The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is designed to prepare students for a career in occupational therapy.

• Occupational therapy is a health profession, which utilizes every-day life activities to help people of all ages prevent, lessen, or overcome disabilities that interfere with their ability to lead independent and satisfying lives.
• The occupational therapy assistant, under the supervision of a registered occupational therapist, works in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, rehabilitation facilities, mental health settings, and in community-based intervention.
• Occupational therapy assistants must complete a two-year educational program accredited by Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to be eligible to sit for the national certification examination (see below). After successful completion of the exam, candidates may apply for their state license to practice as Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs).
• The occupational therapy assistant program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, MD. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA.
• OTA graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Please note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Program Offerings 

• Full-time (program courses offered one day/week, supported by online assignments during the week, cored educational courses offered weekdays, evenings, or online).
• Part-time, if core requirements have been met elsewhere. A minimum of 30 credits of general education coursework may be transferred from another institution. No prior OTA courses will be accepted from another institution. OTA does not accept advance placement or credit for experiential learning. 
• Fall and spring start - for program courses. For Fall start, all program courses meet on Fridays, for Spring start, all program courses meet on Saturdays. Pre-program core requirements/developmental coursework may begin anytime, fall, spring, or summer semesters. 
• Clinical component - Semesters I-III, observations at clinical sites, four days a semester. Last semester consists of two eight-week, full-time clinical placements.

Clinical Experiences & Essential Functions

Prerequisites for Admission

• Minimum combined SAT score of 900
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• Completion of high school level biology course with “C” or better 

Application Requirements

• Completed Application Form
• $50 application fee 
• Official high school transcripts
• SAT scores
• TOEFL scores (for international applicants)
• Official college transcripts (if applicable)
• Written essay (“Why I want to enroll in Harcum’s OTA Program”)
• Letter of recommendation
• Recommended: A minimum of ten volunteer hours in an occupational therapy setting. 

Application Deadlines 
 
Harcum College operates on a rolling admissions basis. The priority deadline for the OTA Fall Friday-track program is April 15. The priority deadline for the OTA Spring Saturday-track program is November 15.
  
Financial Aid Deadlines 

• FAFSA form priority deadline is April 1st.
• Harcum College Financial Aid Data Form priority deadline is April 1st.
• Harcum College scholarship applications are due May 1st.

Additional Criteria for Accepted Students
 
Once students have been accepted into the program, the following additional criteria must be met before enrolling in professional coursework:

• All OTA students must take placement exams in English, Math, and Reading. Any required developmental coursework must be completed before enrolling in OTA 121.
• All OTA students must provide proof of the following medical and legal clearances (or of application in progress):
  • Child Abuse Clearance
  • Criminal Record Check
  • FBI Backgroung Check
  • Current (not older than one year) physical exam
  • Documentation of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella Immunizations
  • Two-step PPD test (if positive, chest x-ray necessary)
  • Hepatitis B series (at least begun with first of three doses)
  • Tdap Booster (within the past 10 years)
  • Nine panel urine drug screen
• All OTA students are required to have Accident and Health Insurance throughout their period of enrollment at Harcum. If a student is not covered under another plan (family, individual, etc.) the student is required to purchase the Harcum plan.

Curriculum

Phase I: Basic Concepts

Semester I 

OTA 121	Survey of OT Principles & FW IA	4 cr.
SOC 122	Occupational Roles Through Life Span	3 cr.
OTA 123	Bio-Psycho-social Conditions	3 cr.
OTA 126	Professional Seminar I	1 cr.
AHS 101	Medical Terminology	1 cr.
BIO 103	Human Anatomy & Physiology I	4 cr.
CIS 106	World Wide Web and Beyond	1 cr.
		17 cr.

Phase II: Application to Pediatrics

Semester II

OTA 114	Kinesiology for OT	4 cr.
OTA 124	Occupational Dysfunctional Child	4 cr.
OTA 125	Activities/Adaptations Child	3 cr.
OTA 127	Professional Seminar II	1 cr.
BIO 104	Human A & P II	4 cr.
		16 cr.

Summer Semester  (may also be taken summer prior to enrollment) 

ENG   101	Composition I	3 cr.
PSY 111	Intro to Psych	3 cr.
MTH   113	College Math	3 cr.
		9 cr.

Phase II (cont'd): Application to Adult/Geriatrics

Semester III

OTA 224	Occ Dysf Adult/Geriatrics & FW IC	4 cr.
OTA 225	Activities/Adapt Adult/Geriatrics	3 cr.
OTA 226	Clin Skills throughout the Lifespan	3 cr.
OTA 227	Professional Seminar II	1 cr.
ENG 102	Composition II	3 cr.
HUM	Humanities Elective	3 cr.
		17 cr.

Phase III: Clinical Semester

Semester IV

OTA 228	Professional Seminar IV	1 cr.
OTA 231	Fieldwork Seminar Level IIA	6 cr.
OTA 232	Fieldwork Experience Level IIB	6 cr.
		13 cr.

Graduation (Qualification to sit for National Certification Exam)

In order to graduate, OTA students must complete 72 credits. All program-specific courses - OTA, SOC, BIO, and PSY courses - must be completed with a grade of "C" or better. Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

• A student who receives a "C" or less, or has withdrawn failing ("WF") has failed the course and will be required to repeat the course before continuing in the program.
• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or better in order to remain in the program. A student whose GPA falls below 2.0 will be put on probation.
• If the GPA remains below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student will be dismissed from the program.
• A student who has failed any two OTA program courses, or has failed the same OTA program course twice, will be dismissed from the program and will not be permitted to reenter. This policy pertains to all OTA program courses, wchich include both academic and clinical courses (fieldwork placements).

For More Information

Please contact:

The Office of Admissions
610-526-6050
enroll@harcum.edu

OR

Michael Gerg, M.S. OTR, Program Director
610-526-6115
mgerg@harcum.edu

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