Getting started in the program

The OTA program at Amarillo College is a twenty-four month program consisting of both classroom instruction and clinical experience. The last semester is a full time 40 hour per week practicum. The program consists of up to twenty students who have met the application requirements, completed the application process, and have been chosen and accepted a position in the current class.

To obtain an application, please open "application packet" on the left menu bar now-- 

I had some legal trouble once. Can I still be a COTA?

Applicants should note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Also, contracting health care sites require a "pass" on a criminal background check. An applicant is accepted into the program on the condition that they can pass a criminal background check. The background check is paid for by the student in the first week of class.

What if I need to skip a semester or have bad grades?

If a student has to quit any time during the program or fails a course, he/she must wait until the course is offered again, which is the next year, and cannot continue in any other OTA courses. The courses in this curriculum are sequential and cannot be taken out of order for any reason. Courses can be repeated only once after failing or withdrawing. Students may repeat no more than two courses while enrolled in the program. "Repeat" is interpreted to mean re-enrollment following withdrawal, drop, or unsatisfactory grade.

Tell me about the courses

General education courses which are required are Engl 1301, SPCH 1318, BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, MATH 1314 OR 1332, PSYC 2301, and HITT 1305. A grade of "C" or better is required in each required course.

Occupational Therapy courses are OTHA 1160, 1161, 1162, 1211, 1253, 1305, 1309, 1341, 1315, 1419, 2201, 2266, 2267, 2309, 2330, 2331, 2335, 2402. The course titles and sequence for these courses can be found in the application on the left menu bar.

All academic coursework must be completed before starting fieldwork courses. Fieldwork experiences must be completed within eighteen months of completion of the academic courses or academic courses will have to be repeated. All coursework must also be completed successfully before sitting for the computerized national certification exam.

What's "fieldwork?"

There are two practicum courses, called fieldwork, which are eight weeks each. These courses consist of directed practice in affiliated medical and educational institutions where occupational therapy is provided. One of these practicum courses may have to be done out of town because clinic sites are limited in the Amarillo area. These sites are negotiable with each student as to where he/she goes.

When I finish the classes and fieldwork, what do I do next?

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 passing this exam, you will be a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant(COTA).

In addition, Texas and most other states require licensure to practice. Texas and many other states use the certification exam results to determine who can be licensed to practice OT. In Texas the application process for a COTA to obtain a license includes an open book jurisprudence test.

Remember that a prior felony conviction may effect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or to obtain a state OT practitioner license.

So how good are your graduates? How many pass the cert exam & get jobs

Amarillo College graduates shine when it comes to passing the cert exam and getting jobs. Here's our info for the past 3 years:

Amarillo College's OTA program overall average pass rate for the past 3 years is 82%. We are proud of our fine graduates and their success on the certification exams. And, in all three years 100% were employed within 6 months of gradutation who were seeking a job as an OTA!

Amarillo College's OTA program is accredited by Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of The American Occupational Therapy Association(AOTA). The program was initially accredited in 2000 and remains in compliance with the standards. Questions about accreditation can be directed to ACOTE at AOTA by mail 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220 or phone: 301-652-2682, TDD: 800-377-8555, or fax: 301-652-7711.