2355 - Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S.)

This is a Limited/Selective Access program.

The FSCJ OTA Program creates culturally competent and ethical occupational therapy assistants who provide evidence-based interventions with a focus on participation in meaningful occupations.

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 are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam to qualify for licensure to practice as an OTA. 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 achieving a 2.5 GPA, prior academic performance, completion of prerequisite coursework, Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Test Scores (HESI A2) and other criteria. Information outlining costs, requirements, deadlines and procedures is available from the Health Career Information Center at North Campus via email at hcic@fscj.edu and online.

All General Education and prerequisite coursework must be completed prior to admission to the program. A grade point average of 2.5 must be maintained throughout the program.

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

Prerequisite and General Education courses are offered in an online, on-campus and hybrid format which include OTH1001 and OTH1704. All other courses within the OTA program are offered in an on-campus or hybrid format, but all have components that require the use of technology. Distance learning fees apply to all online courses. Classes that require labs, may have additional lab fees. Lab fees are published in the class schedule.

FSCJ uses the learning management system (LMS) Canvas for all courses and for submission of all coursework. Therefore, the following are minimum requirements:

• A Florida State College at Jacksonville student email account

• A computer with the following:

  • Internet access

  • Web browser application such as Firefox or Chrome

  • Office software (Microsoft Office 365 is free for FSCJ students)

  • Web camera, microphone and speakers

  • Software plug-ins such as

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader,

  • Java (required for screen sharing on Canvas)

  • VLC Media Player

Many textbooks within the program are offered in an e-book format or provide supplemental resources for students online. Online subscription-based resources are utilized to supplement textbooks. Faculty hold office hours on-campus and virtually to meet the varying needs of student schedules through the use of Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, or Canvas Conferences.

Technology competencies include, but are not limited to, word processing skills, completing internet searches, downloading and uploading files, presentation development and recording, navigation of the learning management system, file management skills, videoconferencing skills and the ability to scan coursework for upload into the learning management system.

Graduation Rates

The total number of graduates from 2021-2023 was 42 with a three-year graduation rate of 61.60%.

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.

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's next onsite evaluation will take place in 2027/2028.

For more information, please contact Dr. Kimberly Fahlgren at kfahlgre@fscj.edu.

Students are evaluated for admission to the professional coursework phase of the program in May of each year for a Fall semester program start. Beginning in Summer 2022, students will enter the prerequisite phase of the program (conditional offer) until they complete all admissions requirements. Please note that admission to the professional-level Occupational Therapy Assistant courses/program is competitive.

OTA program applications can be completed online. There is a one-time application fee of $25.00 for those applying for the first time to a credit-based program.

Applicants transferring from another educational institution must submit transcripts to the Student Records Office for processing and evaluation of credits. Official transcripts can be sent to Admissions Office, FSCJ, PO Box 40515, Jacksonville, FL 32203. You can also have your transcripts sent electronically, directly from the school only, to studentrecords@fscj.edu. 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 or email north_testing@fscj.edu for more information.

The FSCJ OTA program does not give OTA course credit for previous work experience. Official transcripts from all colleges attended are evaluated for Florida State College degree-seeking students and vocational certificate students only by qualified evaluators. OTA courses are accepted from institutions recognized and participating in the Florida Department of Education Statewide Course Numbering System. OT or OTA courses that are more than two years old are not accepted for transfer credit.

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 admitted to the program, applicants will be required to complete a drug screen and background check to obtain 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 have completed 23 credit hours or prerequisite coursework, including ENC1101 or ENC1101C or ENC1102, ARH2000, HUM2020, LIT2000, MUL2010, PHI2010 or THE2000, MAC1105 or higher-level MAC-prefix course or MAP2302 or MGF1106 or MGF1107 or STA2023, BSC2085C, BSC2086C, DEP2004 and AMH2020 or POS2041, each with a minimum grade of C or higher. Only prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C or higher can be used. Course credit that was received for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be evaluated based upon the score obtained.

2. Complete the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Test (HESI-A2). Students must take all 9 sections in one sitting. Scores will be averaged across four categories (Anatomy & Physiology, Math, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension) for ranking purposes.

3. Complete and submit the Healthcare or Military Experience documentation form if applicable.

4. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from both high school/GED® and any postsecondary education. Transcripts must be officially sealed and sent directly from the awarding institution via electronic delivery to studentrecords@fscj.edu or via mail to FSCJ Admissions Office, PO Box 40515, Jacksonville, FL 32203.

GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service® at ged.com. The GED® and GED Testing Service® brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC® under license from the American Council on Education.

Admissions Process Information

Any previous OT or OTA education coursework that is more than two years old will not receive credit and must be retaken.

Students who have completed the online OTA application by the deadline will be ranked according to a point scale on the following:

• Prerequisite course grades

• Overall grade point average

• Scores on the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Test (HESI-A2)

• Healthcare or Military Experience

• American Heart Association, Basic Life Support (BLS)

Candidates will be notified of their admissions status in the program via email approximately one month after the application deadline. The highest ranked students will be will be accepted and an alternate list will be established. In the event of forfeiture, the next highest ranked student will be notified of acceptance

Additional Program Information

Students must keep their physical examination, criminal background check, CPR and First Aid Certification current to attend class and participate in fieldwork.

Application deadline is the close of business, May 15, for admission to the program for the following fall term. If admitted to the program, applicants will be required to complete a drug screen and background check to obtain entrance into the program.

(904) 646-2300 or hcic@fscj.edu.

• American Council for Occupational Therapy Education

• National Board Certification for Occupational Therapy

• American Occupational Therapy Association

• Florida Occupational Therapy Association

• Florida Occupational Therapy Education Consortium

• Florida Board of Occupational Therapy

• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational Therapists

GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service®. The GED® and GED Testing Service® brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC® under license from the American Council on Education.