Occupational Therapy

 Occupational therapy is a versatile and expanding profession within the health care spectrum of services.  Occupation is everything people do to occupy themselves, including looking after themselves and their loved ones, enjoying life doing the things they want to do, and contributing to the social and economic well-being of their neighbors and communities.  Occupational therapists use occupation (or the activities and tasks associated with a clients valued occupations) as the method for achieving therapeutic goals.

An expanding body of research has shown that occupation-based interventions are highly effective in motivating clients, have the ability to tap into unconscious motor memory and are ultimately more effective in reaching client goals than are treatments focusing only on motion and/or strength.  Increasingly, occupation (or the ability to participate in life's activities) has come to be viewed as the definition of health and well-being (the World Health Organization), and therefore a goal of health services agencies.

• Occupational therapists work with various agencies in the community to plan programs or strategies to maximize the ability of community members to live independently and fully participate in the life and amenities of the community.
• Occupational therapists address the needs of a wide variety of clients, both as individuals and as groups: Elderly individuals who suffer a decline in functioning; people with mental illness or substance abuse; those with physical impairments; injured workers; and children with developmental delays, to name a few.

Learn More About Our Degree Program

Occupational Therapy Program (M.S.)

Why Choose FGCU's Occupational Therapy Program

Why Choose FGCU's Occupational Therapy Program?

• Hands-On, Experiential Learning
  Develop clinical skills and professional competencies through integrated classroom, laboratory, simulation, service-learning, and fieldwork experiences.
• Expert Faculty Mentorship
  Learn in a supportive environment with faculty who bring diverse clinical, leadership, research, and community practice expertise.
• Evidence-Based and Practice-Ready Education
  Build the professional reasoning, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making skills needed for contemporary occupational therapy practice.
• Community Engagement, Leadership, and Scholarship
  Collaborate with community partners, participate in research and scholarly activities, and develop the leadership and advocacy skills needed to advance the profession.