Occupational Therapy Assistant (2355) (A.S.)

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Associate in Science

This is a Limited Access program.

Mission/Purpose

The mission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program is to graduate competent, ethical, confident occupational therapy assistants committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive, non-discriminatory, and supportive learning environment.

The Program

Upon completion of the two-year 74-credit occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program the graduate will be awarded an associate in science (A.S.) degree and will be prepared to function as an entry-level practitioner. The program includes a combination of general education and professional OTA concentration courses. OTA courses include lecture, laboratory, and fieldwork experiences. The program is a limited access program and admissions into the program is based on prior academic performance, completion of prerequisite coursework and observation hours, and other criteria. A brochure outlining costs, requirements, deadlines and procedures is available at fscj.edu/2355. 

All General Education coursework must be completed prior to the third term of the program. A grade point average of at least 2.0 must be maintained throughout the program. Some courses within the program may be offered through distance education which may include online or hybrid courses. Additionally, some of the traditional courses may have online content such as discussion posts, assignments, quizzes, and exams. 

A minimum grade of C or better must be achieved in all professional coursework.

Graduation Rates

The total number of graduates from the Florida State College at Jacksonville Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the three year period from 2017-2019 was 72, with an overall graduation rate of 75%.

Internships/Externships/Rotations/Fieldwork

Fieldwork is an integral part of the educational process and is designed to be an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients in a variety of settings in the community. Level II fieldwork generally requires two eight-week full-time experiences scheduled in the last semester prior to graduation. Students are responsible for uniform expenses, background screenings, physicals, vaccinations, travel expenses, and any miscellaneous expenses required by each fieldwork location. All Occupational Therapy Assistant students must complete Level II Fieldwork within 18 months following completion of academic preparation.

The Career

Occupational therapy assistants under the direction of occupational therapists help people of all ages regain, develop, or master everyday skills in order to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. Working in collaboration with occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals, occupational therapy assistants are employed in a variety of traditional and emerging practice settings including community settings, mental health settings, public schools, rehabilitation settings, home health agencies, and nursing homes. Occupational therapy assistants provide occupation-based treatment interventions to improve the quality of life of clients within the community.

For information on the activities of our professional organization and the role of the occupational therapy assistant please visit the American Occupational Therapy Organization (AOTA) website at aota.org.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor 2012 Occupations Outlook Handbook, the demands for OTA's is expected to grow by 41% between 2012 and 2022.

Certification/Licensing

Graduates of the program will be eligible 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). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. For more information, visit the NBCOT website at nbcot.org.

For official program pass rates on the certification exam please visit nbcot.org/Educators/Home#SchoolPerformance.

A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Program Accreditation

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, Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number, c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is acoteonline.org.

At its April 2018 meeting, ACOTE granted the FSCJ Occupational Therapy Assistant program a status of accreditation for a period of ten years.  ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ACOTE currently accredits over 407 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs in the United States and its territories.

The program is scheduled to complete an interim report in 2022 and the next on-site evaluation will take place 2027/2028.

For more information, please contact Dr. Neal Henning at neal.henning@fscj.edu.

Application Procedure

Students are accepted into this program every year beginning in the fall. Application is a two-step process. You must first make general application to Florida State College at Jacksonville. This can be done at any FSCJ campus or online at fscj.edu/admissions-aid/admissions. There is a one-time application fee of $25.00. Applicants transferring from another educational institution must submit transcripts to the Student Records Office for processing and evaluation of credits. Once outside transcripts have been processed, course credits will be added to your official Florida State College at Jacksonville transcript. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing of transcripts by the Student Records Office. International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) documentation must be provided directly to the Assessment and Certification Center for credit evaluation and addition to the Florida State College at Jacksonville transcript. Please contact North Campus Assessment and Certification Center at (904) 766-6708 for more information.

After applying to Florida State College at Jacksonville and completing the necessary courses, you may then apply specifically to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. This limited access program is open to applicants regardless of race, disability, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, sex, sexual orientation/expression, marital status, veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants must meet the Florida State College at Jacksonville admissions eligibility requirements (See college website for information) and must have completed all prerequisites in order to be considered for admission.

All applicants should contact a campus admissions office to see if they need to take the College Placement Test or other placement test and/or other admissions requirements.

Application deadline is the close of business, May 15, for admission to the program for the following fall term. If May 15 falls on a weekend, then the deadline will be the close of business on the Monday immediately following. Applicants will be required to have a drug screen and background check performed prior to entrance into the program.

Acceptance into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program is based upon academic performance and other criteria. To be considered as a qualified applicant, individuals must complete the following by the application deadline of May 15:

1. Applicants must be accepted for admission for Florida State College at Jacksonville or be currently enrolled at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Acceptance to FSCJ does not guarantee admission to the OTA program.
2. Applicants must submit a completed OTA program application and clinical experience verification form to the Health Career Information Center by scanning and emailing to hcic@fscj.edu no later than May 15.  Please do not submit the entire packet, only those pages that require fill in or signature.
3. Applicants must provide a copy of their Florida State College at Jacksonville transcript that includes all outside courses from other institutions along with any College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. 
4. Applicants must have completed 20 credit hours or prerequisite coursework, including ENC 1101  or ENC 1101C  or ENC 1102 , DEP 2004 , PSY 1012 , BSC 2085C , BSC 2086C  and one General Education Mathematics course with a minimum grade of C or better. Course credit that was received for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be counted as a C on the admissions rubric.
5. Any previous OT or OTA education coursework that is more than two years old will not receive credit and must be retaken.
6. Applicants must submit documented evidence verifying completion of the minimum 10 hours of observation, service-learning, and/or work experience in occupational therapy with a licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant utilizing the clinical experience form. Submit the completed clinical experience verification form.

Students who have applied to Florida State College at Jacksonville and submitted completed applications to the Health Career Information Center by the deadline will be ranked according to a point scale based on grade point average in the required general education courses, and accumulated hours of clinical experience in occupational therapy, American Heart Association CPR, and first aid certification. The highest ranked students will be accepted into the OTA program and will be notified of their of their acceptance by FSCJ email only. A ranked alternate list will be established. In the event of forfeiture, the next highest ranked student will be notified of acceptance. Refer to the last page of the information packet for a complete description of the point system on which ranking is based.

A physical examination and criminal background check will be required upon acceptance into the program and again prior to fieldwork experiences. CPR certification for Healthcare Providers Level and First Aid Certification through the American Heart Association must be provided prior to enrollment first semester of OTH-prefix required coursework. Students must keep their CPR and First Aid Certification current to attend class and participate in fieldwork.

Completed applications should be sent to: Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, Florida State College at Jacksonville (North Campus), 4501 Capper Road A-224, Jacksonville, FL 32218.

Candidates will be notified of their status after all completed applications have been reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Notification of admission to the program will be made by FSCJ email and it is estimated that notification letters will be emailed within 2-3 weeks after the application deadline. Students who receive letters of acceptance must accept the seat within the timeframe outlined in the acceptance letter by email response only. If the student does not accept the seat by the deadline, the seat will be offered to the next highest-ranked candidate on the alternate list.

Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to check their FSCJ email frequently. Not checking the FSCJ email account may cause the candidate to lose his/her seat.

Application Deadline(s)

Applications are due May 15. Applications post-marked after May 15 or incomplete applications will not be processed. Candidates will be notified of their status after all completed applications have been reviewed by the Admissions Committee. 

Need More Information? Contact:

Health Career Information Center, (904) 713-4545 or hcic@fscj.edu.

More Information Online

• Occupational Therapy Assistant Application Packet (includes application and clinical experience verification form): fscj-website.azureedge.net/docs/default-source/admissions-documents/school-of-social-behavioral-and-health-sciences/occup-ther-asst-application-packet.pdf
• Florida Occupational Therapy Association: flota.org
• Florida Occupational Therapy Education Consortium: floteceducation.org
• Florida Board of Occupational Therapy: floridasoccupationaltherapy.gov/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational Therapists: stats.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Occupational-therapists.htm