Typically, the minimum educational requirement to pursue a career as an occupational therapy assistant is an associate-level degree from an accredited institution of learning.
20 months
Approximate Program Length
73 credit hours
Total Credits
AAS Occupational Therapy Assistant
Associate of Applied Science
On-Campus or Hybrid
Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate Degree
Not every healthcare professional is a nurse or a doctor. There is a growing demand for rehabilitation-oriented professionals, including certified occupational therapy assistants. Gain the skills needed to step into a variety of healthcare settings with the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) associate degree at Bryant & Stratton College.
The OTA Program You’ve Been Looking For
Students in this occupational therapy associate degree program will learn what it takes to provide support and treatment to adults and children in need of focused therapy to develop vital capacities that are used on a daily basis.
They’ll study theory, anatomy, and physiology and will gain assessment skills through multiple experiences in the field, which will enhance the theory and practice learned in classroom and lab settings. This is the degree, and the education, students will need to pursue OTA careers helping individuals live life to the fullest, working under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist.
Bryant & Stratton College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program combines comprehensive classroom instruction with hands-on clinical experiences. Students engage in both integrated and full-time clinical placements across diverse healthcare settings. This associate degree program blends theoretical knowledge with practical application, emphasizing patient-centered care. Graduates emerge well-equipped to deliver effective treatments and make meaningful contributions in their future occupational therapy careers.
Upon completion of the OTA degree program at Bryant & Stratton College, graduates will have the education necessary to take licensure exams and are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
*The final semester of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program mandates that students fulfill full-time day fieldwork participation.
Where can you take this program?
The OTA program is available 100% on site at our Syracuse campus, or through hybrid delivery. The OTA hybrid program blends online coursework with hands-on skills development. Students enrolled in the hybrid program must attend labs onsite one weekend per month at either the Wauwatosa, Greece, or Solon campus.
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Hybrid Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Degree Program
Bryant & Stratton College offers a flexible and innovative path to earning your Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree. Our hybrid OTA program allows students to earn their degree in as little as 20 months through a combination of online coursework and in-person lab experiences.
This unique format provides the flexibility to manage work, family, and other commitments, while still gaining essential practical skills. The blend of online and in-person learning allows students to minimize their time on campus while still engaging in comprehensive lab work.
Flexible Education: Online and On-Campus Curriculum
Students in the hybrid OTA program will be required to come to the Wauwatosa campus in Wisconsin, the Solon campus in Ohio, or the Greece campus in New York one weekend per month, per term. All other coursework will be completed online. The online component covers 100% of lecture materials, accessible 24/7, with no scheduled class times, giving students the freedom to learn when it suits them best.
The hybrid OTA associate degree features 45 hours of lab work which is completed thorough a combination of online and on-campus curriculum. This combination of flexibility and direct interaction provides an optimal learning experience for future occupational therapy assistants.
Online Lab Requirements
Students will be required to complete nine hours (25%) of their lab work online. The online labs differ from the online lecture component of the degree program as students are required to be logged into class at set times during the term. The online labs are scheduled in three-hour blocks. This ensures the greatest flexibility for students as the class times will not interfere with any previous obligations during the week.
On-Campus Lab Requirements
The remaining 75% of lab work will be conducted in-person at the Wauwatosa campus in Wisconsin, the Solon campus in Ohio, or the Greece campus in New York. Students will be required to spend all day Saturday and Sunday on-campus completing their lab requirements in our state-of-the-art OTA lab. The hybrid OTA program is structured so that students will only be on-campus one weekend per month, per term. In total, students will come to campus for four weekends each term.
Contact the Wauwatosa campus to learn more about this program, including travel and accommodation options for required on-campus lab work.
Program Outcomes
The Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree program at Bryant & Stratton College provides students with the ability to do the following:
Apply occupational therapy principles and theories to evaluation and intervention techniques in order to achieve desired outcomes.
Demonstrate professional behavior and values and moral and ethical standards and attitudes consistent with the profession of occupational therapy.
Appreciate the distinct roles and responsibilities of the occupational therapy assistant as they apply to interaction with clients, family members, and other professionals, including occupational therapists.
Be an advocate for clients, for services, and for the profession.
Provide services to clients of varied backgrounds in various systems without bias.
Value research, evidence-based practice, and the need to keep current and engaged in life-long learning.
Valuable Internship Experience
In addition to your classroom experience, we recognize the importance of real-world application. Through our partnership network, students are provided with opportunities to actively apply their learnings within their chosen field.
Lifestriders offers an amazing Occupational Therapy emerging practice fieldwork experience. The staff and volunteers welcomed me with great kindness, and a visible passion for their occupation. I gained valuable clinical skills while learning about the benefits of hippotherapy and everything this organization had to offer!
Syndney Egan LifeStriders
Rochester Regional gave me the opportunity to shadow and treat patients with a variety of diagnosis. I enjoyed traveling to each floor to encourage those in Rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life. I jumpstarted my career through our internship affiliation. Forever thankful for the B&SC community.
Zack Cahill Rochester Regional Health
Careers
What can you do with an Occupational Therapy Assistant Associates degree?
Demand for occupational therapy assistants is growing much faster than average according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These professionals may help patients perform therapeutic activities, teach patients to use assistive devices, or lead children in therapeutic play. An Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree prepares you to perform these tasks under the supervision of a Licensed Occupational Therapist.
An Accredited, Career-Building OTA Program
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-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the Wauwatosa, Greece, Solon, and Syracuse programs 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). Program results from the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.
* Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure or authorization.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate Degree Graduation Rates
Occupational Therapy Assistant Academic Program Disclosures
Cost of Attending the Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS Program
* Cost of Attendance includes the total cost of education including institutional charges such as tuition, fee and book supplies as well as factors for transportation, personal expenses and room and board while attending college.
Illustration based on current tuition fees and book charges. These costs are subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first step is to find an accredited degree program that fits your needs. Depending on where you plan to help practice, you’ll also need to complete a minimum of supervised clinical experiences, typically around 16 weeks full time. From there, you should pursue national certification, taking the test as administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy. At Bryant & Stratton College, our Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant program can help you meet all the requirements.
Most of the courses you will take involve some area of human movement. At Bryant & Stratton College, our AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant program covers the occupational therapy process, developmental intervention, human movement for occupation, adaptive interventions and more.
Bryant & Stratton College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant that can be completed in just over two years. The program incorporates four distinct clinical experiences across various healthcare environments, including two integrated and two culminating placements. This comprehensive approach equips students with the practical skills and diverse exposure needed to thrive in the long-term as occupational therapy assistants.
Due to the clinical nature of many of the requirements for graduation, there are very few programs where even a portion of the instruction is offered in an online format. At Bryant & Stratton College, our Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program offers flexible learning options to suit your needs. Choose between a fully on-site experience at our Syracuse campus or our innovative hybrid format based at the Wauwatosa campus. The hybrid program combines the convenience of online coursework with essential hands-on training. Students in the hybrid program must attend on-site labs one weekend per month at our Wauwatosa, Greece, or Solon campuses.
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