Occupational Therapy Assistant A.A.S.

Department: Occupational Therapy Assistant

Total Credit Hours: 66 credits

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Approved Courses

What Is Occupational Therapy Assistant A.A.S.?

Admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is on a selective basis. Because of the academic demand of a curriculum that prepares graduates to take a national certification examination, applicants must meet certain academic standards.

Plan coursework and apply for the OTA program with an allied health advisor. Connect by calling 636-922-8720 or emailing alliedhealth@stchas.edu.

Apply to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program once you have completed the following steps:

1. SCC Student: Apply to SCC.
2. Official College Transcripts: Submit official college transcripts from previously attended colleges. Submit the "Request for Transcript Evaluation" form in your mySCC Portal PRIOR to applying to the OTA program.
   • Sign into your SCC Portal>Quick Links>eForms>Request for Evaluation of Transfer Credit - complete the required information and click submit
3. Complete any required developmental coursework: Complete any developmental coursework you assess into (includes RDG 085, RDG 092, RDG 093, ENG 095, ENG 096, MAT 096, and ESL equivalents).
4. GPA: Earn a minimum of 2.75 on at least 15 hours of college-level coursework
5. Coursework: Complete English Composition I (ENG 101) with a B or better and pass Pre-Algebra (MAT 096) or assess into Beginning Algebra (MAT 098) or higher.

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 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD, 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates 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). Many states, including Missouri, require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

Note: Some fieldwork and employment sites require criminal background checks, child abuse clearance checks, vaccination requirements, etc. in order for students to participate in fieldwork and employment activities. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or may prevent an individual from obtaining a license to practice. Students may wish to contact the appropriate regulatory body for additional information PRIOR to enrolling in a program of study. Information obtained through various screening procedures may prevent entry into the OTA program.

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Note: All OTA students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of academic preparation.

Occupational Outlook