The Associate of Science Degree Program in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) prepares students to work under the supervision of Occupational Therapists (OTs) in healthcare, education, and community settings. OTAs help to develop, restore, or enhance the occupational performance of persons who are challenged by disability, trauma, and/or the aging process.
OTA graduates must pass the National Certification Exam for the Occupational Therapy Assistant to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and become eligible for licensure in many states including New Jersey. (National Board for Certification in OT- NBCOT)
Applications to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersery are made by June 15 for acceptance into the full-time curriculum enrolling in the fall, and by November 15 for acceptance into the part-time curriculum enrolling in the spring semester. Students who have completed the required 35 pre- professional credits at RVCC with a grade of C or better in each course or average GPA of 2.5 or greater may apply directly to Rutgers. Students who have completed at least 16 of the 35 required pre professional credits, including at least 4 credits of Anatomy and Physiology, 3 credits of Psychology, and 3 credits of English Composition with a grade of B or better in each course or average G.P.A. of 3.0 or greater, may apply to Rutgers for a “Conditional Acceptance” when the student can demonstrate that the remaining credits will be completed by the close of the summer semester.
See RVCC Coordinator of Allied Health for additional Admission requirements:
• Letter of recommendation from Coordinator of Allied Health at RVCC
• 40 hours of volunteer experience with an OT or OTA in Two Different Settings (20 hours each setting, for example, 20 hours in a specialty school for children, 20 hours in a rehabilitation hospital for adults) and a letter of recommendation from one of the OT/OTAs
• Essay describing career choice reflecting on OT/OTA observations and community services
• A criminal background check will be done at Rutgers once the student is admitted
The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program at Rutgers, The State University of NJ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org
Graduates of an accredited OTA program are eligible to sit for the certification exam administered by The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Once nationally certified, the graduate can obtain licensure to practice as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) in New Jersey and many other states. Information about licensure requirements of a specific state may be obtained by consulting the occupational therapy licensure board in that state. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
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