Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Science Degree - East Liverpool

The Occupational Therapy A.A.S. program provides you with the skills and experience needed to become a licensed occupational therapy assistant, working with individuals of all ages to help them live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant A.A.S. program provides you with the skills and experience needed to become a licensed occupational therapy assistant, working with individuals of all ages to help them live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

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Kathy Swoboda, MLS, OTR/L | Academic Program Director | kswobod1@kent.edu | 330-382-7456

Nina Sullivan, B.S., COTA/L | Academic Fieldwork Coordinator / Program Advisor | nssulliv@kent.edu | 330-382-7457

Step 1: Apply to 麻豆精选Now

Step 2: Apply to the OTA Program

Applications for Fall 2025 are now closed. Please contact us for more information.

Associate Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant

麻豆精选's nationally accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree program provides you with the skills and experience needed to become a licensed occupational therapy assistant, working with individuals of all ages to help them live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Program Information for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

Program Description

On This Page

Full Description
Professional Licensure Disclosure

Full Description

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant prepares students for a career as an occupational therapy assistant. Occupational therapy services are provided for habilitation, rehabilitation and promotion of health and wellness, while emphasizing participation in meaningful occupations for clients and groups in a variety of settings. Occupational therapy assistants work under the direction of and in partnership with occupational therapists.

The degree program prepares students with a sequential curriculum, including lectures, labs and a variety of fieldwork experiences. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification exam and obtain state licensure.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Admissions for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

麻豆精选campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, and the Twinsburg Academic Center, have open enrollment admission for students who hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.

For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Engage in ongoing professional growth and development as an occupational therapy assistant practitioner.
Apply clinical reasoning by integrating clinical experiences with evidence-based practice and personal experience to provide best-practice occupational therapy services.
Implement occupation-based, client-centered practice to support clients' desired occupational roles and participation.
Promote community engagement through connecting resources to identified groups and populations to facilitate healthy, productive and satisfying lives.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements
Progression Requirements
Graduation Requirements

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA; min C/S grade required in all courses)
OTA 10000	FOUNDATIONS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY	2
OTA 10002	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH	4
OTA 10003	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE I	1
OTA 10010	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE II	3
OTA 10192	FIELDWORK 1A (ELR)	1
OTA 20001	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS	2
OTA 20002	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH	3
OTA 20003	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE III	3
OTA 20004	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS	3
OTA 20006	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH II	3
OTA 20392	FIELDWORK 1B (ELR)	1
OTA 20492	FIELDWORK 1C (ELR)	1
OTA 21092	CLINICAL APPLICATIONS I (ELR)	4
OTA 21192	CLINICAL APPLICATIONS II (ELR)	4
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA; min C grade required in all courses)
AHS 12005	CONCEPTS IN LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT	3
or NURS 20950	HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
AHS 12010	PROFESSIONALISM IN HEALTHCARE	1
AHS 22002	CLINICAL KINESIOLOGY	3
AHS 22003	CLINICAL KINESIOLOGY LABORATORY	1
BSCI 11010	FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB) ¹	3
BSCI 11020	FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II (KBS) (KLAB) ¹	3
PSYC 11762	GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)	3
PSYC 21211	PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS)	3
or PSYC 40111	PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
		3
		3
		3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:		65

¹: Students who have successfully completed ATTR 25057 and ATTR 25058 (or EXSC 25057 and EXSC 25058 or BSCI 21010 and BSCI 21020) may use those courses in place of BSCI 11010 and BSCI 11020.

Progression Requirements

To be able to register for Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) courses, students must be accepted to technical study. Acceptance to technical study is a selective process. Criteria for acceptance are the following:

Completion of prescribed developmental coursework
Minimum 2.700 overall GPA

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements Summary
Minimum Major GPA	Minimum Overall GPA
2.000	2.000

Clinical education must be successfully completed within 18 months of the didactic coursework.
Portions of the program's courses incorporate the use of technology and/or may be offered in a distance learning format. Under certain circumstances, students are required to attend clinicals on days outside of the academic calendar. These circumstances may occur on scheduled or unscheduled campus closures or on days when classes are cancelled, but the campus remains open. Examples include certain holidays, spring recess and/or prior to the start of semesters. Students are notified in advance of these dates.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester One		Credits
BSCI 11010	FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB)	3
	Credit Hours	3
Semester Two
AHS 12010	PROFESSIONALISM IN HEALTHCARE	1
BSCI 11020	FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II (KBS) (KLAB)	3
OTA 10000	FOUNDATIONS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY	2
OTA 10003	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE I	1
PSYC 11762	GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS)	3
UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
Kent Core Requirement		3
	Credit Hours	14
Semester Three
AHS 12005 or NURS 20950	CONCEPTS IN LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT or HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS	3
AHS 22002	CLINICAL KINESIOLOGY	3
AHS 22003	CLINICAL KINESIOLOGY LABORATORY	1
OTA 10002	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH	4
OTA 10010	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE II	3
OTA 10192	FIELDWORK 1A (ELR)	1
PSYC 21211 or PSYC 40111	PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (DIVD) (KSS) or PSYCHOPATHOLOGY	3
	Credit Hours	18
Semester Four
OTA 20002	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH	3
OTA 20003	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS FOR PRACTICE III	3
OTA 20392	FIELDWORK 1B (ELR)	1
	Credit Hours	7
Semester Five
OTA 20001	OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS	2
OTA 20004	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS	3
OTA 20006	OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH II	3
OTA 20492	FIELDWORK 1C (ELR)	1
Kent Core Requirement		3
Kent Core Requirement		3
	Credit Hours	15
Semester Six
OTA 21092	CLINICAL APPLICATIONS I (ELR)	4
OTA 21192	CLINICAL APPLICATIONS II (ELR)	4
	Credit Hours	8
	Minimum Total Credit Hours:	65

Program Delivery

Accreditation for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

Accreditation

The A.A.S. degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant 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(2682) and the website is www.acoteonline.org.

This program is offered by the College of Applied and Technical Studies

Learn more about the OTA program delivered at East Liverpool and Ashtabula

Apply to OTA

Current OTA Students

Faculty & Staff

Fieldwork

Graduation, NBCOT and Career Info

Cost of Attendance

Find out more about our Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and discover why you belong here!

Steps to apply to the OTA Program

Apply to 麻豆精选
Demonstrate College Readiness through completion of KSU Admission testing, ACT/ SAT scores, or completion of ALL prescribed developmental course work with a 鈥淐鈥� or better by the beginning of the OTA program. Applicants may be 鈥減rovisionally accepted鈥� to the OTA program if enrolled in developmental courses and on track to pass with 鈥淐鈥� or better in the semester prior to entrance/acceptance to the program.
Declare the OTA major (contact your advisor)
Attendance at an or meeting with an advisor for the OTA Program is not required but highly recommended.
Submit the online OTA Program Technical Study Application. THIS IS A SEPARATE APPLICATION FROM THE APPLICATION TO THE UNIVERSITY. Applications open approximately two months prior to the deadline (see page 1).

Additional Requirements for Acceptance

Applicants must successfully complete BSCI 11010鈥擜natomy and Physiology I for Allied Health or equivalent course by the end of the spring semester for Ashtabula cohort and end of summer semester for East Liverpool cohort to be eligible to start the following semester. Applicants may be 鈥減rovisionally accepted鈥� to the OTA program if enrolled in A&P I and on track to pass with 鈥淐鈥� or better in the semester prior to entrance/acceptance to the program.
Minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA from the most recent academic experience of six credit hours or more

Application Information

Application Information Packet

Ashtabula applications now closed; deadline March 1.

East Liverpool applications now closed; deadline April 30

Questions? Contact Us!

* Important Note: A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification examination or obtain state licensure.

Kathy Swoboda, MLS, OTR/L, Interim Academic Program Director | kswobod1@kent.edu | 330-382-7456
Nina Sullivan, BS, COTA/L, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator | nssulliv@kent.edu | 330-382-7457
Lori Armstrong, BA, COTA/L NTT Faculty | lahare@kent.edu | 440-964-4335
Linda Ankerman, BS, OTR/L, Adjunct Faculty | lankerma@kent.edu
Nicole Best, MS, COTA/L Adjunct Faculty | nbest@kent.edu
Heather Rosser, BS, COTA/L, Adjunct Faculty | hrosser1@kent.edu
Janine Rickets, OTD, MOT/L Adjunct Faculty | jricket4@kent.edu
Theresa Hootman, Allied Health Administrative Clerk | thootma1@kent.edu | 440-964-4252
Mary Schonhut, Secretary | mschonhu@kent.edu

Upon successful completion of coursework & fieldwork experiences, students will receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

To be eligible for graduation the student must:

Have a grade point average of 2.0 or above
Complete all general, related and occupational therapy assistant courses with a "C" or above
Successfully complete two level II fieldwork experiences within 18 months of classroom coursework.

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 to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Prior to 2024, the KSU Ashtabula and East Liverpool programs were separately accredited. Therefore, outcome data below is reported separately. Beginning in 2024, outcome data will be combined.

Ashtabula and East Liverpool locations
Year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year)	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior)
2022	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 16	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 65%
2023	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 18	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 82%
2024	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 9	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 75%
Total 3- year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 43	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 74%

East Liverpool
Year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year)	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior)
2021	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 6	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 50%
2022	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 9	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 64%
2023	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 7	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 70%
Total 3- year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 22	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 61%

Ashtabula
Year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year)	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior)
2021	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 7	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 67%
2022	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 7	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 50%
2023	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 11	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 79%
Total 3- year	Number of Program Graduates (calendar year) 25	Graduation Rates (reported as number of students who graduated from the program within 3 years, divided by number of students who started the program 3 years prior) 63%

Career Information

The job outlook for Occupational Therapy Assistants is excellent. Occupational Therapy Assistants are employed in both traditional and nontraditional settings including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, home health agencies, and mental health facilities. The median national salary (2022) is $64,250. for the State of Ohio $61,510. For more detailed job outlook and salary information:

Important Tuition and Fees Information

麻豆精选 Regional Campus Tuition and Fees

OTA Program Cost of Attendance

OTA students also incur the following costs and fees, which are subject to change:

OTHER EXPENSES:

Clinical Experience expenses (travel, uniform, facility name tag, meals)
AOTA National Conference (Optional) - $300 plus meals.
Gas expenses for various field trips. Carpooling with other students is an option.

GRADUATION EXPENSES:

Cap & gown - $60
Application for certification exam - $555
Application for licensure - $100

Withdrawal Information

Refund schedule

Accreditation

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 Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is . 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.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant at 麻豆精选 prepares students for a career as an occupational therapy assistant.

Occupational therapy assistants

34.6%

much faster than the average

47,100

number of jobs

$62,940

potential earnings

麻豆精选

Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

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Associate Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Program Information for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

Program Description

Full Description

Professional Licensure Disclosure

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Progression Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Roadmap

Roadmap

Program Delivery

Accreditation

This program is offered by the College of Applied and Technical Studies

Find out more about our Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and discover why you belong here!

Steps to apply to the OTA Program

Application Information

Discover important information and policies for the OTA program

For Fieldwork Educators:

For Students:

Professional organizations and resources:

Upon successful completion of coursework & fieldwork experiences, students will receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

Career Information

Important Tuition and Fees Information

OTHER EXPENSES:

GRADUATION EXPENSES:

Accreditation

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Occupational Therapy Assistant - A.A.S.

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