Client-centered intervention is the core of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. Students learn how to assist clients return to participate in activities that matter the most to them: cooking dinner for the family, getting out of bed without assistance or driving. With respect for cultural diversity and individual differences, each client’s intervention plan is unique.

What makes this program different 

1. Extensive hands-on learning. Almost 150 hours of clinical rotations are split among mental health, pediatrics and adult/geriatrics. Students will also complete two intensive 8-week (full-time) fieldwork experiences in different settings.
    
2. Personal attention. Class sizes are small to ensure 1-on-1 instruction from our highly skilled and experienced faculty. Additionally, lab sizes are half the size of a lecture class to guarantee as much individual attention as possible to learn the necessary hands-on skills.
    
3. Networking. Students are afforded the opportunity for multiple community and professional experiences.
    
4. Standardized patients. The use of standardized patients throughout the program enhances student preparation for client interactions.

Program of Study

FALL SEMESTER: 14 weeks of instruction and 1 week of final exams

Course Prefix	Course Title	Credits
UNIV 100	Introduction to Higher Education	1
HLTH 215	Medical Terminology	3
PSYC 120	Introductory and Developmental Psychology	4
BIOL 211/211L BIOL 310/310L	Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab Human Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab	4
OTAS 111	Human Movement for Occupation I	2
OTAS 121	Foundations of the Profession I	2
Total		16

SPRING SEMESTER: 14 weeks of instruction and 1 week of final exams

Course Prefix	Course Title	Credits
PSYC 240	Abnormal Psychology for Health Sciences	3
BIOL 212/212L BIOL 311/311L	Anatomy & Physiology II/Lab Human Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab	4
OTAS 130/130L	Human Movement for Occupation II/Lab	3
OTAS 140	Foundations of the Profession II	3
OTAS 170/170L	Behavioral Health – Principles & Techniques/Lab	3
OTAS 170C	Behavioral Health Fieldwork – Level I	1
Total		17

 

SUMMER SEMESTER: 11 Weeks of instruction and 1 week of final exams

Course Prefix	Course Title	Credits
ENGL 111	Principles of College Composition	3
PHIL 112	Introduction: Ethics and Society	3
SOCY 213	Social Issues in Healthcare Delivery (A total of 20 volunteer hours is required for this course.)	3
OTAS 201L	Therapeutic Media Lab	1
OTAS 203	Pathologic Conditions – Effects on Occupation	2
Total		12

 

FALL SEMESTER: 12 weeks of instruction, 2 weeks of fieldwork level I, and 1 week of final exams

Course Prefix	Course Title	Credits
OTAS 220/220L	Pediatrics – Principles & Techniques/Lab	4
OTAS 220C	Pediatric Fieldwork – Level I	1
OTAS 235/235L	Physical Dysfunction – Principles & Techniques/Lab	5
OTAS 235C	Adult/Geriatric Fieldwork – Level I	1
OTAS 255/255L	Assistive Technology/Lab	2
Total		13

 

SPRING SEMESTER: 16 weeks of fieldwork level II and 2 full days of Professional Seminar

Course Prefix	Course Title	Credits
OTAS 270C	Fieldwork – Level II-A	6
OTAS 271C	Fieldwork – Level II-B	6
OTAS 285	Professional Seminar	1
Total		13
Overall Total		71

 

Waived core courses (if a student has earned a university-approved associate or baccalaureate degree)

UNIV 100 – Introduction to Higher Education

PSYC 121 – Introductory Psychology

ENGL 111 – Principles of College Composition

PHIL 112 – Introduction: Ethics and Society

SOCY 213 – This course can only be waived if a student has earned a university-approved associate or baccalaureate degree and the student has taken and passed an introductory sociology course.

Additional Information
UNIV 100 – Introduction to Higher Education – may be waived if a student has completed a minimum of 12 credits of college-level coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.0

PSYC 121 – Introductory Psychology (3 credits) and PSYC 230 – Lifespan Developmental Psychology (3 credits), may be accepted for PSYC 120 – Introductory and Developmental Psychology (4 credits), whether or not a student has earned a university-approved associate or baccalaureate degree.

BIOL 322 – Human Anatomy and Physiology for Pre-Nursing Majors (6 credits) may be accepted for BIOL 211 and BIOL 212 OR BIOL 310 and BIOL 311, whether or not a student has earned a university-approved associate or baccalaureate degree.

All general education courses transferred into this program of study, must meet the university registrar transfer credit criteria and must be approved according to current registrar policies.

This program prepares graduates to work in:

• Hospitals
• School Systems
• Outpatient Clinics
• Home Health Agencies
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
• Mental Health Agencies
• Community Agencies
• Work and Industrial Settings

The OTA Program is no longer accepting applications. According to the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), the OTA program was placed on Inactive Status December 2, 2022. Admission to this program is closed.

“The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occpational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929.

ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA (2682), and its web address is www.acoteonline.org

Graduates of the OTA program 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 graduate will be a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure 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.

The average pass rate over the past three calendar years (2019, 2020 and 2021) for graduates attempting the national certification exam within 12 months of graduation is 98%.

Graduation Year	Graduate Passing Rate – Candidates testing within one year of graduation	National Passing Rate – Candidates testing within one year of graduation
2019	93%	89%
2020	100%	86%
2021	100%	92%
Total	98%	89%

The average *graduation rate over the following three calendar years (2019, 2020, and 2021) is 81%.

*Graduation rate is calculated based on student program completion within three years.

Graduation Year	Students Graduating/Students Entering	Graduation Rate
2019	16/21	76%
2020	17/21	81%
2021	17/20	85%
Total	50/62	81%

https://www.nbcot.org/EN/EDUCATORS/HOME#SCHOOLPERFORMANCE  

View the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy website.

RUC-OTA Program Costs – 2023-2024 – In-State Undergraduate Tuition and Fees

RUC-OTA Program Costs – 2023-2024 – Out-of-State Undergraduate Tuition and Fees

Full time tuition and fees are based on 12-18 credit hours.

The above calculations are based on students enrolled in the full program of study. If students have already taken general education courses previous to entering the program, tuition costs may decrease for each semester. It should be noted that summer session tuition and fees are calculated per credit hour.

Fees are subject to change pending annual review.

*varies in cost

**Fieldwork - possible additional medical expenses – Students may incur additional expenses depending on individual need for updated immunizations, titers, etc. and/or possible site-specific background checks, drug screens, and/or additional vaccinations and shots.

According to FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), cost of attendance is defined as total amount of attending the program, which includes tuition and fees, books, supplies, transportation, loan fees as well as fees associated with distance education.