Occupational Therapy Assistant Technology - A.A.S. Download to print

The Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant Technology prepares students to be occupational therapy assistants, who work under the direction of an occupational therapist to provide rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional or developmental disabilities. The ultimate goal is to improve clients' quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. With successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapy Assistants administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Portions of the program's courses incorporate the use of technology and/or may be offered in a distance learning format. Under certain circumstances, OCAT 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 will be notified in advance of these dates.

Occupational therapy assistants held about 32,230 jobs in 2014. They worked in hospitals, nursing facilities, offices of other health practitioners, home health services, individual and family services and governmental agencies. Job prospects should be very good for occupational therapy assistants. Employment is expected to grow by about 43% between 2010 and 2020 as the demand for occupational therapy services rises.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

All seven of Kent State’s regional campuses are accessible to students who hold a high school diploma or GED. Admission decisions are based on cumulative grade point average, ACT and/or SAT scores, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Check with the Regional Campus Admissions Offices to determine application requirements, as they may differ among campuses.

For more information about admission criteria for transfer, transitioning and former students, please visit the admissions website.

Acceptance to Technical Study:

This is a selective process. Students who have met the following criteria will be considered for acceptance: admission to the university and any prescribed developmental coursework; a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer time in at least two different occupational therapy settings; high school or college courses in algebra and general biology; and a 2.70 GPA. Students interested in the program should apply directly to the Ashtabula or East Liverpool campus and meet with the program director. Detailed information and requirements for acceptance to technical study may be obtained from the Kent State Ashtabula or East Liverpool campus program offices.

Minimum 65 credit hours. Minimum 2.000 overall and major GPA.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate professional behaviors when interacting with clients, peers and other professionals when providing OT services.
2. Demonstrate clinical reasoning by integrating clinical experiences with evidence-based practice and personal experience to provide best-practice OT services.
3. Demonstrate support for the client's desired occupational roles and participation in occupations through a creative, holistic approach.
4. Collaborate with inter-professional team members to provide distinct valued services to each client based on individual needs.
5. Demonstrate support for at-risk individuals, groups and populations who are in the community to identify resources and opportunities for improving engagement in occupations. 

American Occupational Therapy Association