Occupational Therapy Assistant, A.A.S.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Contact Information: Piper Sesnan, OTD, OTR/L 615-353-3383,Office H-103, Program Site, https://www.nscc.edu/academics/programs/occupational-therapy-assistant/index.php, E-mail: OTA@nscc.edu

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program prepares students for a career in Occupational Therapy. The program includes academic and fieldwork training over a two-year course of study. This program trains students to work with persons of varied ages, cultures, and abilities to enable participation in life activities.

Graduates of the program should be able to:

Work under the supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist to implement intervention plans for persons of varied ages, cultures and abilities, enabling participation in life activities;
Interact with health care providers and OT clients in a professional and meaningful manner; and
Be eligible for certification through the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy.

Applications are available beginning early spring semester for the program beginning the following fall. Students should review the Occupational Therapy Assistant program site www.nscc.edu/occupational-therapy-assistant for application information.

Students must complete all required pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C” or better before beginning the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

Admission Requirements:

Complete admission requirements to Nashville State Community College

Complete online application to NSCC OTA program, available Spring of each year.

All learning support coursework (if required by the college) must be completed before program application.

Applicants must have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to apply to the NSCC OTA Program. NSCC defines overall cumulative GPA as GPA based on all classes taken at NSCC and any transferred undergraduate courses including learning support classes.

Applicants are required to participate in an admission interview, additional details on website.

Note: Students accepted to the OTA Program will be required to provide a copy of a criminal background check. NSCC does not use the background check as criteria for admission to the program. Background checks are required by some clinical sites as a condition of participation. Students are required to participate in a variety of clinical experiences to successfully complete the program. If a student has questions regarding the criminal background check, please call 615-353-3647.

Course Requirements

First Year Experience

NSCC 1010 - First Year Experience 1 credit ¹

English

ENGL 1010 - English Composition I 3 Credits *

General Education Elective (choose one)

COMM 2025 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 Credits *
Or
COMM 2045 - Public Speaking 3 Credits *
Or
PSYC 2130 - Lifespan Development Psychology 3 Credits

Humanities Elective

NSCC approved general education Humanities Elective 3 Credits

Natural Sciences

BIOL 2010 - Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credits *

Social Sciences

PSYC 1030 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Credits *
Students accepted into the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program are responsible for verifying that all general education courses transferred to the college meet the transfer and equivalency requirements of the college.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

OTAP 1210 - Foundations of OT 2 Credits
OTAP 1220 - OT Documentation w/Level lA 2 Credits
OTAP 1240 - OT Documentation w/Level 1B 2 Credits
OTAP 1310 - Occupational Human Development 3 Credits
OTAP 1320 - Exploring Occupations 3 Credits
OTAP 1340 - Human Mvmt for Occupation 3 Credits
OTAP 1350 - Group Process and Dynamics 3 Credits
OTAP 1360 - Challenges to Mental Health 3 Credits
OTAP 1370 - Challenges to Physical Health 3 Credits
OTAP 1380 - AT and Environments 3 Credits
OTAP 2110 - Level I C 1 Credit
OTAP 2220 - Practice Management 2 Credits
OTAP 2310 - OT Int. and Tx: Mental Health 3 Credits
OTAP 2320 - Practical Applications of OT 3 Credits
OTAP 2330 - OT Int. and Tx: Adults 3 Credits
OTAP 2350 - Pediatric Occupational Therapy 3 Credits
OTAP 2610 - Level II A 6 Credits
OTAP 2620 - Level II B 6 Credits
Level II Fieldwork may be in a location outside of Middle Tennessee area, which will require the student to relocate for one (8 weeks) or both (16 weeks) fieldwork experiences.

Total Required – Associate Degree: 71 Credits

NOTE

Accredited by:

The Occupational Therapy/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.
Phone: 301-652-6611
Web Address: www.acoteonline.org

Additional course requirements: The Tennessee Board of Regents requires that students either demonstrate the appropriate skill levels in math, reading, and/or writing before enrolling in college-level courses or enroll in appropriate co-requisite experiences with college-level courses to develop competency in those skills while performing college-level work. ACT/SAT scores, classic ACCUPLACER test scores, next-generation ACCUPLACER test scores, or other relevant information determine whether a student needs to enroll in co-requisite courses in math, reading, and/or writing (English).

* This course is part of the general education core.

¹ Required of all first-time entering, degree seeking students.