Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree Program

Working with clients of all ages, occupational therapy assistants (OTA) work under the supervision of licensed occupational therapists. They help people to develop and recover activities (occupations) of daily living, like getting dressed, driving and working.

Lakeland's Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program prepares students to be competent entry-level therapy assistants. Upon satisfactory completion of the program requirements, graduates are eligible to apply for certification by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and licensure through the appropriate state agency.

OTAs may work with adults in their homes, rehabilitation center, nursing homes, community centers and other facilities. They collaborate in the formulation of a treatment plan, deliver therapeutic interventions to address various disabilities, advocate for the rehabilitation needs of their patients and clients, educate patients and families on effective therapy participation, and accurately document occupational therapy services for reimbursement.

You can earn your Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assisting in as little as two years (including summer term classes) with 65 credit hours.

Graduates of the program will be 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 individual 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.

View estimated tuition costs and program fees.

For admissions requirements into the program, specific courses and more information on earning your degree, visit our college catalog.

For up-to-date information on jobs, salary and the national outlook for occupational therapy assistants, visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.

The associate-degree-level occupational therapy assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD, 20814. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be 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 individual 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 that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Information on certification rates can be accessed through the website for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), located at: https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Lakeland is no longer accepting applications for this program.

OTA Certification and Licensure

After completion of your studies at the College you will need to take the certification examination for the certified occupational therapy assistant. Application-related activities are handled by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). You can request a paper application and hardcopy of the Candidate Handbook from NBCOT or apply online. Specific instructions are given on NBCOT's website.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301.990.7979
nbcot.org

To practice as an occupational therapy assistant in Ohio, you must be endorsed by the state. Once you have met all requirements for graduation, and you pass the certification examination, you will then apply for licensure in order to practice occupational therapy. For further information and to obtain the forms to apply for your permanent state endorsement, contact the professional licensing agency below.

Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board
77 S. High St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
614.466.3774
otptat.ohio.gov

If a student has a felony charge or conviction, this may affect her or his ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to obtain a state license to practice. Any student with such a history is strongly encouraged to contact NBCOT and the licensing board for the state in which they plan to work as early as possible in the course of studies to determine if the felony charge or conviction will affect eligibility.​

*Lakeland Community College does not guarantee third-party certification and licensure. Outside agencies control the requirements for taking and passing certification and licensing exams, and are subject to change without notice to the college.

OTA Program Outcomes

Lakeland Community College's Occupational Therapy Assistant program keeps accurate and current information on student performance and outcomes, including total number of graduates and graduation rates.

Three-year Total

As program outcome data becomes available, information on certification rates can be accessed through the website for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), located at: https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.