Occupational Therapy Assistant

Are you compassionate and patient? Occupational therapy assistants help patients develop, recover, and improve skills for daily living. Choose from a variety of employment opportunities – from working with children with developmental disabilities to helping adults recover from strokes.

Degrees & Certificates

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Perform fieldwork in pediatrics, mental health, and physical disabilities. After completing this empowering program, you’ll be eligible to take the NBCOT certification exam.

More Info

Applications accepted Jan. 10 – April 8, 2022
Program offered every fall semester
60 credit hours

Catalog Information

Program Info

Location

South Campus

Serving students in Southeast Houston, Pearland, Clear Lake, and Friendswood.

Campus Info

281-998-6150 ext. 3141

Instagram

Email: otaprogram@sjcd.edu

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at San Jacinto College has been granted accreditation 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 the official website can be found here.

Application Information and Deadlines

The Fall 2023 application period will open January 17, 2023 and close April 14th, 2023. The OTA program will accept 12–14 students. Applicants must meet the College’s general admission requirements. This does not guarantee admission to the program. Attend an information session for further details.

Application Drop Off

In Person

South Campus Room: S-1.251i

Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Friday 8:30 am – 12 noon

Mail

San Jacinto College – South Campus

Attention: OTA Program

13735 Beamer Rd., Ste. S-1.251i

Houston, TX 77089

Prerequisites

ENGL 1301	Composition I	3 credit hours
MATH 1314	College Algebra	3 credit hours
BIOL 2301	Anatomy & Physiology I (lecture)	3 credit hours
BIOL 2101	Anatomy & Physiology I (lab)	1 credit hour
BIOL2302	Anatomy & Physiology II (lecture)	3 credit hours
BIOL 2102	Anatomy & Physiology II (lab)	1 credit hour
PYSC 2301	General Psychology	3 credit hours
PHIL 2306	Ethics	3 credit hours
	Total Credit Hours	20 credit hours

Observation Hours

The San Jacinto College OTA Program no longer requires observation hours. Applicants invited to the interview round will receive further directions and information to review before their interview to assess their knowledge of the OT profession. All communication will be provided via the email listed on the application packet.

Recommendation Forms

Three forms of recommendation are needed to apply to the OTA program. The forms are located on the website. Letters of recommendation are not accepted, only the forms. Points are awarded based on each form of recommendation. The max points allocated from each form is 40 points. We will take the sum of the three recommendation forms to identify your score for the admissions rubric.

Admissions Documents

Application Packet (updated October 2021)

OTA Application (updated October 2021)

Admissions Rubric (updated June 2021)

OTA Frequently Asked Questions (updated October 2021)

Recommendation Form

Immunization Requirements

GPS Report Instructions (Updated Feb 2022)

Background Check/Drug Screening Information

Licensure is based on successful completion of the NBCOT examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT examination or attain state licensure. Any form of conviction results on a criminal background check may be cause for exclusion from admission to the program. Applicants have the right to request a criminal history evaluation from the applicable licensing agency.

Approximate Program Costs

See Approximate Costs & Fees PDF (updated June 2021).

Information Sessions

Information sessions are offered as a Zoom webinar or Face to Face On South Campus. See details below. These sessions are not mandatory but highly recommended.

**To sign up for a virtual session via Zoom, please fill out the Information Session Registration Form. A Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Fall 2022 Dates/Times

Webinar (Virtual) Tuesdays from 6 – 7 pm	On campus (Face to Face) Room S1.246 South Campus Wednesdays from 12 – 1 pm
	September 7, 2022
September 27, 2022	October 5, 2022
October 25, 2022	November 2, 2022
November 22, 2022
December 6, 2022

Spring 2023 Dates/Times

Webinar (Virtual) Tuesdays from 6 – 7 pm	On campus (Face to Face) Room S1.246 South Campus Thursday from 12 – 1 pm
January 24, 2023	Feb 2, 2023
February 7, 2023	February 16, 2023
February 21, 2023	March 2, 2023
March 7, 2023	March 23, 2022

Program Outcomes

Our graduates are 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) and can apply for state licensure in order to practice. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available at the NBCOT website.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Pass Rates