Occupational Therapy Assistant - AAS
Program Description
St. Catherine University founded the first two-year occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program in the country more than 50 years ago and has a long history of successfully educating certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). The program is designed to help students master occupational therapy skills and develop and refine leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Certified occupational therapy assistants make a difference in people's lives. Occupational therapy assistants work in collaboration and cooperation with registered occupational therapists to help people engage in human occupations or "day-to-day" activities that contribute to their physical, psychological and spiritual health, well-being and overall quality of life.
Students interested in entering the OTA program typically come to the University as Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) occupational therapy assistant students one or two semesters before beginning the OTA sequence of courses. LAS occupational therapy assistant students take prerequisite requirements and complete most of their liberal arts and science core requirements before beginning OTA program courses.
Students are strongly encouraged to research and understand the profession before beginning the program. Information regarding the profession and career options can be found on the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website www.aota.org.
Didactic and Lab Experiences
Students will benefit from personal attention in their didactic, lab, and fieldwork experiences. Our associate of applied science degree program offers a 16-month (4 consecutive semesters) online track with face-to-face labs in Virginia, Texas, California, and Minnesota. Labs are an important component of the OTA program and are required to attend. The delivery of lab content has been adjusted to ensure we are following the CDC guidelines due to COVID, this continues to be monitored as needed to meet the safety requirements for all students.
Fieldwork Experience
Students can interact with individuals and groups, including well populations and those with physical, psycho-social or developmental disabilities; work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation facilities, community centers and clients' homes; and practice their profession in collaboration with other healthcare team members. Each student completes more than 700 hours of directed fieldwork experience in a variety of healthcare and community settings. Students may have fieldwork experiences within traveling distance of their homes, although travel to a site beyond that may be required to expand the opportunities due to unforeseen variables.
All St. Catherine University students enrolled in a health care program must meet minimum immunization requirements and remain compliant throughout their tenure with St. Catherine University. These requirements are defined by the terms of our clinical/fieldwork contracts and are standardized across programs. OTA program students must also complete Basic Life Safety for Healthcare Providers (BLS). This must be an American Heart Association or American Red Cross certification and must be completed prior to the first Level I fieldwork. Options other than these must be approved by a Compliance Administrator in the Clinical Clearance office.
Most states have regulations that require that all students going into a clinical setting have a criminal background check. Background checks are done prior to classes starting or within the first two weeks of class each year and the University provides all forms. Any identified problems on a background check may have an impact on a student's ability to attend labs or participate in fieldwork, and therefore progress in the program.
Certification
Graduates of the OTA program are able to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). NBCOT is located at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878. The phone number for NBCOT is (301) 990-7979, email is info@nbcot.org, and the website is www.nbcot.org. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Many states have some form of regulation in order to practice. Generally, state regulations are based on the successful completion of the NBCOT certification examination.
When graduates apply to take the certification examination with the NBCOT, they are asked to answer questions related to felony convictions. Graduates will also be asked questions about felony convictions as they apply for state licensure. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to complete fieldwork experiences, sit for the NBCOT certification examination, or attain state licensure. For further information on these limitations, contact NBCOT or your state licensing board.
Accreditation
St. Catherine University's 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 at c/o AOTA is (301) 652-2682 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Time to Complete the Program
Students complete their professional (OTA) course sequence in as few as 16 months (4 consecutive semesters). No more than two LAS courses may be taken concurrently with OTA courses. Level II Fieldwork is completed in the final semester in accordance with the curriculum design and the program policies.
Eligibility Requirements to Begin the Professional Sequence of Courses:
After admission to the University, students in both tracks must meet the following requirements to be eligible to begin the professional sequence of courses.
- An overall GPA of 2.5
- A cumulative prerequisite GPA of 2.5
- No more than two liberal arts and science courses remaining to be completed
- All prerequisite courses must be taken for a letter grade, except Medical Terminology which may be taken S/U. (All courses must be taken at an accredited school).
Curriculum
Prerequisite Requirements
At least two of the following courses must be completed at the time of application. Any remaining courses must be in process at the time of application, and must be completed with a grade of C or better (except Medical Terminology which may be taken S/U) prior to beginning the professional sequence of courses. A minimum prerequisite and cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required. These requirements apply to both online and campus-based tracks.
Any of the four courses in which a grade less than a C is earned must be repeated.
Students should strive for more than the minimum grade of C for all prerequisites; earning C in all courses will not meet the 2.5 prerequisite GPA requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2400 | General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab 1 | 4 |
| IPE 1020 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| PSYC 1000 | General Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 2020 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology 1 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 1 | Must have been completed no more than five years prior to entering the University to be considered for transfer. |
Academic Progression
- Earn a C or better in every Liberal Arts and Sciences, prerequisite, and OTA program course.
- Earn a term grade point average of 2.5 every term.
- Maintain an institutional grade point average of 2.5 throughout the program.
Failure to meet any one of these requirements will result in a student being placed on probation. Students placed on probation for a second time will be dismissed from the program. Specific and detailed progression policies are available to admitted students.
Professional Behaviors
Developing appropriate professional behaviors is important to becoming a competent practitioner. It is the goal of the OTA program to help students develop and nurture professional behaviors in the academic setting, allowing students to refine them in their clinical fieldwork settings. Upon graduation, as an entry-level OTA, students will be ready to uphold the ethical standards, values, attitudes and behaviors of the occupational therapy profession.
See also: Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (graduate catalog)
Curriculum
Prerequisite Requirements
At least two of the following courses must be completed at the time of application. Any remaining courses must be in process at the time of application, and must be completed with a grade of C or better (except Medical Terminology which may be taken S/U) prior to beginning the professional sequence of courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required. These requirements apply to both online and campus-based tracks.
Any of the four courses in which a grade less than a C is earned must be repeated.
Students should strive for more than the minimum grade of C for all prerequisites; earning C in all courses will not meet the 2.5 prerequisite GPA requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2400 | General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab 1 | 4 |
| IPE 1020 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| PSYC 1000 | General Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 2020 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology 1 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 1 | Must have been completed no more than five years prior to entering the University to be considered for transfer. |
Required OTA Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C is required in these courses. A major GPA of 2.5 or higher is required. | ||
| OTA 1100 | Foundations of Human Occupation with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 1120 | Role of the OTA | 2 |
| OTA 1140 | Psychosocial Approaches I with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 1150 | Professional Growth and Engagement | 2 |
| OTA 1280 | Level I Fieldwork | 1 |
| OTA 1290 | Level I Fieldwork | 1 |
| OTA 2240 | Psychosocial Approaches II | 2 |
| OTA 2250 | Rehabilitation Practice I with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 2260 | Rehabilitation Practice II | 3 |
| OTA 2270 | Pediatric Practice I with Lab | 3 |
| OTA 2355 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| OTA 2365 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| OTA 2370 | Pediatric Practice II | 2 |
| OTA 2380 | Aging with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 2390 | Primary Care and OT | 2 |
| OTA 2420 | Applied Skills with Lab | 2 |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C is required in these courses | ||
| CORE 1000W | The Reflective Woman 2 | 4 |
| ECOL 2000 | Human Ecology (or any liberal arts and science course) | 2 |
| ENGL 2100 | Prose and Poetry (or any literature course) | 2 |
| or ENGL 2500 | The Short Story | |
| PHIL 2030W | Healthcare Ethics | 3 |
| SSCS 2040W | Power, Inequality and Social Change | 4 |
| THEO 2040W | The Sacramental Life | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
| 2 | Must be completed no later than the first semester of OTA program courses |
Students are strongly encouraged to research and understand the profession before beginning the program. Information regarding the profession and career options can be found on the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website www.aota.org.
Curriculum
The OTA curriculum that goes into effect in the 2022-2023 academic catalog is listed below. In addition to the program-required courses, students must complete the LIFE general education core curriculum.
The A.A.S. OTA program requires a minimum of 63 credits.
Prerequisite Requirements
All prerequisites must be completed before starting OTA courses. Any of the four courses in which a grade less than a C is earned must be repeated. Students should strive for more than the minimum grade of C for all prerequisites; earning a C in all courses will not meet the 2.5 prerequisite GPA requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2400 | General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab 1 | 4 |
| IPE 1020 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| PSYC 1000 | General Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 2020 | Lifespan Developmental Psychology 1 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 1 | Must have been completed no more than five years prior to entering the University to be considered for transfer. |
Required OTA Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C is required in these courses. A major GPA of 2.5 or higher is required. | ||
| OTA 1100 | Foundations of Human Occupation with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 1120 | Role of the OTA | 2 |
| OTA 1140 | Psychosocial Approaches I with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 1150 | Professional Growth and Engagement | 2 |
| OTA 1280 | Level I Fieldwork | 1 |
| OTA 1290 | Level I Fieldwork | 1 |
| OTA 2240 | Psychosocial Approaches II | 2 |
| OTA 2250 | Rehabilitation Practice I with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 2265 | Rehabilitation Practice II | 2 |
| OTA 2275 | Pediatric Practice I with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 2355 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| OTA 2365 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| OTA 2370 | Pediatric Practice II | 2 |
| OTA 2380 | Aging with Lab | 2 |
| OTA 2390 | Primary Care and OT | 2 |
| OTA 2420 | Applied Skills with Lab | 2 |
| Total Credits | 38 | |
Required Supporting Course
A maximum of two courses from the supporting course and LIFE general education core lists can be taken during the first semester of OTA coursework.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C is required in this course | ||
| PHIL 2440 | Biomedical Ethics | 4 |
| Total Credits | 4 | |