Occupational therapists develop individual and group programs with people affected by illness, injury, developmental disorders, emotional or psychological problems and ageing to maintain, restore or increase their ability to care for themselves and to engage in work, school or leisure.

You must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy including supervised fieldwork from an accredited educational program by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, or have graduated from an occupational therapy program approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). This program is accepted in some provinces/territories.

Effective 2010, you'll need at least a master's degree in occupational therapy for entry to the profession in Canada.

You may need to complete the National Certification Examination administered by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

You must be licensed by a regulatory body in the province/territory where you'll work.

Membership in the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists is required in some provinces/territories.

To specialize, you may need additional training or further experience.

With additional training and experience, you may move up the ranks to become a manager or administrator.

Most recent entrants have an undergraduate university degree, and almost 1 in 10 has a graduate degree.