what about my masters?

Question

I will graduate next year with my bachelor's in elementary education and special education. I am thinking of moving forward with my masters after this. But what if I decide to do something different like a masters in occupational therapy. is this wise? is occupational therapy hard?or would i benefit more from sticking with a masters in education?

Answer 1

I know this is not what you want to hear, but it really depends upon you and your interests. What do you want to do as a career? Where I live there is a great demand for occupational therapists. They can work with children and adults, and can find a job just about anywhere - hospitals, rehab centers, schools, private corporations, etc. A teacher works with a number of students at the same time, even in special education, whereas an OT more often works with just one client at a time. There may be more opportunities for OT's in private practice. The advantage of the OT degree is that you will still be able to work as a teacher if you want to, but with the education masters you will not be able to work as an OT. The masters in OT will open more doors and opportunities for you.

Make sure that if you go with OT that the program you do is accredited and that you can meet any registration requirements wherever you want to work.

Answer 2

since u will have a special ed degree..those jobs are easy to find (unlike elem. ed) and u can just about demand any salary u choose. With OT, salary is pretty much set by who u work with... Nobody can tell u what to do...If it were me, I would get a masters .. it doesn't have to be in education..in can be in counseling, etc. so u have more options open that way.. (school counselor, private therapy) Depends on what u want to do EVERY day for the rest of your life.

Answer 3

You need to find out what your state's education department requires. Here in New York, the state requires a master's degree in education or special education for the teacher to remain certified after five years. Make sure you know the state's teacher education policy, it's very important to your career.