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Occupational Therapy Assistant

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Associate of Applied Science

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.

 

Our Mission

Guided by the mission and vision of Parker University, the Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S) – is a high-quality, comprehensive program; through combined instruction, clinical practice, and research graduates are equipped with the skills necessary to transform the lives of the individuals they serve and have an overall positive influence in community wellness.

Stats

25%
Growth Rate

Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 25% from 2021 to 2031. Source

11,500
Projected Employment

Projected employment for Occupational therapy assistants and aides is 11,500 by 2031. Source

$61,510
Median Income

The national average annual wage for occupational therapy assistants is $61,730. Source

LEARN IT.
LIVE IT.

LEARN IT.
LIVE IT.

Learn the skills to live
your passion!

Parker’s graduates in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program can pursue a career at:

  • Schools
  • Medical rehabilitation clinics
  • Physical therapy clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Elder care facilities

Program Highlights

Highly Accredited

The first ACOTE Accredited Program in Dallas

Experienced Faculty

Experienced professors with more than 100 years of combined experience

Hands-on Education

Our curriculum emphasizes real-world experience for career readiness through hands-on learning and industry relevance

Career Preparedness

Our graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)

Accreditation and Program Outcomes

The associate-degree-level occupational therapy assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational 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 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the 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 individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Phone:(301)652-6611 x2042
Website: https://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Accreditation.aspx
email: accred@aota.org

Our graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). 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) PASS RATES

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) data results are available at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance

GRADUATION RATES

The total number of graduates from the Parker University Occupational Therapy Assistant program.

Graduation
Year		Students
Entering/Graduating		Graduation
Rate
201614/1178%
201727/2593%
201853/3872%
includes students from an Articulation/Teach-out agreement
201944/4295%
Includes students from an Articulation/Teach-out agreement
202031/2374%
202121/1572%
202232/2681%
202315/1173%
TOTAL237/19181%

Why Parker University’s OTA program?

Get into the Occupational Therapy field in just 16 months!!

Fully Accredited

  • Parker University’s OTA program was the first accredited OTA program in the city of Dallas
  • In 2022, the OTA program was granted FULL reaccreditation status for 10 years by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

Faculty Experience

  • Our faculty collectively have over 100 years of clinical experience in all practice areas of Occupational Therapy *Mental Health *Pediatrics *Adults *Geriatrics
  • All faculty are full-time
  • Students are taught by the faculty that started the program

 

Clinical Fieldwork sites – Diverse Hands-on clinical experiences

  • Our program works with over 100 facilities in DFW and Nationally
  • Opportunity to have clinical fieldwork experiences in all areas of Occupational Therapy
  • Every student completes FIVE clinical fieldwork rotations during the program

 

Small class and lab sizes

  • 1:1 Faculty instruction and mentorship
  • Variety of interactive group activities

Dedicated OTA labs

  • Parker University has two OTA skills labs that are fully furnished with a wide variety of therapeutic media and equipment that reflects current trends in OT practice.

Robust curriculum

Our program is designed to help individuals develop professionally to meet the demands of a competitive healthcare market

  • A variety of instructional enhancements (at no cost to the student)
    • EHR-GO documentation system (No cost)
    • International Clinical Educators- ICE video library (No cost)
    • 3D – Anatomy Dissection tables
    • Visible body Courseware (No cost)
    • Simucase- Virtual clinical simulations (No cost)
    • Computer lab in the College of Health Science
    • Mobile lap-top cart
    • In-lab I-PADs

NBCOT Certification Exam supports

    • Faculty led NBCOT exam review classes
    • NBCOT study pack (No cost)
    • AOTA-NBCOT exam prep subscription (No cost)
    • Certification and state license fees included in tuition
    • 100% certification exam pass rate

Great Reputation in the industry

    • Parker University graduates are highly sought after for jobs, high job placement rates

Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) Club

  • Active student club
    • Promote occupational therapy on campus and in the community
    • Explore professional development opportunities and collaborations
    • Support our community

Commitment to community service

  • Dedicated to helping individuals and groups through loving service

 

Learn More

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