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Cabarrus College of Health Sciences offers a two year associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Occupational Therapy Assistant’s help adapt work and physical environments to promote independence;
analyze and train in daily living and homemaking skills; fabricate and apply splints and orthotic devices; and use
activities, therapeutic exercise, and crafts to promote independence and wellness.
OTA’s have many work environment opportunities that include acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers,
long term care facilities, out patient clinics, school districts, industry, well baby clinics and day care centers.
Occupational therapy assistants work with people of all ages who, because of illness, injury, and developmental or
psychological impairment, need specialized assistance in learning skills to enable them to lead independent,
productive and satisfying lives. Services that a COTA may provide include: analysis and training in activities of daily
living skills (ADL’s) and homemaking tasks, fabrication and application of splints and other orthotic devices,
use of therapeutic crafts, activities, exercises, and physical agent modalities combined with meaningful occupation,
training for productive work, adaptation of physical environments and architectural barriers for the physically
challenged, and application of group processes.
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences offers a state of the art student learning centered environment that is focused on
student success in the health sciences. The average class size is 20 students allowing for one-on-one interaction with
instructors in the classroom and in hands-on skills lab instruction. |
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MISSION STATEMENT
The Occupational Therapy Assistant program mission and vision are supportive of the mission of the Cabarrus College
of Health Sciences. The mission of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is that it strives to graduate
students who are competent, caring, and ethical professionals by providing support and educational excellence.
The vision is to provide an exceptional and progressive OTA learning environment. |
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PHILOSOPHY
The educational philosophy of the Cabarrus College OTA program is that human beings learn through
active interaction with the environment. This philosophy aligns with the AOTA Philosophy of
Professional Education, which states, "Occupational therapy educators use active learning that engages
the learner in a collaborative process that builds on prior knowledge and experience and integrates
professional academic knowledge, experiential learning, clinical reasoning, and self-reflection". Visit
the American Occupational Therapy Association web site
for additional information. |
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PROGRAM GOALS
The program goals of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences are to:
- Ensure Academic Excellence: To provide superior classroom instruction that will promote high
certification pass rates and program completion.
- Promote Student Success: Graduates will have the skills and competencies to be employed and
successful as a generalist in an entry level OTA position.
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CURRICULUM GOALS
The curriculum design meets the educational goals through the instruction of basic fundamental skill sets, and demonstrated
clinical competencies. Initially fundamentals are introduced, explained and demonstrated. Students are then asked to
demonstrate fundamental skill sets through the completion of competency sheets where they have the opportunity to imitate
and repeat the required roles of an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
The following educational goals were developed to further clarify the basis for curriculum design.
The educational goals of the OTA program at the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences are to:
- Provide a consistent educational framework to support skill and competency based learning.
- Facilitate individual personal and professional growth so that each student can maximize their strengths and become a
successful lifelong learner.
- Provide observational and practical learning experiences which repeat core curriculum concepts for student retention
and application.
- Facilitate multiple opportunities for students to learn and acquire professional behaviors in a variety of settings.
- Apply data collection, evidenced based research, and critical thinking skills in laboratory and clinical settings.
- Promote student creativity, self reflection, and evaluation.
- Equip each student to pass the NBCOT certification examination with confidence.
- Prepare each student to be a qualified and professional entry level practitioner for employment in a variety of settings
which include; extended care facilities, community based programs, hospitals, school systems, outpatient clinics, and
rehabilitation facilities.
- Develop awareness of the role of culture, social, and ethnic diversity in ethical performance of occupational therapy
assistant practice.
- Provide community service, through OTA student clinical experiences, to sites that currently do not offer occupational
therapy.
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT CURRICULUM PLAN
| Fall Semester |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| OTA 110** |
Introduction to OT |
2 |
| OTA 115** |
OTA Fieldwork Placement (Level I #1) |
1 |
| OTA 120** |
Activity Analysis/Application to Occupation |
3 |
| BIO 100* |
Medical Terminology |
1 |
| BIO 210* |
Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
4 |
| ENG 101 |
English Composition I |
3 |
| CAS 190 |
Computers Technology Applications |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
| Spring Semester |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| OTA 130** |
Fundamentals of Occupations |
3 |
| OTA 140** |
Adult Physical Conditions |
3 |
| OTA 145** |
OTA Fieldwork Placement (Level I #2) |
1 |
| OTA 150** |
Pediatrics in OT |
3 |
| PSY 101* |
General Psychology |
3 |
| BIO 220* |
Human Anatomy & Physiology II |
4 |
| Total |
17 |
| Summer Session #1 |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| OTA 160** |
Kinesiology |
3 |
| PSY 150* |
Human Growth & Development |
3 |
| Total |
6 |
| Fall Semester |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| OTA 200** |
Pediatric Therapeutic Intervention |
2 |
| OTA 210** |
Mental Health Concepts /Techniques for the OTA |
2 |
| OTA 215** |
OTA Fieldwork Placement (Level I #3) |
1 |
| OTA 220** |
Adult Therapeutic Intervention |
3 |
| HUM |
Humanities of Student Choice |
3 |
| PSY 210* |
Abnormal Psychology |
3 |
| #### ### |
Elective |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
| Spring Semester |
| Course # |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| OTA 240** |
Level II Fieldwork #1 |
6 |
| OTA 260** |
Level II Fieldwork #2 |
6 |
| Total |
12 |
| Program Total |
69 |
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A minimum of 69 semester hours are required to earn an Associate of Science Degree in the
Occupational Therapy Assistant program.
All students must complete Level II fieldwork within one year of the required academic coursework.
* Program requirements ** Major Requirements
Certification Eligibility: Graduates 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 all program requirements. After successful
completion of this examination the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
(COTA). Most states require licensure in order to practice and require successful completion of the
NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduates ability to sit for the
NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure. |
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ADMISSION
For admission into the Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Science Degree program,
applicants must meet the general college admission requirements and must submit:
- an official transcript showing evidence of high school or college level Algebra I, Algebra II,
either geometry or a math with Algebra II as a prerequisite, chemistry and biology with a
preferred minimum grade of "C"
- minimum suggested standardized test scores:
- SAT scores of 480 - critical reading and 440 - math OR
- ACT composite score of 19 OR
- ASSET (42 in the Writing section, 42 in the Reading section and 36 in the Numerical section)
- evidence of high school class rank (should rank in upper half of class)
- two references that speak to academic abilities and/or work ethic. If applicant has previously
been enrolled in another occupational therapy assistant program within the last five years, then
one reference MUST be from a program official at the institution attended.
- evidence of a minimum of 25 hours of observation are required in three different occupational therapy settings.
Accreditation Note: The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by The
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), located at The American Occupational Therapy
Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, Phone (301) 652-AOTA (2682).
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