Not sure which way to go...

[brillopad]

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I've been going to my local community college off and on (depending on my work and money situation) for about 5 years now. There's really only one OT school within a reasonable driving distance from where I live (and that's pushing it- it's an hour away). I have enough credits for transfer right now, but most of them don't apply to the OT program I've been looking at because I didn't know what I wanted to do until about a year ago and my CC doesn't offer all the pre-reqs I need.

My GPA is about 3.7 and I work in the healthcare field as a CNA.

I'm not sure if I should apply to the entry level MOT program (and then see if I can finish the pre-reqs there- can I do that?) or just get a bachelor's in something else and then apply for the master's level classes. I'm trying to figure out what makes the most sense in terms of time and money.

Can anyone tell me how this works? It seems like such a pain in the neck to navigate this whole system, especially since I'm old and broke!

 

[BowlofSunshine]

There are a couple of Master's level programs that allow you entry without a bachelors degree. Most require you to have at least 90 credits and the prerequisites for their respective program.

If you go all the way to 90 credits, you might as well go another year and get your bachelor's degree. You could also do COTA, but most of those programs are JUST as long as MOT programs.

Just make sure there is a cost benefit to whatever you decide to do.

 

[gialuan]

You could try applying to a BS/MS program. It's a dual bachelor's/master's program that usually takes about 5 years to complete.

 

[brillopad]

I believe the program I'm looking at is combined. There are a lot of pre-reqs but you don't need to have a bachelor's before you get in. I'm not sure if it's easier to do it that way or to apply for the master's level classes after getting a bachelor's somewhere else. Actually I'm thinking that by the time I get all these pre-reqs done I'll have enough credit for a bachelor's already!

 

[OverTime]

I would say contact the program and speak with people who work in the OT department to find out what works best with the credits you have already taken. In the mean time, research any program you might consider applying to in the future. Not all programs have the same prereqs.

You said you are a CNA? me too for many years 🙂 I just sent out my OT apps for 2011.