In addition, employment opportunities in less traditional sites in the community and opportunities for consultation to industry are growing. Graduates can also continue their formal education and focus on clinical expertise, teaching, or research. Occupational science is a relatively new and developing discipline that has much to offer the occupational therapy profession. There are only three baccalaureate degree programs in occupational science in the United States. Occupational science is the study of human occupation, the meaningful things or occupations that we do, such as caring for ourselves and others, engaging in personally enriching activities or contributing to society through work or other community activities.
Occupational therapy is the application of the occupational science, the basic science.
Occupational therapy enables people to participate in everyday activities despite their impairments or limitations. Occupational therapists evaluate the impact of the disability or illness on the performance of occupations and design interventions to minimize their effect and enable people to care for themselves, perform their everyday activities, and engage in occupations that contribute to their quality of life. The occupational science background will prepare Saint Louis University Master of Occupational Therapy students with a superior understanding of the effect that occupation has on health, and of the factors that contribute to healthy occupational performance such as sensory, motor, cognitive, emotional and social capabilities. Knowledge gained from understanding healthy performance will enhance their preparation to study rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and will increase the depth of their development as occupational therapists. You will be qualified to explore job opportunities in community health agencies, settings that serve children and families, health care advocacy for persons with special needs, personal job coaching, ergonomics, human resource departments, nursing homes, senior citizen centers and government agencies.