Associate in Applied Science: Occupational Therapy Assistant
Tech-Prep Enhanced Skills Option: Occupational Therapy Assistant

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program curriculum is designed to prepare an individual as an Occupational Therapy Assistant; a health care professional who works directly under the supervision of a Licensed Occupational Therapist. The Occupational Therapy Assistant provides the rehabilitative service of those individuals whose abilities to cope with tasks of living are threatened or impaired by physical injury or illness, developmental deficits, the aging process, poverty and cultural differences, or psychological and social disabilities.

Graduates will be eligible to take the examination for certification to become a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.

In addition to the standard College admission process, students are accepted into the Occupational Therapy program based on a ranking point system. In order to be considered for admission into the program, the student must:

• submit the completed application for admission and all required admission documentation by July 15.
• complete all prerequisite course requirements
• furnish two letters of reference from medical and/or teaching professionals
• have a minimum grade point average of 2.5.
• have completed a minimum of 10 hours of observation in the occupational therapy field by the application deadline

After program acceptance, the student must submit a completed physical examination which includes the complete Hepatitis B series, a current college transcript and a current card of completion in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Health Care Providers which must be maintained throughout the program. Upon enrollment, the student must pass a background check and drug screen test, at student's expense, for security clearance and continued enrollment in the program.

Contact the department for further information at (361) 698-1845.

The Del Mar College Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. AOTA's phone number is (301) 652-AOTA. Satisfactory completion of the program entitles the student to an Associate in Applied Science Degree. The student is 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). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

All OTA students must complete Level II Fieldwork within 18 months following completion of academic preparation.

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT TECH-PREP ENHANCED SKILLS OPTION (Suggested Occupational Plan)
PREREQUISITES		Lec.	Lab	Sem. Hrs.	Clock Hours
BIOL 2401	Human Anatomy and Physiology I	3	3	4	96
ENGL 1301	Composition I	3	1	3	64
HPRS 1106	Medical Terminology	1	0	1	16
HPRS 1204	Basic Health Profession Skills	1	4	2	80
FIRST SEMESTER
BIOL 2402	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	3	3	4	96
OTHA 1405	Principles of Occupational Therapy	3	3	4	96
OTHA 2301	Pathophysiology in Occupational Therapy	3	0	3	48
OTHA 1309	Human Structure and Function in Occupational Therapy	2	4	3	96
POFI 1301	Computer Applications I	2	2	3	64
SECOND SEMESTER
PSYC 2301	General Psychology	3	0	3	48
OTHA 1211	Occupational Performance Throughout the Lifespan	2	1	2	48
OTHA 1319	Therapeutic Interventions I	2	4	3	96
OTHA 2309	Mental Health in Occupational Therapy	2	4	3	96
THIRD SEMESTER
PSYC 2314	Lifespan Growth and Development	3	0	3	48
OTHA 1315	Therapeutic Use of Occupations or Activities I	2	4	3	96
OTHA 1262	Clinical - Occupational Therapy Assistant	0	8	2	128
OTHA 2302	Therapeutic Use of Occupations or Activities II	2	4	3	96
FOURTH SEMESTER
OTHA 2360	Clinical - Occupational Therapy Assistant	0	16	3	256
OTHA 2235	Health Care Management in Occupational Therapy	2	1	2	48
OTHA 2331	Physical Function in Occupational Therapy	2	4	3	96
Humanities/Visual or Performing Arts Elective		3	0	3	48
Speech Elective		3	0	3	48
FIFTH SEMESTER
OTHA 2466	Practicum - Occupational Therapy Assistant (Capstone)	0	32	4	512
OTHA 2330	Workplace Skills for the Occupational Therapy Assistant	3	0	3	48
	Total Semester Hours for Associate Degree			70

Tech-Prep Bridge Courses

Courses in bold type meet General Education requirements for Del Mar College Associate in Applied Science degrees.

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