CIP Code: 51.0803 | NOVA Code: 1260
Purpose
The program is designed to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical, and clinical knowledge necessary to provide quality occupational therapy. This curriculum is designed to prepare students to assist and collaborate with occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. Students will participate in classroom and fieldwork experiences in this program. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates must take and pass a national board exam and complete the licensing process in order to begin a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Graduates may, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans; carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments.
Transfer Information
Transfer is not the primary purpose of an A.A.S. program, but NOVA has articulation agreements that facilitate the transfer of this and other career-oriented programs to selected senior institutions. Students interested in transfer should contact a counselor or their academic advisor early in their program.
Transfer Placement
OTA credits earned at other institutions will be reviewed by the program director of the OTA program to determine if any course substitutions may be warranted within the curriculum. Students wishing to transfer into the NOVA OTA program will be required to satisfactorily complete a skill competency assessment before being accepted into the OTA program. Transfer students must additionally be in good academic standing and must provide a written reference from the program director of the previous institution as well as from a clinical educator as applicable. All transfer students must meet all of the OTA program application and admission requirements before being considered in the competitive admissions process.
Special Accreditation Status
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Northern Virginia Community College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-6611. ACOTE can be found online at www.acoteonline.org. Upon graduation, students 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 this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice and one component of licensure generally includes the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction could affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must do the following:
- Comply with all general admission requirements for Health Science Programs.
- Attend an in-person or virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant information session within one year of application.
- Be a high school graduate or have obtained a GED.
- Complete ENG 111 College Composition I, HLT 141 Introduction to Medical Terminology, and SDV 100 College Success Skills or SDV 101 Orientation to: Healthcare with a “C” or higher.
- Complete BIO 145 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology or BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I and BIO 142 Human Anatomy and Physiology II with a “C” or higher (Please note: BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I requires the completion of BIO 101 General Biology I, or NAS 2 Foundations of Life Sciences or a placement test within 10 years at time of application).
- BIO 145 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology or BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I and BIO 142 Human Anatomy and Physiology II must be completed within 10 years at time of application.
- Complete or self-place into MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning or higher. (MTH 155 Statistical Reasoning may be substituted for MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning. Please contact a faculty or academic advisor to request a course substitution.)
- Maintain a curricular GPA of 2.5 or higher at the last school or college attended (with a minimum of 13 credits). For Health Science programs, GPA evaluation will prioritize a student’s record at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). If no NOVA GPA is available, the GPA from the student’s most recent institution will be considered.
- Assure that all previous transcripts are accounted for and are on file at NOVA prior to the program application deadline date. These transfer credits must be evaluated before any transfer credit is granted. Application acceptance dates will be posted on the website once established. Admission will be on a competitive placement basis of fully qualified candidates. Students will also receive special consideration if they have documented work experience as a rehabilitation technician or an OT aide.
- Students are notified in writing of acceptance into the program following the timely submission of a completed application. Once accepted, students must have current CPR certification; must complete a basic first aid course, a documented medical examination, criminal background check, and a 12-panel drug screen; and must maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher to remain in good standing.
Highly qualified students can apply during the next application period. In the meantime, students interested in the OTA program must attend a face-to-face or virtual information session. Follow the steps in preparation for competitive placement into the OTA program. Competitive eligibility for the OTA program does not guarantee admission.
Continuation Requirements
Students must comply with all continuation requirements for Health Sciences and Occupational Therapy Assistant students. All courses (including General Education courses) must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before taking the next course in the sequence and to satisfy graduation requirements.
