Occupational Therapy Assistant

Associate in Applied Science Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS_OCTA)

Occupational Title: Occupational Therapy Assistant
Newport County Campus only
Evening/Weekend Program (Fieldwork-days)

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at CCRI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). You may find out more at www.acoteonline.org or you may contact ACOTE at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD, 20824-3449 or call 301-652-2682.

Occupational therapy is the use of purposeful activity and interventions to promote health and achieve functional outcomes in areas such as activities of daily living, work, play, or education activities. Achieving functional outcomes means to develop, improve or restore the highest level of independence to any individual who is limited by physical injury or illness, cognitive impairment, psychosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disability or an adverse environmental condition. Occupational therapy helps people of all ages lead productive, satisfying lives.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is offered at the Newport County Campus. It is an evening/weekend program; however, fieldwork experiences are offered during the day. Although Occupational Therapy Assistant courses are offered at the Newport County Campus, the required general education courses may be taken at other CCRI campuses or sites prior to acceptance. All fieldwork courses shall be completed within 18 months following completion of the academic preparation.

Students successfully completing the accredited program earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS_OCTA) and are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy assistants, which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). An individual must successfully pass the certification examination to apply for licensure to practice as a certified occupational therapy assistant in the state of Rhode Island.

Technical standards: The physical activity level for occupational therapy assistants is classified as “medium” by the Department of Labor in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

Note: Many courses require prerequisites, corequisites and/or testing. See course descriptions for details.

GENERAL POLICIES

See important general policies in the beginning of this section on the performance-based Health Sciences application process, academic progress, advanced placement, background check, CPR certification, health insurance, health records, reinstatement, transportation, uniforms, and equipment.

Minimum requirements to apply to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program

1. CCRI application – Complete and submit a CCRI Application for Enrollment. General Studies should be the first choice; OCTA should be the second choice.
2. High school transcript – Send an official copy of the applicant’s high school or GED® transcript, including date of graduation. If the applicant holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, the high school transcript may be waived; a college transcript must indicate completion and degree awarded.
3. Complete RHAB 1100 - Foundational Kinesiology (recommended) and it may be considered in the performance-based acceptance process.
4. Placement – Complete a standardized test (ACCUPLACER NEXT GENERATION) issued by CCRI’s Department of Advising and Counseling. Competency of 250 or above is required for reading comprehension or completion of ENGL 0890 - Critical Reading with a grade of B- or better.
5. Complete the following courses with a grade of C or better:
   1. BIOL 1020 - Human Physiology or BIOL 2202 Anatomy and Physiology II
   2. MATH 1025 - Introduction to College Math or MATH 1200, 1210, 1139, 1138, 1175, 1240, 1241, 2077, 2138, 2111, 2141, 2143, 2243. (Highest grade earned in any of these courses will be calculated in the point system.)
   3. ENGL 1010 - Composition I. ENGL 1300 will not substitute.
   4. PSYC 2010 - General Psychology
   5. PSYC 2030 - Developmental Psychology
   6. COMM 1100 - Oral Communication I
6. Complete the following courses with a grade of B- or better:
   1. BIOL 1010 - Human Anatomy or BIOL 2201 Anatomy and Physiology I
   2. OCTA 1000 - Introduction to Occupational Therapy
   3. RHAB 1010 - Medical Terminology for Rehabilitation
7. GPA – Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or better for all college courses taken.
8. Health Sciences application – Complete and submit performance-based Health Sciences application including a preadmission degree evaluation during the open enrollment period. The application and instructions can be found at www.ccri.edu/oes/admissions/index.html.
   1. IMPORTANT: All the above requirements must be completed satisfactorily BEFORE submission of performance-based Health Sciences application and do not guarantee acceptance to the program. Students declining acceptance into the program for the semester offered must resubmit a performance-based Health Sciences application for the program and meet the current admission requirements for the application period in which they reapply. Once accepted into the Occupational Therapy program, the student must attend a mandatory orientation conducted by the Rehabilitative Health Department.
9. Background check – Students are required to submit a background check when directed by notification from Enrollment Services. Final acceptance to the program is dependent on the results of the background check.

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCE

Students must be accepted into the program before taking any major requirements.

Total Major Education Requirements Credits 45

Total Preadmission Credits 27
Total Major Credits 45
Total Program Credits 72