Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.A.S.)

Any student desiring to pursue an occupational therapy assistant associate of applied science degree must:

Apply to Walters State

• Meet admissions requirements, and be accepted by Walters State Community College.
  • Walters State Application
  • Indicate Associate of Science Health Science OTA Path (AS-HOTA) as the desired major on the WSCC application form.

Advising

• Follow college policy for advising prior to registration.

Apply to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Application, observation documentation and results of designated admissions test must be received by the health programs department no later than the date specified on the online application of the year the student elects to participate in the selection process for the fall semester OTA class.

Apply to the OTA Program

 

Test Scores

ACT composite score of >19 or HESI A2 score of 80% in reading, vocabulary and math are the minimum scores for ranking purposes. All test scores must be less than 3 years old.

Course Work

Maintain an overall 2.5 GPA (excluding Learning Support courses)

Complete all required Learning Support courses.

Successfully complete BIOL 2010 and 2011 no later than the end of the spring semester of the year the student elects to participate in the fall semester OTA class selection process. A grade of "C" or better must be achieved in each required science course, with an overall GPA of at least 2.5. Biological science courses must have been completed within the last ten years.

Additional general education requirements are BIOL 2020 and 2021, ENGL 1010, PSYC 2130, COMM 2025, and HUMANITIES/FINE ARTS ELECTIVE. These courses may be taken after acceptance into the program; however, PSYC 2130 and BIOL 2020 and 2021 must be completed by the end of the first semester of the program. Successfully complete general education requirements for graduation before the beginning of the final semester of the OTA program.

Students may not audit any OTA courses without the approval of the department director and the dean of Health Programs.

Observation Hours

Students applying to the OTA program should complete observation hours or an alternative essay assignment for admissions ranking and obtain one letter of reference from a healthcare provider. See the OTA Student Ranking Criteria for available ranking points.

 

Due to your potential risk for exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, you may be at risk of acquiring Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella (chicken pox). Health Programs students must provide documentation of complete vaccinations or titers from their healthcare provider. For varicella, students with disease history may have their healthcare provider document date of disease.

Submission Requirements

Accepted students must submit one form of documentation listed below for each disease following admission to a program.

Students who provide titers with laboratory values inconsistent with immunity are encouraged to get the vaccinations.

Student must submit documentation for medical or religious contraindications.

Hepatitis B (HBV)

• Documentation of three (3) shot dates.
• Titer showing immunity status to Hepatitis B.
• Documentation from my health care provider stating reason for contraindication.
• Signed written statement affirmed under penalty of perjury stating conflict with religious beliefs.

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)

• Documentation of two (2) shot dates.
• Titer showing immunity status to rubella, rubeola and mumps.
• Documentation from my health care provider stating reason for contraindication.
• Signed written statement affirmed under penalty of perjury stating conflict with religious beliefs.

Varicella (Chicken Pox)

• Documentation of two (2) shot dates.
• Titer showing immunity status to varicella.
• History of disease with date documented by health care provider.
• Documentation from my health care provider stating reason for contraindication.
• Signed written statement affirmed under penalty of perjury stating conflict with religious beliefs.

Exemption

A student may be exempt from immunization requirement under one of the following circumstances:

• The vaccine is contraindicated for the individual based on guidelines established by manufacturer or Center for Disease Control
• Physician judgment based on the individual's medical condition and history (risk of harm outweighs benefit)
• Religious belief or practice (individual must provide written statement affirmed under penalty of perjury).