Overview
Offered at the Augusta Campus
Entrance Dates: |
Fall |
Length of Program: |
Six Terms |
Credit Hours Required for Graduation: |
73 |
Admissions: Occupational Therapy Assistant is a competitive progression program. Applicants are required to obtain established minimum entrance scores on ACCUPLACER, ASSET, SAT, or ACT tests. High school graduation or GED is required. Students who meet the College criteria for admission will be admitted to the program as a candidate for progression to take prerequisite courses (ALHS 1090, ENGL 1101, MATH 1111, Humanities/Fine Arts Area IV [refer to page 139 for options], SPCH 1101, PSYC 1101, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, and BIOL 2114L). Students must complete all of the prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale by the designated deadline to be evaluated for program progression. The grade point average in BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, and ENGL 1101 determines the academic/ranking order for selection of students for progression to the courses with the OCTA prefixes. Students who are not selected for progression should consider a program change or resubmit an application and progression form by the designated deadline for the next progression term. For more information regarding this process, please contact the Admissions Office at (706) 771-4028. Refer to program related deadlines.
Program Description: The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is designed to train students to implement treatment procedures and plans for clients with limitations in occupational performance under the supervision of an occupational therapist per AOTA standards and State Regulations. Other occupational therapy assistant responsibilities include record keeping, and assistance with appropriate evaluation. The Occupational Therapy Assistant program meets the accreditation requirements of the American Occupational Therapy Association and program graduates may become certified by the National Board after passing the National certification Board examination before licensure by the State. The program provides learning opportunities which introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. Program graduates receive an Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Applied Technology degree.
The program includes off-campus fieldwork in health care facilities (may include out-of-town assignments).
The Occupational Therapy/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, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is 301-652-AOTA (2682) and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
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.
Guided Pathway
Augusta Day Program
PROGRAM NAME: Occupational Therapy Assistant
AWARD: Associate of Applied Science Degree
CAMPUS: Augusta Day Program
Year 1 Fall Semester
Year 1 Spring Semester
Year 2 Fall Semester
Year 2 Spring Semester
Year 2 Summer Semester
Year 3 Fall Semester
Note: Please refer to the College Catalog for competitive progression requirements for this program.
*Refer to the College catalog for course prerequisite requirements.
Students who choose to not follow the Course Sequence listed above may not be able to complete the program in the number of semesters shown above.
The Augusta Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender or disability. For information on Title IX, contact the Title IX Coordinator, Shannon Patterson at (706) 771-4013 or in Building 100. For information on ADA/504, contact the ADA/504 Coordinator, Karissa D. Wright, at (706) 7714067 or go to the Counseling Center in Building 1300.
Program Outcomes
Graduate Information
COTAs are frequently employed by skilled nursing facilities, acute hospitals, rehabilitation centers, pediatric clinics, vocational rehabilitation centers and may also be found in private practice sites. Of our 2010 graduate COTAs, all are currently working in the field of occupational therapy.
Graduation Year |
Number of students entering/graduating |
Graduation rate |
2014 |
18/17 |
94% |
2015 |
20/18 |
90% |
2016 |
19/14 |
74% |
Total: |
57/49 |
86% |
NBCOT Certification Examination Pass Rates:
Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at: https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx .
Year |
Number of Students Admitted |
Number of Students Who Completed Program |
Program Graduation Rates |
Number of Students Who Sat for NBCOT Exam |
Number/Percentage Who Passed NBCOT Exam Within 1 Year of Graduation |
2014 |
18 |
17 |
94% |
11 |
11/92% |
2015 |
20 |
18 |
90% |
19 |
17/89% |
2016 |
19 |
14 |
74% |
11 |
11/100% |
TOTAL: |
57 |
49 |
86% |
42 |
39/94% |