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program overview
occupational therapy assistant
* this program is financial aid eligible.
the occupational therapy assistant curriculum prepares individuals to work under the supervision of a registered/licensed occupational therapist in screening, assessing, planning, and implementing treatment and documenting progress for clients receiving occupational therapy services.
course work includes human growth and development, conditions which interfere with activities of daily living, theory and process of occupational therapy, individual/group treatment activities, therapeutic use of self, activity analysis, and grading/adapting activities and environments.
graduates may be eligible to take the national certification examination for practice as a certified occupational therapy assistant. employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term/extended care facilities, sheltered workshops, schools, home health programs, and community programs.
course work includes human growth and development, conditions which interfere with activities of daily living, theory and process of occupational therapy, individual/group treatment activities, therapeutic use of self, activity analysis, and grading/adapting activities and environments.
graduates may be eligible to take the national certification examination for practice as a certified occupational therapy assistant. employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term/extended care facilities, sheltered workshops, schools, home health programs, and community programs.
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, north bethesda, md 20852-4929. acote's telephone number, c/o aota, is 301-652-aota and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant is administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy (nbcot). after successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be a certified occupational therapy assistant (cota). in addition, most states, including north carolina, require licensure to practice as a cota; licensure in north carolina is based on results of the nbcot certification examination. a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the nbcot certification examination or attain state licensure. these processes are separate from the college’s program and graduation requirements. students are encouraged to contact nbcot for additional information.
view program results from the national board for certification in occupational therapy (nbcot) and durham tech program outcomes.
students may become members of the student occupational therapy association (sota).
students are required to attend an information session prior to applying to the program. online information sessions will be available here in june.
how to apply:
program applications are accepted september 14– november 13 for a program start the following summer.
- view the admissions checklist.
- use the button below to apply to durham tech following the health technologies enrollment steps. you may apply to the college at any time. once prerequisites are completed,
- apply to the ota program using the program admissions application. please note the electronic submission instructions included on the application form.
- the essential skills required and technology proficiency forms must also be completed for admission into the program.
if you have questions about admissions requirements after reviewing the above information, you may contact christine gunnigle or donna alston.
summer application deadline is oct 15
Estimated Tuition & Fees
$5320.00
degree type
associate in applied science (aas)
minimum credit hours
69
location
main campus
program stats
average salary
$54,520
average class size
16
estimated completion time
24 months
licensure pass rate
100%
upcoming program events
current and upcoming course offerings
| course number | title | credit hours |
|---|---|---|
| aca-122 | college transfer success | 1 |
| bio-168 | anatomy and physiology i | 4 |
| bio-169 | anatomy and physiology ii | 4 |
| eng-111 | writing and inquiry | 3 |
| eng-112 | writing and research in the disciplines | 3 |
| ota-110 | fundamentals of ot | 3 |
| ota-130 | assessment skills | 3 |
| ota-161 | fieldwork i-placement 1 | 1 |
| ota-162 | fieldwork i-placement 2 | 1 |
| ota-164 | fieldwork i-placement 4 | 1 |
| ota-170 | physical conditions | 3 |
| ota-180 | psychosocial conditions | 3 |
| ota-240 | professional skills ii | 1 |
| ota-250 | adult concepts and interventions | 3 |
| ota-260 | level ii fieldwork placement 1 | 6 |
| ota-261 | level ii fieldwork placement 2 | 6 |
| ota-280 | professional transitions | 1 |
| psy-150 | general psychology | 3 |
| psy-241 | developmental psychology | 3 |
| psy-281 | abnormal psychology | 3 |
“i moved from asheville just to come to this program because durham tech has one of the best occupational therapy assistant programs in the state. our instructors stress the fact that the ot field is a very close knit community and i’ve really enjoyed getting to know my classmates. the instructors are really incredible. they provide a vast amount of information that you don’t typically see at community colleges.”
—hanna robinson