Swedish occupational therapists receive their training at eight universities: Göteborgs universitet, Högskolan i Jönköping, Karolinska Institutet, Linköpings universitet, Luleå tekniska universitet, Lunds universitet, Umeå universitet, Örebro universitet. Annually, about 400 occupational therapists qualify. After three years of study, occupational therapists receive a Bachelor degree, but they may also choose to continue study at a master's and doctoral level.
Since 2007 the Bologna system is adopted at the Swedish universities and institutes of higher education. Read more about Bologna process here.
See all Swedish educational programs that are approved by WFOT.
Twice a year The Swedish Association of Occupational Therapists organize meetings with the programme coordinators at the eight OT programmes, for discussions about strategical questions concerning the OT training.
Sveriges Arbetsterapeutstudenter, our student organisation, works with the development of and student influence on the OT education.
Research and higher education in Sweden
Occupational therapists can undergo postgraduate studies and complete doctoral degrees in that they, in addition to their occupational therapist education. This allows them to be admitted to postgraduate studies at institutions with closely related subjects in different faculties. Association members who are doctoral students, has the possibility to exchange knowledge, to get support and take part in discussions concerning theories and research methods at our Doctoral day.
Via our Education and Research Council , we have created a platform for occupational therapists who have been awarded a PhD degree. Every year this council invites this target group from all Scandinavian countries for a Scientific forum.
The task of the Education and Research Council is to gather members of the Swedish Occupational Therapist who conduct doctoral studies and provide opportunities to discuss theories and research methods. Sweden's Occupational Therapists regularly organize doctoral student days, days of knowledge exchange.
To spread occupational therapy research and development we have Arbetsterapiforum, a national conference arranged every two years. Everything from description of fields of activities to research in (the shape of) lectures models, mini seminars, poster- and product exhibitions are presented.