Overview

Occupational Therapy Assistants help people improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments and promote independence through meaningful tasks. They work under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist. They teach patients, clients and children how to use special equipment, modify their environments for safety, access education, recover, improve, and maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Their goal is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

OTA Program Admissions Packet 2025 (pdf)

OTA Program Costs 2023-2024

OTA Program Graduation Requirements

OTA Program Outcomes Data

Verification of Licensure Results found in the “OTA Program Outcomes” document above can be found at the NBCOT Program Data Results page.

Accreditation

The Associate-level Occupational Therapist Assistant program is accredited by Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
 
ACOTE 
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-6611
accred@aota.org
 
Graduates of the Occupational Therapist Assistant program will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, individuals will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). All states require licensure in order to practice. 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 exam or attain state licensure.
 

Why RVCC?

Graduates of RVCC’s OTA program engage in treating both the young and old. An OTA may work in the schools with children or young adults, in hospitals with those who have experienced a trauma or injury, in the home with a person who is striving toward independence, or in the community addressing health and wellness needs. These are just a few of the options available for practice.  River Valley prepares students for success regardless of the avenue they choose to pursue.

Career Options

  • Home Care
  • Mental Health Facility
  • School System
  • Geriatric Care

Related Degrees

  • Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Nursing
  • Radiologist Technologist
  • Medical Laboratory Technician

Printable Program Sheet

Note:
Students must earn a minimum grade of “C” or better in all core liberal arts coursework. Students must earn a minimum grade of “B-” or better in all Occupational Therapy Assistant (Courses with the prefix “OCTA”) and Allied Health (Courses with the prefix “AHLT”) coursework. 
 
Students must complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 12 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program.

69-70 Credits Required

$26.00/h
and are finding jobs with a great deal of flexibility, good benefits and room for growth.