Top Schools for Occupational Therapist Assistants
Occupational therapist assistant (OTA) degrees are typically offered at the associate level and include coursework in physiology, psychology, human development and therapeutic skills as well as professional fieldwork. Graduates are eligible to take the national occupational therapy assistant certification exam and apply for state licensure.
Top Occupational Therapy Assistant Schools
1. St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN
Located in the Twin Cities with campuses in both St. Paul and Minneapolis, St. Catherine University is on Princeton Review's 2012 list of best midwestern colleges and was ranked 14th among midwest regional universities by U.S. News and World Report in 2012. The university offers an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assisting degree program at its Minneapolis campus. In addition, a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy and a dual program resulting in a bachelor's degree in occupational science and the master's in occupational therapy are available at the St. Paul campus. All of St. Catherine University's occupational therapy programs, including the OTA associate degree, are accredited by American Occupational Therapy Association's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
2. Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA
Pennsylvania College of Technology was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the tenth-best public school in the North in 2012. An affiliate of Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania College of Technology offers an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy assistant Associate of Applied Science degree as well as a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Studies with an occupational therapy assistant concentration. The OTA associate degree curriculum includes a fieldwork requirement undertaken in two phases. The bachelor's program expands on the concepts established in the associate program and provides advanced education and training designed to prepare students for leadership positions in the health care field.
3. Touro College in New York, NY
Touro College is a private school in New York City that awards degrees from the associate through the doctoral levels. Students in Touro's occupational therapy assistant program learn to empathize with patients in order to better support clients' needs. Culminating in an Associate in Applied Science degree, the 2-year OTA program is comprised of 18 months of evening classes followed by five months of daytime fieldwork. The School of Health Sciences at Touro additionally houses a 3-year occupational therapy program that awards a joint Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.
Ten Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in the U.S.
| School Name | Distinction | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Casper College | Home of the Western History Center, an internationally known collection of regional historic resources | Casper, WY |
| Mercyhurst North East | Awards grants of up to $10,000 to students who pursue a higher-level degree at the university's main campus after graduating | North East, PA |
| Newman University | Affiliated with the Catholic Church | Wichita, KS |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | OTA program has access to and emphasizes cutting-edge technology and equipment | Williamsport, PA |
| St. Catherine University | Offers an online OTA refresher course | St. Paul, MN |
| Shawnee State University | OTA curriculum requires elective study in non-Western culture | Portsmouth, OH |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University at Sayre | University oversees five residential sites for troubled youth where students may seek internships | Sayre, OK |
| Touro College | Touro follows the Jewish calendar for class scheduling | New York, NY |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | Has Student Occupational Therapy Association | Monroe, LA |
| University of Southern Indiana | Houses the Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center for youth to learn about careers in health | Evansville, IN |
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