What is Occupational Therapy?

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) describes occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants as individuals who "help people of all ages participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations)." Unlike other professions, occupational therapy helps people function in all of their environments (e.g., home, work, school, community) and addresses the physical, psychological and cognitive aspects of their well-being through engagement in occupation.

Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and develop social skills, helping people recovering from an injury to regain function through retraining and/or adaptations and providing support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.​

About the OTA Program

The Dallas College Occupational Therapy Assistant program is a rigorous 40 hour/week program that takes place over four traditional semesters. It is advised that working full-time while in this program has historically limited student success. Even working part-time hours interferes with work-life balance, completing assignments for a top grade, and fieldwork participation.

Students in the program experience:

• a combination of class lecture hours to learn new information,
• hands-on lab hours to gain muscle memory and ensure competence in the field, and
• fieldwork experience to enhance skill performance and real-world understanding of the role of occupational therapy assistants.

Faculty are dedicated to student success. Student engagement is enhanced through knowledgeable adult learning practices using transformative learning experiences. Students receive mentorship from faculty and others in the community during fieldwork placements. This mentorship helps students develop therapeutic use of self and professional behaviors expected in the field as they become an OTA.

The Occupational Therapy program has its own admissions process, timeline and requirements. Visit the School of Health Sciences Information Packets and Sessions page to view the Occupational Therapy information packets.

For assistance completing the application, please contact our Success Coaching (Advising) Center .

Occupational Therapy Program Outcomes

The total number of graduates from the Dallas College Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the 3-year period of 2022-2024 was 26, with an overall graduation rate of 87%.

View School Performance Data on the NBCOT Examination

NBCOT = National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy

Overall Program Objectives

Upon completion of the Dallas College Occupational Therapy Assistant program, students will meet the following objectives.

• Students will acquire sufficient knowledge and skills to become a competent Occupational Therapist Assistant and be employable in an entry-level capacity in a variety of healthcare settings.
• The curriculum presented to the student from this program will serve as a foundation and opportunity for the graduate to pursue high-level academia goals and aspirations to further study in the field of Occupational Therapy.
• Upon completion of the program, the graduate can participate as an educated and contributing member with the community and the field of occupational therapy.

Program Goals:

1. 100% of OTA faculty will be consistently rated as "Good" or above by students, as measured by the Student-Faculty Evaluation Survey.
2. 80% of students will meet all course requirements in order to successfully progress from semester to semester.
3. 80% of admitted students will successfully complete the program.
4. 80% of students in all fieldwork experiences will pass on the first attempt.
5. 80% of new graduates will rate the program satisfaction as "Satisfactory" or above, as measured by the Graduate Survey.
6. 80% of new graduates will pass the National Board Certification Examination on their first attempt.
7. 80% of new graduates will be employed in traditional or emerging practice areas six months post-graduation, as measured by the Graduate Survey.
8. 80% of new graduates will be rated "Satisfactory" on job technical skills and workplace behaviors, as measured by the Employer Survey.

Accreditation

Dallas College has received accreditation for its Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®). The accreditation process is designed to facilitate development, and substantial support is provided to the program during the process. You may contact the OTA program director, as well as the AOTA Accreditation Department, should you have any questions.

Contact Information

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814

301-652-2682 (AOTA)

Certification and Licensure

Dallas College OTA graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination. After successful completion of this exam, the student 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: a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure.

Applicants with a felony conviction should consult NBCOT (www.nbcot.org) to determine eligibility to sit for the certification examination prior to applying for admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.