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
Perform fieldwork in pediatrics, mental health, and physical disabilities. After completing this empowering program, you’ll be eligible to take the NBCOT certification exam.
- Applications accepted Jan. 10 - April 8, 2022
- Program offered every fall semester
- 60 credit hours
Program Info
South Campus
Serving students in Southeast Houston, Pearland, Clear Lake, and Friendswood.
- Accreditation
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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.
- Application Information and Deadlines
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The Fall 2022 application period will open January 10, 2022 and close April 8, 2022. 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.
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 June 2021)
OTA Application (updated June 2021)
Admissions Rubric (updated June 2021)
OTA Frequently Asked Questions (updated June 2021)
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
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See Approximate Costs & Fees PDF (updated June 2021).
- Information Sessions
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Information sessions are offered as a Zoom webinar or Face to Face. 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.
Webinar (Virtual)
Tuesdays from 6 - 7 pmOn campus (Face to Face)
Room S1.117 - South Campus
Wednesdays from 12 - 1 pmAugust 31, 2021 Sept 8, 2021 Sept 28, 2021 October 6, 2021 October 26, 2021 November 3, 2021 November 23, 2021 December 1, 2021 December 7, 2021 - Program Outcomes
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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 86% 2022 12/12 100%
2023 12/TBD TBD Total** 38/32 *Students withdrew from program due to personal reasons.
** Total students who have graduated from 2020-2022
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx
- Resources and Important Documents
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What is Occupational Therapy?
To read more about the OT profession, see AOTA What is Occupational Therapy PDF Brochure.
More Occupational Therapy Assistant Resources
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
www.acoteonline.orgAmerican Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
www.aota.orgNational Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (NBCOT)
www.nbcot.orgTexas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA)
https://www.tota.org/Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE)
www.ptot.texas.gov/page/occupationaltherapy - Fieldwork Educator Resources
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Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Christine Joseph, OTR (281) 998-6150 X3949
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