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 6116 Executive Blvd, Suite 200 North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929.. 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.
ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Students graduating from an ACOTE® accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, please refer to the AOTA State Licensure webpage.
Admission to the Program
The program admits one class of 20 students each year in the fall term. Prospective students are required to complete the application process by January 1 of each year.
Program Application Instructions
- All prospective Occupational Therapy Assistant students who have not been enrolled at TCC within the past three years 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.
- Applications to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program must be completed online at tulsacc.edu/ApplyOTA by January 1. For more information, contact the School of Health Sciences office at (918) 595-7002.
- 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 with a grade of “C” or better prior to the application deadline.
- Applicants will be ranked (see OTA website for 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 Health Sciences students participating in clinicals are required to complete these background checks, immunizations and a drug screening test by the School of Health Sciences 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: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certification examination or attain state licensure. The NBCOT offers an “early determination” review to individuals with a felony background who are considering entering an educational program. For further information contact: One Bank Street, Suite 300 Gaithersburg, MD 20878, call (301) 990-7979 or visit their website at www.nbcot.org.
English Language Proficiency
An official iBT® TOEFL (internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language) test score or an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Band score is required as proof of English proficiency for any International student for whom English is a second language who is applying to any Tulsa Community College health sciences program. Students who have graduated from a U.S. high school will not be required to take the iBT Toefl or IELTS tests. Your scores must be current within 2 years of the semester for which you are applying.
For health sciences students, the minimum sub-scores on the internet based TOEFL (iBT®) are 21 for Writing; 24 for Speaking; 20 for Reading; and 20 for Listening, with a total minimum score of 85.
For students choosing the IELTS test, acceptable scores include: 6.5 for Reading; 6.5 for listening; 7.5 for Speaking; and 6 for Writing, for a total IELTS Bans score of 6.5. These required minimum scores must be met for each of the four sub-tests on a single exam. A total score that does not meet the sub-score minimums does not meet the requirement. Exceptions to this policy may be considered on an individual basis.
Students must go to www.ets.org/toefl to find a TOEFL iBT testing site, register and pay for the test. Students may go to http://www.ielts.org/en-us/ to find an IELTS testing center and register and pay for the test. Both tests cost approximately $190. Students are highly encouraged to take practice tests to prepare for these important tests. Your official scores, including ALL Sub-scores, must be sent directly to the TCC Registrar’s Office.
Contact Information
Dina Anderson
dina.anderson@tulsacc.edu
Additional Information Available
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.
Careers
Search careers in this field at Focus 2 Career or schedule an appointment with TCC Career Services to learn more about our free career planning and job preparation services.
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).
Degree Requirements
View a semester-by-semester course plan of study on the Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS Program Map
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