IWU announced that it is launching an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Associate of Science degree program onsite at its Greenwood Adult Education Center, just south of Indianapolis.
The OTA program is a comprehensive 75 credit-hour, 26-month program designed to prepare entry-level OTA practitioners. The program is offered through the IWU School of Health Sciences alongside the Indiana Wesleyan University Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program.
IWU recognized an opportunity to fill a void for this degree. Five years ago, there were five locations in Indiana where students could enroll in an OTA program. After the closure of a for-profit college that had four of those five locations, the number of options dropped to one.
“I knew the landscape was changing in Indiana for OTA programs and I thought the timing to add this program was perfect,” said Martin Rice, Ph.D., dean of IWU’s School of Health Sciences.
The university will begin recruiting students immediately for the fall academic session with information sessions being held at the Greenwood Adult Education Center at 6 p.m. the second Thursday of each month. The admission process began in April for the 30 spots available when the fall classes start.
“The program is very experiential and will combine classroom and laboratory time with fieldwork and clinical experiences,” said Julie Carson, a registered occupational therapist who is the director of the OTA Program. “In addition, as part of some of their classes, students will be expected to complete service requirements, such as participating in wellness and disability ministries in the community.”
The goal of the associate degree program is to prepare students to become occupational therapy assistants who can administer occupational therapy under the guidance of an occupational therapist. The associate degree program includes many general education requirements that will allow students to continue to bachelor’s degrees, including those in the healthcare field.
“The job outlook is excellent for the field of OT,” said Rice, who is a registered and licensed occupational therapist. “It continues to be one of the fastest growing professions.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs available for Occupational Therapy Assistants is expected to grow 28 percent by 2026. Those jobs are available in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, nursing facilities, community health centers, workplaces, universities and daycare centers.
The IWU OTA program is currently in applicant status with the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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 individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and may apply for a license to practice in the state.