Occupational Therapy AAS

Program Description

This program is designed to prepare students to perform occupational therapy procedures and related tasks under the direction and supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist. The Occupational Therapy Assistant performs various treatment procedures delegated by the Registered Occupational Therapist to patients with physical, psychological, or cognitive disabilities. The Assistant also will work independently in programs to prevent disability and maintain health, such as Activity Director.

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. AOTAs phone number is (301) 652-2682 (Website: www.aota.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). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Admission to the Program

The program admits one class of 20 students each year in the summer term. Prospective students are required to complete the application process by January 15 of each year.

Program Application Instructions

1. All prospective Occupational Therapy Assistant students who have not been enrolled at TCC within the past year must complete an application for admission to the College, submit their high school transcripts, ACT scores and previous college transcripts to the Metro Campus Registrar’s Office at 909 South Boston Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74119. Incomplete submissions will not be considered for admission into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.  Admission to Tulsa Community College does not guarantee admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.
2. Applications to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program must be completed online at tulsacc.edu/healthscienceapply by January 15. For more information, contact the Department of Allied Health office at (918) 595-7002.
3. First-time college students must meet with an academic advisor regarding new student orientation and to determine if course placement testing is required before enrollment.

Program Admission Requirements

• Minimum GPA of 2.8
• Minimum ACT composite score of 18
• Successful completion of ALDH 1323 Medical Terminology; BIOL 1314 Human Anatomy and Physiology; and OCTA 1203 Introduction to Occupational Therapy I.  These classes must be completed prior to starting the first semester of the OTA program.
• Applicants will be ranked according to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Applicant Ranking Scale .  Interviews will be granted to applicants in the top 30% of the applicant pool. All interviewed applicants will be notified regarding their selection status.
• Must be willing and able to travel to both local and distant clinical sites.
• An extensive criminal background check, including but not limited to a seven-year county of residence nationwide criminal history check, national sexual predator screening, Social Security check, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud screening is required by all clinical affiliates.  All Allied Health students participating in clinicals are required to complete these background checks, immunizations and a drug screening test by the Department of Allied Health office deadline prior to the first clinical rotation.  Any positive findings may be subject to review by the clinical affiliates and could prevent the student from completing clinical requirements.
  NOTE: When you apply to write the certification examination with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), you will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of felonies. For further information on these limitations, you may contact the NBCOT at: National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy 4720 Montgomery Lane P. O. Box 31220 Bethesda, MD 20824-1220

Contact Information
Occupational Therapist Assistant Program Director
Penny Stack, OTD, OTR/L, CLT
918-595-8596
penny.stack@tulsacc.edu
TCC Metro Campus
909 S. Boston Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74119
Additional Information Available

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Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program you will be able to:

• Synthesize basic fundamentals of OT practice such as safety and ethics.
• Synthesize basic tenets of occupational therapy such as OT philosophy, OT / OTA roles and evidence based practice.
• Design client evaluation and screening within your scope of practice.
• Design client intervention within your scope of practice.
• Communicate to advocate client needs and status through verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Exemplify professional behaviors.

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Careers

Search careers for Occupational Therapy Assistants at TCC Career Explorer and visit TCC Career Services to learn more about our free career planning and job preparation services.

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Student Organizations

Network with other OTA students and Occupational Therapy professionals through participation in Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association (OKOTA), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

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Degree Requirements

View a semester-by-semester course plan of study on the Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree Map.