Program Facts

Gain skills to help patients with disabilities perform daily functions at home and at work.

Learn how to support patients using a variety of techniques in this Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)-accredited program.†

Complete your degree in as few as 20 months of study.*

Graduates of qualifying degree programs may be eligible to block transfer 21 credits and earn their degree sooner*

Program
Overview

Occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) work with occupational therapists (OTs) to help patients with physical or psychosocial disabilities adapt to daily life and become more independent. For example, OTAs may help someone who has lost a hand learn to dress and eat again, or support children with neurological disorders in school settings.

In Concorde’s ACOTE-accredited** occupational therapy assistant program, you can gain the skills you need to work under the supervision of an OT and support patients. The program includes hands-on training and externships,ᶛ teaching therapeutic exercises, kinesiology, principles for supporting special populations, and more. After graduation, you will be prepared to pursue licensure as an OTA in Tennessee.†

Block Transfer Opportunity Available

Students with degrees in kinesiology, athletic training or health sciences containing a minimum of six semester credits of anatomy & physiology may be able to block transfer 21 credits to this degree program, potentially finishing the OTA program in as few as 18 months instead of 20 months.*

Students who have completed these degrees (associate or higher) may receive a block transfer of seven general education courses totaling 21 semester credits, upon transcript evaluation. The block transfer includes the following courses: BIOL 1310, BIOL 1320, ENGL 1310, COMM 1310, PSYC 1310, PSYC 1320, MATH1310 (or MATH1320). Remaining credits required to complete the program is 57. Additional courses may be available for transfer based upon review of course descriptions from the granting institution.

 

Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree Curriculum

Our AAS degree program equips you to pursue a career as an occupational therapy assistant in as few as 20 months.* When you graduate, you’ll be able to serve effectively in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities and more.

  • Applied Kinesiology for OTAs
  • Clinical Conditions I and II
  • Fieldwork Level I Clinical
  • Fieldwork Seminar
  • Foundations of Occupational Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy Concepts
  • Occupational Therapy Transition
  • Occupational Therapy in Emerging and Specialty Areas of Practice
  • Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
  • Occupational Therapy in Physical Dysfunction
  • Psychosocial Occupational Therapy

**The Occupational Therapy Assistant (Associate of Applied Science) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Ste 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. Their website is https://acoteonline.org/. ACOTE’s email is accred@aota.org.

† Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.
ᶛ Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.
*Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount. The associate of science degree program is currently only available through the Memphis, TN and Southaven, MS campuses.