Program Information
For more information on program accreditation, please see the San Jacinto College website: www.sanjac.edu/program/occupational-therapy-assistant.
Showing compassion and patience are strengths of those who choose occupational therapy for a career. You will assist patients to develop, recover and improve skills for daily living.
As an occupational therapy assistant (OTA), you will work under the direction and supervision of an occupational therapist in a variety of settings and situations from adults recovering from a stroke, to children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Patients and their needs are widely varied and each day holds new, rewarding challenges.
The San Jacinto College occupational therapy assistant program:
- Includes three Level I fieldwork experiences over the span of three semesters in the areas of pediatrics, mental health, and physical disabilities. In the final semester, students complete Level II fieldwork, which consists of two 8-week rotations in pediatrics or physical disability areas;
- Consists of 60 credit hours; 23 credit hours are prerequisites and 37 credit hours of core courses; and
- Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to test for the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA).
OTAs work in a variety of settings including, but not limited to: hospitals, pediatric clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and school systems.
Career Opportunities
Employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase 43 percent over the next seven years, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. This adds 14,100 OTA professionals to the field.
According to the 2017 US News Rankings, Occupational Therapy Assistants are ranked No. 1 in Best Health Care Support Jobs and No. 12 in the 100 Best Jobs.
Earning Potential
Occupational Therapist Assistant Median Salary: $70,8311 per year
| 1 | Source: texaswages.com, Gulf Coast region, 2018 |
For more information, students may contact 281-998-6150, x3086.
Campus
South Campus
More Information
Program Offered: Every Fall Semester
Application Timeline: January 11th - April 2nd (2021)
Admissions
Application period will open January 11, 2021 and close April 2, 2021 for Fall 2021 enrollment. 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.
**For information on spring 2021 application submission procedures, please see the "Requirements for Admission" section located below.
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 |
| PSYC 2314 | Lifespan Growth and Development | 3 credit hours |
| Total Credit Hours | 23 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.
Application Submission Procedures
You may submit all required documents electronically by attaching them to one email and sending them to otaprogram@sjcd.edu
All documents must include G# and first and last name. Please note that only scanned documents in PDF format will be accepted. Photos of documents will not be accepted.
If you wish to drop off your packet in person, applications will be accepted on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call Richard Hind on (832) 315-5526.
All visitors to the College MUST fill out a daily pre-screening form in order to be granted access to campus.
Please visit https://www.sanjac.edu/coronavirus for information on campus safety procedures and to access the daily pre-screening form.
All information sessions will be held as a Zoom webinar. See details below.
These sessions are not mandatory but highly recommended. You do not have to reserve a spot to attend.
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
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Christine Joseph, OTR (281) 998-6150 X3949
FW Educator Self Assessment Tool
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
www.acoteonline.org
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
www.aota.org
National Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (NBCOT)
www.nbcot.org
Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA)
https://www.tota.org/
Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE)
www.ptot.texas.gov/page/occupationaltherapy
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 its Web address is www.acoteonline.org.
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 https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Pass Rates
| Graduation Year | Students Entering/Graduating | Graduation Rate |
| 2020* | 12/8 | 67% |
| 2021* | 14/12 | TBD |
| 2022 | 12/12 |
TBD |
*Students withdrew from program due to personal reasons.
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx
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