it has prepared them for practice. There was a 42% response rate to the 2006 Alumni survey, as 15 out of 36 surveys were returned. Results showed that the vast majority of the graduates felt the curriculum had prepared them well for practice. Information will be forthcoming for the 2007 Alumni survey.

Survey of Occupational Therapy Graduates’ Supervisors and Employers:

The Occupational Therapy Department also conducts a yearly survey of the supervisors and employers of its recent graduates. For the class of 2006, a response rate of 25% was obtained in this survey, with 9 out of 36 surveys being returned. The vast majority of the responses on this survey indicated very good employer satisfaction with the occupational therapy preparation of the graduates. Information will be forthcoming for the 2007 Supervisor/Employer survey.

Career Placement:

Career placement is excellent. Historically there has been, and continues to be, nearly 100% job placement for Misericordia University Occupational Therapy graduates.

Outlook for Employment:

Recent projections predict a healthy future for occupational therapy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports: “Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase 23 percent between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations.”

Current Salaries:

The Bureau also states that “Median annual earnings of occupational therapists were $60,470 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $50,450 and $73,710.”

For more Information:

Please refer to this link from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for more information on job and salary prospects in occupational therapy: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos078.htm

Prospective students are also encouraged to consult the numerous resources concerning job opportunities and salaries available on the web at the American Occupational Therapy Association: http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective.aspx