OTA - Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS)

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is designed to provide a quality educational experience that will prepare future professionals in promoting and maintaining the holistic health and wellness of individuals through engagement in occupation over the lifespan. Our graduates will develop skills necessary for employment as Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants and perform as entry level professionals under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist (OT). Focused course work prepares students for the certification examination they will take to become Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA). Employment for Occupational Therapy Assistants may be in but not limited to hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care facilities/nursing homes, out-patient clinics, home healthcare, community, and educational settings. 

Parker University’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program consists of 8 pre-professional courses, 16 professional courses, which include 4 months of clinical fieldwork experience courses for a total of 6 terms (24 months) to receive an Associate in Applied Science degree. Parker University conducts courses on a year-round basis with scheduled vacations each year. The major curriculum is offered during the day, on-campus between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday. Please note: The days can vary based on the course being offered. Students are provided a semester schedule approximately one month prior to the start of the subsequent semester. Within the program is an on-line seminar course which accompanies the Level II Clinical Fieldwork Experiences. The Clinical Fieldwork experiences occur off-campus at various locations and are based on the hours of the Occupational Therapy Practitioners and the Fieldwork sites. The hours can vary anytime between 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday (with a possible Saturday). 

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program student who graduates from the accredited program is eligible to sit for the national certification examination, to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). This examination is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Successful completion of the NBCOT exam is required to be licensed by the State of Texas to practice as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT exam for professional certification and/or attain state licensure.  

• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) 

  1 Bank St #300  

  Gaithersburg, MD 20878  

  (301) 990-7979

  www.nbcot.org 

  *NBCOT results of graduate performance are monitored through the OTA program’s assessment process. NBCOT graduate pass rates are found on the OTA program webpage at: https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx 

• The State of Texas license may be applied for and be obtained from: 

  The Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE) 

  333 Guadalupe, Suite 2-510 

  Austin, TX 78701-3942 

  Phone: (512) 305-6900 

  Fax: (512) 305-6970 or (512) 305-6951 

  info@ptot.texas.gov 

  Professional Organizations and Regulatory Agencies 

• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)  

  6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200 

  North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929 

  Phone:(301)652-6611  

  www.aota.org 

• Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA) 

  1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 516W   

  Austin, TX  78723 

  Phone: 512-454-8682 

  https://www.tota.org/ 

• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

  c/o Accreditation Department

  American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

  7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E

  Bethesda, MD  20814

  Phone:(301)652-6611 x2042

  Website:https://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Accreditation.aspx

  email:accred@aota.org 

Enrollment in and graduation from Parker University’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program does not guarantee future licensure or employment. Each state sets the requirements for professional licensure within that state. Students are responsible to know and to meet the licensure requirements of the state(s) in which they intend to practice. Initial certification from NBCOT is a requirement for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. More information regarding professional licensure at the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.