The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Quinsigamond Community College prepares the incoming student for a career in Occupational Therapy, a profession that promotes health and wellness through engagement in valued occupations, and provides strategies for individuals to participate fully in life's activities.
Occupational Therapy is a rehabilitation profession that assists individuals who have suffered physical, psychological or cognitive difficulties, or who have developmental disabilities to achieve maximum independence. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA) practice under the supervision of Registered Occupational Therapists (OTR) as members of a health care team. OT Practitioners use modalities that simulate real life situations. COTA’s work in hospitals, out-patient clinics, school systems, community agencies, and other settings.
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 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be awarded an Associate in Science degree and, upon satisfactory completion of all academic and field work experiences, the graduate will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Upon successful completion of the examination, the graduate may apply for state licensure which is offered based upon the NBCOT Certification examination results.
Students in the OTA program receive both theoretical and experiential training. Fieldwork is considered an integral part of the program and takes place in both the first and second semesters in the second year of the program. Students must satisfactorily complete Level I Fieldwork before going to the Level II Fieldwork experience. Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 18 months of final theory course. Students may be asked to travel within New England to experience the range of fieldwork necessary for program completion.
To be eligible to continue in the program, the student must achieve a grade of “C” or higher in all OTA courses. A grade of “C” or higher must be attained in ENG 101, ENG 102, BIO 111 and BIO 112 before Field Placement II can be started. Students who have received a grade below a “C” in ENG 101, ENG 102, BIO 111 and BIO 112 are required to repeat the course and obtain a grade of “C” or higher by the end of the semester in which they are required or required as a prerequisite. Both level II Field Placements must be completed within 18 months of the didactic coursework of the OTA program. Students who do not have completed health files submitted to the Occupational Therapy Program and cleared by the Program Coordinator by July 1st of the respective year will be removed from their occupational therapy assisting courses and will have to file for readmission to the next available year.
CORI/SORI
A Criminal Offender Records Information (CORI) and Sexual Offender Records Information (SORI) check is required of all students enrolled in the program. Students with a felony conviction may not be able to attend community facilities for fieldwork assignments and so would be unable to complete the program. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Finger printing may be required and drug testing will be required. All students must submit evidence of a positive Hepatitis B titer to be admitted to the program.
OTA students must purchase membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association within the first 2 weeks of school. The cost is approximately $55. - $65.00.
All students accepted into the OTA Program must obtain Healthcare Provider (Red Cross) or Professional Rescuer (American Heart Association) CPR certification and provide documentation of immunization currency and satisfactory health status prior to beginning clinical experiences.
Admissions Process
A Health Careers Advising Center has been established to facilitate the entry of students to health care programs. All students applying to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program can contact Health Careers Advising Center at 508.854.4308.
Admission Requirements
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- GPA of 3.0 or equivalent in high school or 3.0 in college with minimum of 10 credits or 550 Battery Average on GED.
- Must take the college placement test to determine Math and English levels if no college level courses were previously completed.
- Required HOBET scores must be achieved within two attempts of taking the test. A 52% composite score is required.
- Math: minimum grade of B in MAT 098 or MAT 099 or place into MAT 100 level or above.
- Biology: minimum grade of B in high school biology or B in BIO 101 (recommended) or other college biology class.
- English: minimum grade of B in ENG 100 or place into ENG 101.
- Math and science courses must be taken within five years of application.
- Required grade must be earned within two attempts of taking and completing the course.
Additional costs
Occupational therapy assistant students should anticipate additional expenses for uniforms/clinical wear, textbooks, professional liability insurance, licensing examinations, and any required skills remediation.
Technical Performance Standards
Prior to application to this program, please review the Technical Performance Standards requirements on pages 16-19 in the current college catalog.
Courses
Semester 1 (Fall)
Anatomy & Physiology I
English Composition & Literature I
Introduction to Occupational Therapy: Concepts & Interventions
Occupational Therapy: Methods &
Modalities I
Introduction to Psychology
Liberal Arts Elective
Semester 2 (Spring)
Anatomy & Physiology II
Group Process and Interventions
Developing Professional Behaviors
Concepts & Occupational Therapy
Interventions with the Physically Challenged
A Survey of Life Span Development: Conception to Death
Semester 3 (Fall)
English Composition & Literature II
Occupational Therapy with the Older Adult
Developmental Problems & Practice with Children
Concepts & Occupational Therapy
Interventions in Mental Health
Occupational Therapy Methods & Modalities II
Semester 4 (Spring)
Occupational Therapy Field Placement I
Occupational Therapy Field Placement II