Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate in Science Degree Program

The Rutgers School of Health Profession's Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program is a 74-credit Associate in Science degree committed to preparing students as professionals who contribute to the health and well-being of all populations in New Jersey and beyond. Our graduates serve people of all ages who experience illness, disease, disability, disadvantages, trauma, and challenging life circumstances, helping them to adapt through participation in meaningful occupations. The OTA graduate is prepared to practice as a dynamic and inter-professional team member, working under the supervision of an occupational therapist, within health care, educational, and other community systems.

Occupational Therapy is one of the fastest growing health professions. According to to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisics, employment of Occupational Therapy Assistants is expected to increase 40 percent between 2014 and 2024.
OTA is No. 1 on the Best Health Care Support Jobs list in the US News and World Report's Annual Job Ranking.
The profile article on OTA features AOTA member Michele Luther-Krug.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program  at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 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 ACOTE accredited OTA program 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). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states including New Jersey require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Program Highlights

• Students achieve 100 percent pass rate on the national certification exam
• Students routinely surpass the national average score and passing rate
• 11 college partners across the state provide an excellent academic foundation for our program
• 100 percent of students surveyed were satisfied with the academic and fieldwork curriculum
• 86 percent of certified graduates are employed as OTAs

Testimonials

“Our Rutgers graduate is exceptional; she goes the extra mile with her patients. Good knowledge base, eager to learn new skills, and also a great team member.” – employer-provided feedback on satisfaction survey with Rutgers SHP OTA graduates

“Caring, dedicated and knowledgeable faculty,” - 2016 graduate

“I feel very confident in what I learn and how it apples to my fieldwork experiences,”  Class of 2018 studentstudent

Outcome Data
Update August, 2017

Program Results  from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found on line at
https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx  

Graduation Rate for Rutgers OTA Program:

Contact the Office of Enrollment Services with questions about requirements, admission, or application process at:
(973) 972-5454 or SHPadm@shp.rutgers.edu.
  The hours of operation for the Office of Enrollment Services are 8:30AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday.