Occupational Therapy Assistant

The 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 Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD  20814. ACOTE's telephone number, C/O AOTA is (301) 652-6611, 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, most 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.

Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

NBCOT Program Results

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online.

NBCOT School Performance Data

More About our Student and Program Outcomes

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program prepares individuals for employment in the state of Indiana upon successful completion of the National Board of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) COTA examination and upon meeting state licensure requirements.

OTA Program Cost Analysis

For more information about tuition, fees and other costs, visit our Financial Aid Cost of Attendance page.

Mission Statement

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at the University of Southern Indiana is dedicated to providing exceptional education within an engaged learning community. We prepare our students to be compassionate and skilled professionals who can navigate and contribute to diverse and dynamic healthcare environments. By fostering critical thinking, cultural competence, and a commitment to lifelong learning, we empower our graduates to lead and make meaningful, positive contributions to their communities and the global society.

The mission of the USI OTA program will be fulfilled by meeting the following objectives:

• Provide knowledge and skills necessary for an entry-level occupational therapy assistant generalist through a variety of learning activities provide educational experiences necessary to meet societal needs for service provision.
• Promote the education of culturally competent practitioners.
• Promote professional development in occupational therapy assistant faculty and occupational therapy practitioners that leads to the value of lifelong learning.
• Promote excellence in occupational therapy education, scholarship, and service through leadership, collaboration, consultation, and partnerships with service providers.
• Provide support to the community through advocacy for the profession and client population, service activities, organizational involvement and political action.
• Institute a caring environment in which occupational therapy assistant students, faculty and community service providers work together to optimize their personal and professional development.

Vision Statement

Empower students with the knowledge, skills, and empathetic understanding essential for excellence in diverse occupational therapy settings, fostering innovation in client-centered care, and making a meaningful impact on individuals and communities through transformative therapeutic practices.

The University of Southern Indiana, the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program promotes academic and professional excellence by preparing students to become credentialed occupational therapy practitioners at the entry level. At the time of their graduation the student will:

• Have acquired an education founded in liberal arts and sciences and has been exposed to a variety of service models and systems that are commonly used in the current occupational therapy service delivery.
• Have an understanding of the importance of diversity in the delivery of interventions to assigned populations.
• Be articulate in adherence to ethical standards, values and attitudes of occupational therapy practice.
• Verbalize and demonstrate an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of occupational therapists as they relate to occupational therapy assistants.
• Value the role of a lifelong learner and the importance of remaining current in the practice of occupational therapy.

Faculty demonstrate leadership in occupational therapy education, scholarship and service by sharing their expertise through innovative teaching strategies, presentations, publications, creative works, service provision, collaboration, consultation and political action to enrich the occupational therapy profession. The faculty of the University of Southern Indiana abides by the current code of ethics of the profession of occupational therapy.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is a 65-credit hour associate degree:

• 17 hours of liberal arts and sciences (50 percent of USI University Core Curriculum)
• 48 hours of occupational therapy assistant courses

Students will take the 17-hour block of University Core Curriculum classes prior to enrolling in the Program.

Learn More about the OTA Curriculum