Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate Degree Program

Boost your career in occupational therapy.
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Program Type

Associate Degree

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Delivery Method

On Campus

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Course Length

Approximately
20 months

Program Objective

This associate degree program will teach you the proper training in order to work as an effective entry-level occupational therapy assistant. Courses and content address both the professional and clinical skills to prepare you for a role in the healthcare industry. Topics covered include principles of occupational therapy, therapeutic modalities, administrative procedures and more. Patience, compassion and reliability are also important professional skills. At Pima Medical Institute, our labs simulate real-world settings and allow you to expand your knowledge with hands-on training.

All Locations

Find this program at one of the following Pima Medical Institute campuses.

Careers as an Occupational Therapy Assistant

When you’re a Pima Medical Institute student, you get access to our Career Services team—here for you when you need extra help with finding the right job opportunities, building a resume, strengthening your interview skills or just looking for general guidance.

Clinical Externships

At Pima Medical Institute, most programs allow students to work in their field through clinical externships—a chance to be mentored by full-time professionals and interface with real patients.

In addition to real-world experience, clinical externships offer students resume-worthy opportunities, letters of recommendation from supervisors, and sometimes job placement directly after graduation.

Program Outline

Learn more about the courses in this program.

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Semester l

CMT 105
Medical Terminology
BIO 105
Anatomy and Physiology I
OTA 102
Introduction to Occupational Therapy
MTH 125
Math and Statistics
CCM 150
Communications for the Health Professions
PSY 130
Psychology

Semester lI

HST 205
Nevada History and US Constitution*
BIO 106
Anatomy & Physiology II
OTA 130
Occupational Analysis
OTA 201
Documentation for the OTA
OTA 108
Growth and Development
OTA 115
Principles of OT in Mental Health

Semester III

OTA 125
Kinesiology
OTA 110
Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy
OTA 206
Human Occupations I
OTA 215
Principles of OT in Physical Health
OTA 220
Fieldwork I

Semester IV

OTA 209
Human Occupations II
OTA 230
Administrative Procedures
OTA 245
Pediatric Practice for the OTA
OTA 250
Specific Populations for the OTA
OTA 226
Professional Development Strategies

Semester V

OTA 221
Fieldwork II A
OTA 222
Fieldwork II B

*Program is 80 weeks in length. The total number of program hours is 1,712 at all campuses except Las Vegas. The Las Vegas campus program hours total 1,757. The Las Vegas program includes one additional 3 credit class (HST 205 Nevada History and US Constitution). Graduates will receive an Occupational Associates degree with the exception of Houston and El Paso program graduates, which will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree. Graduates of an accredited OTA program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Interested In Starting This Program?

Find out more about our Admissions Requirements or view our How to Apply page.

Success Is Within Reach

We are truly invested in making sure our students succeed.

Dwight Scypion
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“I enjoyed my clinical experience and was known as the person who asked lots of questions. I wanted to know what I didn’t know. I am currently working for Encompass Health and am also working in pediatric home health. If I can wake up every day and help people and make them happy, then I am happy. I’m so thankful to my classmates and instructors and everyone at Pima Medical who supported me. I will always be grateful!”

Dwight Scypion, Jr., Occupational Therapy Assistant Graduate

Pima Medical Blog

Check out our blog posts about the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. We provide insights, information, alumni spotlights, news and other valuable articles to keep you updated.

Disclosures And Accreditations

Start Your Future as an Occupational Therapy Assistant