Occupational Therapy Assistant
Associate of Applied Science
Contact Information
Cindy Loar
706-771-4188
Augusta Campus - Building 900

Admissions

Applicants are required to obtain established minimum entrance scores on COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, or ACT tests. For more information regarding this process, please contact the Admissions Office at (706) 771-4028.

Program Description

The Occupational Therapy Assistant curriculum prepares students to provide services to individuals whose abilities to perform occupations (day-to-day activities) are impaired by developmental deficits, the aging process, or physical and/or psychosocial disabilities. Occupational therapy assistants work under the guidance of registered occupational therapists to screen and evaluate individuals, then plan and implement interventions for them to develop, maintain, or regain independence. The program includes off-campus fieldwork in health care facilities. High school graduation or GED is required for admission to this program.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824- 1220. ACOTE’s phone number c/o AOTA is (301)652-AOTA.

Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Employment Opportunities

Occupational therapy assistants work in inpatient and outpatient hospitals and rehabilitation centers, transitional care facilities, prisons, home health care, nursing homes, industry, halfway houses, group homes, assisted living facilities, schools, sheltered workshops, community mental health centers, day care or early intervention centers, hospice programs, and wellness/fitness centers.

Notes:

• A grade of “C” or higher is required for all courses.
• A student who does not earn a grade of “C” or higher in any two courses attempted with the OTA prefix will be suspended from the program for one year. Before re-entering the program, the student must complete an individualized remedial program assigned by the department head. After the third unsuccessful attempt of any courses with the OTA prefix, the student will not be allowed to re-enter the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.
• All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 18 months of completion of the didactic course work before the student is eligible for graduation.
• Prior to participation in Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences, students are required to submit completed medical and dental examination forms. Separate documentation will be required for Hepatitis B seroconversion, RPR, TB testing, MMR and chicken pox titers. Students who refuse to take the Hepatitis B vaccination series must sign a declination form and be aware that fieldwork sites may refuse them an opportunity to gain clinical experience.
• Conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanor may prohibit employment in field and may make a student ineligible to take licensing/certification exam(s) required for the profession. A background check may be required by some agencies before a student attends a clinical practicum. For more information, contact the appropriate program advisor.