Occupational Therapy Assistant

Degree:

• Occupational Therapy Assistant, AAS

Occupational therapy assistants, under the direction of a licensed occupational therapist, assist individuals with disabling conditions to achieve independence through the use of purposeful activity. The curriculum for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program covers a period of two years and is designed to lead toward an Associate of Applied Science degree. Students will engage in coursework for a period of four semesters followed by a fifth semester of full-time fieldwork at health care facilities in the community. The educational experience will include classroom instruction, laboratory activities and clinical work. Many clinical facilities will require students to successfully pass a background check. Students will be trained to work with all age groups in a variety of health care settings.

The Tomball and Kingwood College Occupational Therapy Assistant programs are 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, 301.652.AOTA.

Graduates will be eligible for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the graduate will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Most states, including Texas, require licensure to practice. Texas 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 a state licensure.

The general education core will transfer to a variety of colleges and universities. Contact a counselor, or faculty member at any of the colleges for specific information. To obtain the recommended sequencing of courses, contact either program director at Tomball College or Kingwood College.

Admission Criteria:
Applicants must meet the college’s general admission criteria as well as program admission criteria and submit all documentation to the Occupational Therapy Assistant office at Tomball College or Kingwood College.

Program Admission Criteria include:

• Apply for admission to the occupational therapy assistant department by submitting a formal application and all required official documents to the department. All eligible candidates will be scheduled for a personal interview. Applicants will be notified by mail of their admission status;
• Submit three completed personal reference forms;
• Observation hours may be required, contact the program director for specific information.
• Applicants may be asked to provide a writing sample.
• Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory background check (as required by hospitals), which will be completed by an approved agency at the student’s expense. Clinical facilities may also require completion of satisfactory drug screening. The following academic requirement options are for the Tomball College program. Applicants for the Kingwood College program should contact that program director.

Minimum Academic Requirements Include:
Applicants can meet the academic requirements through ONE of the three following options:

Option 1 (Test scores that show college level skills such as):
THEA scores of Reading 230, Writing 220, and Math 230. Other test scores may be substituted in place of THEA scores such as SAT, ACT, ASSET and Compass scores. Please inquire with the program director regarding any substitutions.

Option 2 (Course Completion):
Complete a minimum of seven semester college credit hours including the following courses (within the past seven years) with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 with no grade below a C.

1. BIOL 2401: Human Anatomy & Physiology I OR BIOL 2402: Human Anatomy & Physiology II and
2. ENGL 1301: Composition & Rhetoric IApplicants may also substitute other completed courses such as psychology, history, etc. Contact the program director for verification of any substitutions.

Option 3 (A combination of testing and course work):
Applicants may combine test scores with course completion. For example, completion of ENGL 1301 with a Math score of 38 (elementary algebra) on the ASSET would be an acceptable combination. Contact the program director for specific questions regarding the combining of scores and coursework.

Upon admission to the program students must have:

• Physical examination completed by a licensed physician;
• Verification of updated immunization record; regulations require that prior to patient contact, the student must have completed the Hepatitis B immunization series which is received over a 3 - 6 month period
• Certificate of completion of CPR prior to Level II Fieldwork

Incomplete applications will not receive a department review. Each applicant is responsible for contacting the OTA department to confirm whether their application is complete. Applicants to the program will be ranked according to their level of achievement of the program admission criteria and will be accepted into the program on a competitive basis. Applicants who are not accepted for admission in the year in which they apply may submit a letter to the director of the occupational therapy assistant program requesting that their application be reconsidered for the following year. Students must complete Level II fieldwork assignments within 18 months following completion of academic preparation. Additional information can be obtained from the occupational therapy assistant department at Tomball College and Kingwood College.

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