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Suppose you’ve ever wanted to be a part of a rewarding career where you get to work with people of all ages and all abilities. In that case, Raritan Valley Community College’s occupational therapy assistant program may be the type of program you’re looking for in New Jersey that can be the pathway to an exciting new career.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants are in high demand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the OTA field to grow as much as 43 percent by 2024 due to a growing elderly population.

As an OTA, you work collaboratively with occupational therapists with many different types of patients:

• you may have a young patient with autism who is struggling to hold a pencil and write her name
• you may have an older stroke victim who is trying to regain some of the use of one side of their body
• you may have a patient who has been in an accident who is slowly trying to relearn how to use muscle groups again

You can be an important piece in someone’s beginning or in their recovery.  

At RVCC, our OTA program first began in Spring 2018. We were the first community college in NJ to offer the Associate of Applied Science Degree Program in Occupational Therapy Assistant.

What Does the RVCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Entail?

This certification is a total of 67 college credits. The courses and curriculum combine health sciences courses and general studies, such as English Composition and Psychology.

Of course, many of the courses are entirely concentrated on occupational therapy. The coursework itself takes two years, followed by another semester of on-the-job field training, which we believe is important to get the experience necessary to succeed as an OTA.

You’ll study courses such as Human Anatomy & Physiology, Human Development, Kinesiology, and Pediatric and Geriatric specialized classes. The final semester of fieldwork will be directly under the supervision of an experienced occupational therapist or diversified occupational therapy assistant with years of experience and practice.

You will not only receive experience in the field, but you will also receive fieldwork training regarding ethics, paperwork, and other things that can’t be fully taught in a classroom.

Occupational Therapy Accreditation

Our program is fully accredited. When you graduate, you will have a full OTA accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

If you search for “occupational therapy programs near me,” we promise to exceed your expectations with being one of the  has to offer, even surpassing state colleges. Occupational therapy can be one of the most rewarding health sciences, particularly when you see your patients perform a new activity or meet a new goal.

Learn More About RVCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at a Virtual Admissions Information Session

Learn more about our OTA program and other programs at a Virtual Admissions Information Session. It’s simple to register and easy to attend, as it’s a virtual session! Click here to find out more about registering.