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Students enter the
program in the fall semester of each year. It is a two-year night
program, and during the second year the students do a
fieldwork component of 10-week sessions, eight-hour days.
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Students must have
completed Anatomy and Physiology prior to the fall semester.
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The OTA 100 class
(intro) can be taken in the summer (if offered), no prerequisite is
required. The class is open to all students.
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The first semester is
the lightest and the best time to take on the more challenging GE required
courses.
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The spring semester
is the most challenging and is not the best time to take a lot of the GE
courses that are more difficult.
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All OTA and GE
courses must be completed before the student can do their clinical Fieldwork
II, which is full-time (20 weeks).
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The profession is
transitioning to an entry-level Masters Degree.
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OTAs are now
licensed in the state of California and must apply for licensure once they
pass the national certification exam.
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The job
outlook is positive. According to the BLS, "employment
of occupational therapy assistants...is expected to grow
much faster than the average for all occupations through
2010," meaning that employment is expected to increase by
36% or more.
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There
are many jobs available in schools, hospitals and skilled
nursing centers. The starting salary is $18-26/hour
here in San Diego County (higher in other cities and
states).
