Occupational Therapy, A.S. (University College)

Program Description

The Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant Program prepares students to work in numerous practice settings, guided by the supervision of occupational therapists. Across the lifespan, individuals engage in meaningful occupations. Learning, playing, working, resting, and caring for self and others are among the occupations of life. A physical or psychological challenge may hinder an individual, group, and/or community from participating fully in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapy makes it possible for people to maintain or reclaim independence; thereby positively engaging in Living Life to its Fullest™. Upon successful graduation from the program, students must sit for and successfully pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) national certification examination to practice. Most states also require licensure as a condition for employment. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and obtain licensure. NBCOT may be contacted at:

NBCOT
One Bank Street
Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301-990-7979
www.NBCOT.org

To enter this major, students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. To be admitted to degree candidacy, the applicant must have completed educational background requirements called Carnegie Units or Secondary School Units. Students are responsible for proof of liability insurance and other requirements specified by the facility providing supervised field experience.

The size of each entering class is limited so that optimal clinical experiences and practical application situations can be maintained. Students are expected to progress through the program in the prescribed manner. Fieldwork affiliations are maintained within a specified geographical area. Students may be required to make special housing and transportation arrangements during the fieldwork phase. Students must complete all Level II fieldwork within eighteen months of successful completion of OTA didactic course work. The 2OTCC and 2OTBL curricula are delivered in five semesters.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is a practice informed by physical, psychological, and occupational science. It is with these skills and knowledge; occupational therapy assistants employ intervention plans that engage people in maintaining or reclaiming independence. A physical or psychological challenge may hinder an individual, group, and/or community from participating fully in meaningful occupations. When this occurs an occupational therapy assistant works with the client(s) to design a plan to Live Life to its Fullest™. As a certified occupational therapy assistant, you will work in numerous practice settings, guided by the supervision of occupational therapists. Most importantly, by choosing a career in occupational therapy, you will be at the forefront in making a difference in people’s lives by way of therapeutic use of self and an intentional relationship.

You Might Like This Program If...

You want to work in a variety of practice settings with individuals and groups across the lifespan. Physical, mental health, emotional, and other challenges prevent people from participating fully in the job of living. Occupational therapy makes it possible for people to regain independence and to enjoy life. By choosing a career in occupational therapy, you will make a difference in lives of people and groups in your community.

Entrance to Major

Students must request a Dean's review to change to this Associate degree after admission to the University.

Additional Information

Students are responsible for proof of liability insurance and other requirements, including criminal background checks and health information specified by the facility providing supervised field experience.

A felony conviction on record may impact a student's ability to sit for the certification examination administered by NBCOT after gradation; this can subsequently impact a graduate's ability to attain state licensure. Before applying to the OTA program, students can contact NBCOT for information on their early determination program to assess examination eligibility.  Contact NBCOT at https://www.nbcot.org/ for more information.

Degree Requirements

For the Associate in Science degree in Occupational Therapy, a minimum of 69 credits is required:

12 of the 21 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3 credits of GWS courses; 6 credits of GS courses; 3 credits of GN courses.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)

• Quantification (GQ): 3 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 3 credits

Knowledge Domains

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Foundations or Knowledge Domains

• A General Education course selected from GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, or GS, and may include Integrative Studies (Inter-domain or Linked) courses: 3 credits

The keystone symbol  appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

University Degree Requirements

Cultures Requirement   

3 credits of United States (US) or International (IL) cultures coursework are required and may satisfy other requirements

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 60 degree credits must be earned for a associates degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 60 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
BIOL 161	Human Anatomy and Physiology I - Lecture	3
BIOL 162	Human Anatomy and Physiology I - Laboratory	1
BIOL 163	Human Anatomy and Physiology II - Lecture	3
BIOL 164	Human Anatomy and Physiology II - Laboratory	1
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
KINES 13	First Aid, Personal Safety, and CPR	1
OT 100	Structural Foundations of Occupational Therapy	1
OT 101	Conceptual Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice	2
OT 103	Occupational Performance Across the Life Span	3
OT 195E	Fieldwork Level I Experience in Occupational Therapy	1
OT 205	Group Process Across The Lifespan	3
OT 207	Assistive Technologies and Methods of Adaptation	3
OT 209	Management, Leadership and Ethics in Occupational Therapy	3
OT 210W	Clinical Reasoning and Documentation in Occupational Therapy	3
OT 212	Occupational Therapy for Child & Adolescent Health	3
OT 214	Occupational Therapy for Psychosocial and Behavioral Health	3
OT 216	Occupational Therapy for Physical Health and Rehabilitation	4
OT 295E	Fieldwork Level I Experience in Occupational Therapy	1
OT 395A	Fieldwork Level II Experience in Occupational Therapy	6
OT 395B	Fieldwork Level II Experience in Occupational Therapy	6
PSYCH 100	Introductory Psychology	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
HDFS 129	Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies	3
or PSYCH 212	Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

DuBois

LuAnn Demi
Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor in Occupational Therapy
1 College Place
OT House
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-4748
ldb4@psu.edu

Mont Alto

Angela Hissong
Program Director, Associate Teaching Professor in Occupational Therapy
University College, Professor-in-Charge
1 Campus Drive
201 Residence B
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6165
anh1@psu.edu

Shenango

Tammy Divens
Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor in Occupational Therapy
147 Shenango Avenue
104 Chadderton Lab
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2973
tsd13@psu.edu

Berks

David Kresse
Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor in Occupational Therapy
Tulpehocken Road, PO Box 7009
115 Luerssen Science Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6425
dck12@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2019-20 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contain suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).

DuBois Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GN, GA, GH, and GS). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Advising Notes:

As per ACOTE Standard A.4.6 (2018) Notice to Applicants related to Criteria for Successful progression, retention, graduation, certification, and credentialing requirements of the Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy Degree:

Successful completion of each segment of the OTA Program requires the following:

• Student must earn a C or better in the OTA major coursework:
  • OT Courses, BIOL 161, BIOL 162, BIOL 163, BIOL 164, HDFS 129 or PSYCH 212, PSYCH 100 & KINES 13.
• As per Penn State policy, student must earn C or better in Foundation Courses: ENGL 15 (GWS) & MATH (GQ).
• OT course must be taken in the semester designated on this Suggested Academic Plan for OTA.
• Student must pass BIOL 161, BIOL 162, BIOL 163 & BIOL 164 prior to entering 3rd semester.
• Student must pass ENGL 15, PSYCH 100, and HDFS 129 or PSYCH 212 prior to entering the 3rd semester.
• Student may not progress to next semester if they fail an OT course, therefore, the student must meet with adviser to discuss options of progression in the program.
• Student must maintain 2.0 GPA, to engage in OT 195E or OT 295E: Level I Fieldwork Experience.
• Courses meeting the GQ, GH, or GA requirements must be completed by the end of 4^th semester.
• All didactic degree requirements must be completed with a 2.0 GPA or better prior to enrolling in OT 395A/OT 395B.
• OT 195E, OT 295E, OT 395A, and OT 395B date & site of experience will be scheduled by the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

In order to graduate with an Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy degree:

• Student must maintain a 2.0 GPA per Academic Progress Policy 54-00, "To graduate, a degree candidate must complete the requirements for the candidate's major and earn at least a C (2.00) average for all courses taken at this University as stated in 82-40, subject to the conditions of 51-00.”
• Student must complete OT 395A & OT 395B within 18 months of completing the didactic requirements.
• A felony conviction on your record, may affect your ability to sit for the certification examination administered by NBCOT® after you graduate; this can subsequently affect your ability to attain state licensure. Before applying for the OTA program, you can contact NBCOT® for information on their early determination program to assess examination eligibility. Go to NBCOT and read the "Early Review" section for details.

Mont Alto Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GN, GA, GH, and GS). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Advising Notes:

As per ACOTE Standard A.4.6 (2018) Notice to Applicants related to Criteria for Successful progression, retention, graduation, certification, and credentialing requirements of the Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy Degree:

Successful completion of each segment of the OTA Program requires the following:

• Student must earn a C or better in the OTA major coursework:
  • OT Courses, BIOL 161, BIOL 162, BIOL 163, BIOL 164, HDFS 129 or PSYCH 212, PSYCH 100 & KINES 13.
• As per Penn State policy, student must earn C or better in Foundation Courses: ENGL 15 (GWS) & MATH (GQ).
• OT course must be taken in the semester designated on this Suggested Academic Plan for OTA.
• Student must pass BIOL 161, BIOL 162, BIOL 163 & BIOL 164 prior to entering 3rd semester.
• Student must pass ENGL 15, PSYCH 100, and HDFS 129 or PSYCH 212 prior to entering the 3rd semester.
• Student may not progress to next semester if they fail an OT course, therefore, the student must meet with adviser to discuss options of progression in the program.
• Student must maintain 2.0 GPA, to engage in OT 195E or OT 295E: Level I Fieldwork Experience.
• Courses meeting the GQ, GH, or GA requirements must be completed by the end of 4^th semester.
• All didactic degree requirements must be completed with a 2.0 GPA or better prior to enrolling in OT 395A/OT 395B.
• OT 195E, OT 295E, OT 395A, and OT 395B date & site of experience will be scheduled by the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

In order to graduate with an Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy degree:

• Student must maintain a 2.0 GPA per Academic Progress Policy 54-00, "To graduate, a degree candidate must complete the requirements for the candidate's major and earn at least a C (2.00) average for all courses taken at this University as stated in 82-40, subject to the conditions of 51-00.”
• Student must complete OT 395A & OT 395B within 18 months of completing the didactic requirements.
• A felony conviction on your record, may affect your ability to sit for the certification examination administered by NBCOT® after you graduate; this can subsequently affect your ability to attain state licensure. Before applying for the OTA program, you can contact NBCOT® for information on their early determination program to assess examination eligibility. Go to NBCOT and read the "Early Review" section for details.

Shenango Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GN, GA, GH, and GS). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Program Notes

Students must complete a 3-credit course in "United States Cultures (US)" or a 3- credit course in "International Cultures (IL)."

Career Paths

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA's) work in numerous practice settings. Across the lifespan, individuals engage in meaningful occupations. Learning, playing, working, resting, and caring for self and others are among the occupations of life. A physical or psychological challenge may hinder an individual, group, and/or community from participating fully in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapy makes it possible for people to maintain or reclaim independence. Following graduation from the nationally accredited program, students are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.

Careers

A Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) supports individuals of all ages develop, recover, improve, or maintain the skills necessary for daily living, leisure, play, and work. COTA’s work in public and private schools, early intervention programs, general, psychiatric, and pediatric hospitals, day treatment centers, hospices and home health agencies, rehabilitation hospitals and centers, skilled and intermediate care facilities, community living programs, community wellness centers, and/or hand therapy clinics.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Once a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) has completed the associate in science in occupational therapy degree, they may decide to further studies by obtaining a baccalaureate degree. Common degrees include biology, psychology, occupational science, biobehavioral health, integrated social sciences, and other health related degrees.

Many COTA’s decide to complete a baccalaureate degree secondary to the benefits of advancing their education as applied to occupational therapy and/or as part of positive progression of employment. Additionally, some COTA’s complete a baccalaureate degree to prepare for graduate studies at the master’s or doctoral degree entry-level to become occupational therapists.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA)
• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• National Board for the Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT)

Accreditation

The Penn State Occupational Therapy Assistant program is fully accredited by ACOTE, which can be reached at:

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
4720 Montgomery Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-6611 ext. 2042
www.acoteonline.org

ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION AT PENN STATE DUBOIS

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION AT PENN STATE MONT ALTO

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION AT PENN STATE SHENANGO

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION AT PENN STATE BERKS

Contact

DuBois

1 College Place
OT House
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-4748
ldb4@psu.edu

https://dubois.psu.edu/ota

Mont Alto

1 Campus Drive
201 Residence B
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6165
anh1@psu.edu

https://montalto.psu.edu/ota

Shenango

147 Shenango Avenue
104 Chadderton Lab
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2973
tsd13@psu.edu

https://shenango.psu.edu/ota

Berks

Tulpehocken Road, PO Box 7009
115 Luerssen Science Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6425
dck12@psu.edu

https://berks.psu.edu/associate-occupational-therapy