Occupational Therapy Assistant hands a ball to a child patient

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Technical Degree

Are you looking for a career that’s challenging and rewarding? Occupational therapy assistants help patients develop, recover, and improve skills for daily living. Work with young children to older adults. We give you the skills you need to improve lives, one patient at a time.

Program at a Glance

Join us on South Campus for our Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program.

Earning Potential

Occupational Therapist Assistant: $71,194

For more salary information, check out Texas Wages.

Career Opportunities

With an occupational therapy assistant degree, you can work in:
  • Hospitals
  • Pediatric clinics
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Home health
  • School systems

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at San Jacinto College is accredited by
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

ACOTE
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814.
301-652-6611
accred@aota.org

https://acoteonline.org/

DEGREES & CERTIFICATES

Occupational Therapy Assistant, AAS

Technical Degree
The Associate of Applied Science degree prepares you for an entry-level career. Get classroom and hands-on experience to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA).
Length 2 Years
This full-time program includes 60 credits that can be completed in five terms.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Play Video

Success in Numbers

Our OTA program boasts a remarkable graduation rate. But our students don’t just complete the program; most graduates also go on to pass their NBCOT exam.
91%
of OTA students graduated in 2023.
100%
of OTA students graduated in 2022.
86%
of OTA students graduated in 2021.

Program Resources

 

Our graduates are eligible to take 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.

Student Graduation Rates 

Student graduation rates are indicated per academic calendar year. Graduation occurs in May of each academic year. 

Graduation Year Students Entering/Graduating Graduation Rate
2020* 12/8 67%
2021* 14/12 86%
2022 12/12 100%
2023* 12/11 91.67%
2024* 12/11 91.67%
2025 12/TBD TBD
**Total 62/54 87.10% 

 *Students withdrew from program due to personal reasons.

** Total students  from graduation year 2020-2024. 

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Program Data 

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available on the https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Our graduates are eligible to take 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.

Student Graduation Rates 

Student graduation rates are indicated per academic calendar year. Graduation occurs in May of each academic year. 

Graduation Year Students Entering/Graduating Graduation Rate
2020* 12/8 67%
2021* 14/12 86%
2022 12/12 100%
2023* 12/11 91.67%
2024* 12/11 91.67%
2025 12/TBD TBD
**Total 62/54 87.10% 

 *Students withdrew from program due to personal reasons.

** Total students  from graduation year 2020-2024. 

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Program Data 

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available on the https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Get a sense of what will be required of you during fieldwork sessions.
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Christine Joseph, OTD, OTR 281-998-6150 ext. 3949
Weekly Summary Form

Level II Site Visit Form

FW Educator Self Assessment Tool

Student Evaluation of Fieldwork Experience (SEFWE) 

Example of Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) 

Information sessions

Information sessions will be held on a regular basis at our South campus location in building S.1. Want to learn more? Attend an information session.

A Closer Look

Get a better understanding of what OTAs do and the history behind the profession.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Check out the admission steps and application here

Yes. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy(NBCOT) is the national OTA licensing exam. You will be eligible for the exam when you graduate from our program. Once this exam is complete, you can apply for your licensure to practice through the appropriate state agency. In Texas, the agency is the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (TBOTE). However, please note that any felony conviction may affect your ability to sit for the NBCOT examination. It may also impact your ability to attain state licensure. You have the right to request a criminal history evaluation from the applicable licensing agency. 

 

No, the OTA program is only located at South Campus. However, you may take prerequisites on other campuses, at night, or on weekends.

Additionally, the OTA program is a full face-to-face program. We will only implement a hybrid (online and on-campus lab) or a full online schedule if community and government officials place a state of emergency due to local, state, or national emergencies. Students are notified ahead of time if changes to instruction are made.

No, the OTA program does not offer night classes. 

 

No, but observation hours are strongly recommended. The program does awarded points on the admission rubric for applicants who have sought out observation hours and invested time to learn more about the profession. A strong application would include observations hours.

 

Any facility is appropriate if you are observing a licensed OT or OTA. Example settings and facilities include: 
  • Inpatient 
  • Outpatient 
  • Rehabilitation 
  • Acute care 
  • Pediatrics 
  • Mental health 
  • Skilled nursing facility
  • Home health

Yes, the OTA program admits students from various backgrounds, including those who may have had a previous career. 

 

Due to the progression and sequence of the OTA program, it is not offered at part-time status. There are clinical experiences embedded in the curriculum as well as 16 weeks of full-time clinical experience required at the end of the didactic portion of the program. 

 

Many students reapply and are encouraged to do so. You will need to complete a new application with all new documents and note on your application that you are reapplying. If observation hours were completed within two years of re-applying, you may resubmit those forms. Applicants should have copies of all materials initially submitted to resubmit certain documents of application. 

 

Yes. An applicant who is selected for an on-campus interview will take a health entrance exam at no cost to the applicant on their interview day.

Creating Healthcare Heroes

Sheina Farooqui
Welcoming students with different experiences in the classroom creates a rich curriculum for the program and the clients we serve in the community. It helps all of us question the status quo and learn to break unconscious bias to foster a profession of innovation, growth, and belonging. We proudly empower our students to share ideas and insights, grow together, and make meaningful contributions to occupational therapy. Each student in the program graduates learning how to be an occupational therapy assistant and what it means to contribute as a healthcare hero through service to our community.”
Sheina Farooqui,
OTD, OTR

Apply to the OTA program today.

Contact Us

Have questions about our OTA program?
Please contact us!
Email: otaprogram@sjcd.edu
Call: 281-998-6150 ext 3141.

Sheina Farooqui
Prog Dir, Occup Therapist Ast
Phone
(281) 998-6150x3141
Jamie Ward
Sr Administrative Assistant
Phone
(281) 998-6150x3350