Alert
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates, FAQs and Resources. Properly worn face coverings are required for entry on all PTC campuses. Read More ...
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates, FAQs and Resources. Properly worn face coverings are required for entry on all PTC campuses. Read More ...
Find the academic program that's right for you. Learn more about PTC's schools and departments and available credentials.
Academics »PTC is here to help you get started on the path toward achieving your goals, whether you're headed toward a bachelor's degree at a four-year institution, or straight into the work force.
Admissions »90% of PTC students receive some form of financial aid. We strive to make higher education affordable to everyone.
Cost & Financial Aid »Whether you're looking for help planning your career, or you need some help in your classes, PTC offers a wealth of resources to ensure you have the right tools for success.
College Resources »Want to update your skills, explore a different career path, or learn a new hobby? We have meaningful learning opportunities that you can use right away.
Continuing Ed »PTC's mission is to transform lives and strengthen communities by providing opportunities for intellectual and economic growth.
About »Occupational therapy assistants work closely with occupational therapists to help people who are recuperating from brain trauma, surgery, disease, dementia, or who need rehabilitation to develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase from 30,300 jobs in 2012 to 43,200 jobs in 2022. This 43 percent increase is a much faster growth rate than the average rate for other occupations. In 2012 the median annual wage of occupational therapy assistants was reported at $53,240.
This growing need for occupational therapy assistants can be attributed to a growing elderly population as well as continued treatment for young adults and children with developmental disabilities.
PTC’s program provides the training you’ll need to succeed in this challenging, rewarding field.
Admission: Acceptance into Piedmont Technical College’s OTA program is competitive and is limited to 24 students to begin fall semester. See the college calendar or website for application dates. To become eligible to apply for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, applicants must complete the following:
Students are required to maintain a current American Heart Association “Basic Life Support” certification throughout the major studies courses.
For more detailed information, please go to Health Care Resources.
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES | ||
Courses | Credit Hours | |
BIO 210 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4.0 |
BIO 211 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4.0 |
ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3.0 |
MAT 120 | Probability and Statistics | 3.0 |
PSY 201 | General Psychology | 3.0 |
PSY 203 | Human Growth and Development | 3.0 |
SPC 205 | Public Speaking | 3.0 |
Elective Humanities/Fine Arts | 3.0 | |
Subtotal | 26.0 | |
REQUIRED CORE SUBJECT AREAS | ||
OTA 101 | Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy | 3.0 |
OTA 105 | Therapeutic Analysis | 3.0 |
OTA 142 | OTA Clinical Introduction I (Level I Fieldwork) | 1.0 |
OTA 144 | OTA Clinical Introduction II (Level I Fieldwork) | 1.0 |
OTA 155 | Gerontology | 2.0 |
OTA 162 | Psychosocial Dysfunctions | 3.0 |
OTA 164 | Physical Dysfunction | 6.0 |
OTA 176 | Pediatric Development and Dysfunction | 4.0 |
OTA 203 | Kinesiology for Occupational Therapy | 3.0 |
OTA 213 | Group Process and Dynamics | 2.0 |
OTA 245 | Occupational Therapy Departmental Management | 2.0 |
OTA 262 | Clinical Application I (Level II Fieldwork) | 7.0 |
OTA 264 | Clinical Application I (Level II Fieldwork) | 7.0 |
Subtotal | 44.0 | |
OTHER COURSES REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION | ||
Subtotal | 0.0 | |
Total Credit Hours | 70.0 |
The student learning outcomes of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program are centered on six broad-based themes:
The mission of the OTA program parallels the mission of Piedmont Technical College. High value is placed on the students’ educational journey to reach his or her highest potential, a deep commitment to the health and wellness of the community, technological advances, sustainability, and pursuit of life-long learning to advance the field of occupational therapy in education and in practice.
The OTA program curriculum incorporates six central threads or themes that will be taught at varying degrees within the OTA program course content. The six central threads or themes are:
The six curriculum threads are woven throughout the OTA curriculum. The specific course selection, sequence and content all make up a defined curriculum that is both progressive in the student’s knowledge base and proceeds to an increase complex level of the students overall knowledge, as they progress through the OTA program. In addition, the curriculum was developed with the consideration of Piedmont Technical College, OTA program mission/philosophy, curriculum threads and the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Piedmont Technical College assumes primary responsibility for appointment of faculty, admission of students and curriculum planning at all locations where the program is offered. This would include course content, satisfactory completion of the educational program and granting of the degree. Piedmont Technical College also assumes responsibility for the coordination of classroom teaching and supervised fieldwork practice and for providing assurance that the practice activities assigned to students in a fieldwork setting are appropriate to the program (adapted from ACOTE Standard A.1.4).
Application to the programmatic courses will receive one of the following outcomes; admitted, conditional admission, or ineligible:
“Admitted” status indicates all required courses and other special admission requirements have been satisfactorily met. This process determines that the application score has placed them in the top 24 applicants.
“Conditional admission” status indicates that a condition for admission has not been satisfied. Admission into the programmatic courses can only be effective after the condition is met. Not all cohorts of the programmatic courses will have conditional admission. Should the roster be filled by applicants satisfying all admission requirements, no conditional admissions will be required.
“Ineligible” status indicates that a condition for admission has not been met and as a result the applicant is ineligible for admission into the programmatic courses.
A committee of Health Care faculty conducts the selection process. The process determines the numeric score for the applicant. The score is generated from the program ready GPA and the TEAS scores. Completed observation hours are also required.
In addition to these scores, select programs may have specific admission criteria that must be satisfied prior to a full acceptance to the programmatic courses. Program directors and the Dean of Health Care are not directly involved in the selection process of incoming students. This firewall between the admission process and the program director affords a neutrality of selection and provides objectivity to the process.
Status: Accreditation
(Next Visit: 2020/2021)
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 (2682) and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be 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 graduate will be a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the 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.
Accreditation Status: Good standings
ACOTE 2018: OTA Standards
School Performance: Program performance data on the NBCOT certification examination
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the NBCOT examination to become a practicing occupational therapy assistant. The examination is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), located at 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. NBCOT’s phone number is (301) 990-7979.
NBCOT eligibility: A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. For entering students with a concern in this area, NBCOT can be contacted directly for information related to the Early Determination and Character Review process for approval to take the NBCOT certification examination. You can see the NBCOT Pass Rate at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.
The OTA program documents the following program outcomes:
Three year NBCOT examination pass rate at 80% or higher, regardless of the number of attempts.
Three year average job placement of not less than 75% within 12 months of graduation.
Program completion rates are evaluated annually by both the college and the program.