Become an occupational therapy practitioner at JCC
The Occupational Therapy Assistant degree at Jamestown Community College prepares you to become a certified occupational therapy assistant. With JCC's OTA degree, you can pursue a further degree to become an occupational therapist through one of our transfer agreements, or work directly after graduation.
Occupational therapy practitioners help people live as independently as possible through activity modification, environmental adaptation, rehabilitation, education, wellness, and prevention. Some areas you can work in include:
- Hospitals, nursing homes, inpatient/outpatient rehab, home health care
- School districts, early intervention, after school programs
- Health, wellness and prevention, home modification and ergonomics
2022 median pay for occupational therapy assistants: $63,450/year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Benefits of the OTA degree at JCC
- Earn an in-demand degree in a healthcare profession in only two years.
- Save money by starting at JCC for an entry-level career as an occupational therapy assistant, or to prepare for transfer to a degree as an occupational therapist.
- Learn from licensed occupational therapy practitioners who are experienced educators and connected to the local OT community.
- Develop occupational therapy skills through hands on experiences in Jayhawk Explore & Soar: Occupational Therapy Clinic for Families.
- As an accredited program, graduates 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).
JCC’s OTA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) | 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929 | 301.652.AOTA
How to apply to OTA
The OTA program has a supplemental application in addition to the JCC application.
Where to study at JCC
- Fully available on the Jamestown Campus
- Some courses must be completed on the Jamestown Campus
Occupational therapy assistant skills
After you complete the program, you will be able to:
- Exhibit professional, desirable workplace behaviors which reflect occupational therapy standards of practice.
- Design and implement client-centered interventions for persons, groups and populations.
- Apply evidence-based practices to positively impact interventions and inform occupational therapy practice.
- Articulate the value of occupational therapy to society.
- Cultivate a professional growth mindset through reflective practice.