Occupational Therapy Assistant

Wallace State can help students earn the associate degree that is required to qualify for Occupational Therapy Assistant jobs and be prepared to meet the rising demand for Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Admission Requirements and Curriculum

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational Theraphy Assistant

Wallace State’s programs boast a top-notch reputation with outstanding licensure and job placement rates, small class sizes where you will receive individual attention, and an award-winning faculty and staff. Choose Wallace State’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program for a career in a highly-rewarding, high-demand field at a fraction of the cost of attending a university.

Discover your story in OTA at Wallace State!

About the OTA Program

Occupational therapy assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to provide rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments. The ultimate goal is to improve clients’ quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. For example, occupational therapy assistants help injured workers re-enter the labor force by teaching them how to compensate for lost motor skills or help individuals with learning disabilities increase their independence.

An associate’s degree or a certificate from an accredited community college or technical school is required to qualify for occupational therapy assistant jobs. Wallace State’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program is offered on the WSCC campus.

Program Outcomes

Graduation Rate
The total number of graduates from the Wallace State Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the 3-year period from 2019-2021 was 167, with a total graduation rate of 94%.

Graduation Year (by Academic Year)	Number of Students Entering/Graduating	Graduation Rate
2018	60/58	97%
2019	60/60	100%
2020	60/56	93%
2021	58/51	88%
2022	57/53	93%

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam Results

Graduates of the Wallace State OTA program are 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 Exam. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT examination or attain state licensure. NBCOT’s web address is http://www.nbcot.org

Year	Pass %
2018	98%
2019	100%
2020	100%
2021	95%
2022	91%

To view the official NBCOT exam score results for the WSCC OTA program, visit the NBCOT program data results homepage at: http://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION

OTAs are employed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, private practices and other specialized health care settings.

Employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow by 40 percent through 2024. Demand for occupational therapy assistants will continue to rise because of the increasing number of individuals with disabilities or limited function. Job growth will result from an aging population, including the baby-boom generation, which will need more occupational therapy services. Increasing demand will also result from advances in medicine that allow more people with critical problems to survive and then need rehabilitative therapy.

Median annual earnings of occupational therapy assistants were $59,200 in May 2019, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $82,210, and the lowest 10 percent earning $41,370. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Wallace State Community College 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 208524929. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is 301-652-6611. ACOTE’s web address is www.acoteonline.org.

In order to complete the WSCC OTA Program and graduate with an AAS, all program specific courses including fieldwork must be passed in sequential manner as listed in the Pathways map with a minimum of 70% to ensure comprehensive knowledge of material. The WSCC OTA Program strives to maintain retention of students by teaching active learning strategies, providing specialized support and guidance regarding study skills, and connecting at-risk students with on campus student support services such as success coaches, mental health counseling, food bank, and library services. See retention rates, graduation rates, and success in board certification in the charts below.

Application Instructions
General Education Worksheet
Observation Hours Form
2025 OTA Program Application (to open Spring 2025)

Admission Requirements

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Wallace State Community College 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. ACOTE’s web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The certifying agency is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) 301-990-7979 located at 800 South Frederick Avenue, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150.

After successful completion of the NBCOT exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Conviction of a felony may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure. Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

OTA FAQs

Advising Tip Sheet

OTA Policies and Procedures

Licensure Disclosure Statement

AOTA

NBCOT