Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S.)
Associate in Science (A.S.)
Program Code: 2355
This is a Limited Access program.
The Associate in Science (A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program prepares students to function as an entry-level certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). Occupational therapy assistants provide support for occupational therapists and help patients learn to live to their fullest potential. The occupational therapy assistant degree (OT degree) combines general education and professional occupational therapist assistant (OTA) concentration courses through lecture, laboratory and clinical education experiences.
Accreditation
The OTA 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, Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. To contact ACOTE (c/o AOTA), call (301) 652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org.
For official program pass rates on the certification exam please visit NBCOT. Upon successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure in order 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.
At its April 2018 meeting, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) granted the FSCJ Occupational Therapy Assistant Program a Status of Accreditation for a period of ten years. ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ACOTE currently accredits over 407 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs in the United States and its territories.
The program is scheduled to complete an Interim Report in 2022 and the next onsite evaluation will take place by 2027/28.
If you are considering employment in a state other than Florida, click here to ensure the program curriculum meets the requirements to sit for licensure or certification testing in that state.
Student Success Rates
Graduation Rates
The total number of graduates from the Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the three-year period from 2019-2021 was 75, with an overall graduation rate of 69%.
| Admission Year | Graduation Year | # of Admissions | # of Graduates | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020* | 24 | 9 | 38% |
| 2020 | 2021 | 27 | 24 | 89% |
| 2021 | 2022* | 21 | 11 | 50% |
| Total | 72 | 44 | 61% | |
*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students from the Class of 2020 Cohort were delayed in fieldwork placement. Therefore, the remaining 9 students graduated in the Spring of 2021. For the cohort admitted in 2019, 18/24 students graduated by Spring of 2021.
*Due to COVID-19 vaccine requirements, some students from the Class of 2022 cohort were delayed in completing fieldwork. Additional students from the Class of 2022 cohort admitted in 2021, will be graduating in the Spring of 2023.
Program Notice
To learn more about tuition and fees click here.
| Program Cost | |
|---|---|
| In-State Tuition & Fees | $7,900 |
| Book Fees | $1,000 |
| Background and Drug Screen | $ 119 |
| Physical Medical Requirements | $ 250 |
| Immunizations | $ 35 |
| Uniform Fees | $ 100 |
| CPR | $ 55 |
| NBCOT Exam | $ 515 |
| License Application | $ 180 |
| Approximate Total Program Cost | $10,154 |
Transcripts
Transcripts must be received from both high school/GED and any postsecondary education. They must be official and sealed directly from the awarding institution.
Transcripts may be delivered electronically by email or by mail to:
FSCJ Admissions Office
P.O. Box 40515
Jacksonville, FL 32203-0515
Prerequisites
Prerequisite and General Education courses are offered in an online, on-campus and hybrid format. In the OTA program, there are two courses that are offered in a fully online format which include OTH 1001 and OTH 1704. All other courses within the OTA program are offered in an on-campus or hybrid format, but all have components that require the use of technology.
FSCJ uses the learning management system (LMS) Canvas for all courses and for submission of all coursework. Therefore, the following are minimum requirements:
- A Florida State College at Jacksonville student email account
- A computer with the following:
- Internet access
- Web browser application such as Firefox or Chrome
- Office software (Microsoft Office 365 is free for FSCJ students)
- Web camera, microphone and speakers
- Software plug-ins such as:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Flash Player (required for recording audio and video on Canvas)
- Java (required for screen sharing on Canvas)
- VLC Media Player
Many textbooks within the program are offered in an e-book format or provide supplemental resources for students online. Online subscription-based resources are utilized to supplement textbooks.Faculty hold office hours on-campus and virtually to meet the varying needs of student schedules through the use of Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, or Canvas Conferences.
Technology competencies include, but are not limited to, word processing skills, completing internet searches, downloading and uploading files, presentation development and recording, navigation of the learning management system, file management skills, videoconferencing skills and the ability to scan coursework for upload into the learning management system.
Drug screen, background checks, uniforms, physical and textbooks.