The San Juan College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Upon successful completion of all OTA program requirements (all core OTA courses must be completed with a “C” or better), San Juan College graduates will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). Academic and fieldwork courses will prepare learners as a generalist, entry-level Occupational Therapy Assistant who works under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist. Occupational Therapy practitioners establish or restore a client’s ability to function in their chosen roles and environments in the home, facility, school, workplace or community.
Graduates of the San Juan Collage OTA program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant, which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Contact information is NBCOT, 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150 or www.nbcot.org.
After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states, including New Mexico, require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. For information contact: Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy, Toney Anaya Building, 2550 Cerrillos Road, Second Floor, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 or occupationaltherapy@state.nm.us.
Acceptance into the program is based on the following selection criteria:
- Prerequisite course grades (all must be a “C” or above) with an overall GPA of 2.75
- Completion of ATI TEAS and documented scores
- Completion of two video observation reflections
- Two recommendations based on professional behaviors from a supervisor or instructor
- Residency (students with New Mexico residency given bonus points)
Additional information: Criminal background checks are completed on all accepted students. Graduates of the 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®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
For additional information about the OTA program, please call 505-566-3849 or email ota@sanjuancollege.edu.
Meeting minimal requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Program due to limited class size. All students must be age 18 on the first day that OTA classes begin and will be required to complete a portion of Fieldwork Level II outside of the Four Corners Region. The student is responsible for all expenses related to fieldwork including but not limited to transportation and lodging.
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