OTA Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
An Occupational Therapy Assistant provides service to individuals with physical, mental, or environmental disabilities who need to remediate skills of everyday tasks of work, self care, and leisure.
You might find an OTA working with a child in the public school that has handwriting problems, a stroke patient in the hospital, or a homemaker with severe arthritis that requires special equipment in the home.
The program takes two years to complete with classes only being offered during the Fall and Spring semesters.
California Community College are currently $46 per unit; with the OTA coursework being 46 units. Click here for more information.
Both the spring-start and fall-start programs have a combination of online and on campus lectures and lab classes. In order to take online courses, student will need to have a computer with access to the internet and a working email address. On campus courses will require students to be on campus two days per week.
The program will take you two years to complete.
The OTA program accepts application two times a year; Spring & Fall semester has its own application period. Please check the website for dates as they become available. As a result, students are unable to apply to the program before then.
Our next available start dates for the OTA program are Spring 2026. Please check the website for dates as they become available.
At this time we no longer comprise a waitlist due to our program being highly impacted. Instead we keep student's applications on file from previous years and those applications are re-randomized with the new applications.
Because we keep applications on file from previous years, we are unable to determine the number of applications we receive during each application process; but we anticipate a high volume of new applicants each year.
No. Applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Therefore, you may submit your application at any time during the application period and it will not positively or negatively impact your chance of acceptance.
The best way to learn more is to attend one of the OTA information sessions that are held once a month. The schedule for the information sessions can be found HERE. Also, our website provides the most up-to-date information about the program as well.
We encourage you to review our website for the most up-to-date information about the program and feel free to email or call us with any questions.
No, on campus lecture and lab classes will meet on campus twice a week. Students are also required to complete 32 hours of Level 1 fieldwork per semester. During the fourth (final) semester students are required to complete two eight-week full-time (40 hours a week) Level II fieldwork rotation. No courses are offered during the winter or summer semesters.
We require four prerequisite courses that may be completed here at SAC or at any other college/university as long as the coursework is equivalent.
You can try to get the classes you need at more than one college. If you are on the waitlist for a class be sure to attend on the first day of school.
No. All of your prerequisite courses must be completed at the time in which you submit your application. This means that a grade of "C" or better must be posted to your transcript.
The only core OTA course that may be taken prior to enrolling in the program is Psychology 250 (Abnormal Psychology).
No. You need to complete all prerequisite courses before applying to the program.
The only prerequisite course that must be taken within the last ten years is Anatomy & Physiology. All other prerequisite courses may have been taken at any time.
Most Human Biology classes will not count for Anatomy & Physiology, but the UC/CSU system have some that will. Please utilize the ASSIST system to determine course equivalency or contact the OTA program directly.
Only a 4 unit Anatomy & Physiology class with a lab (that includes dissection) will count. Please review the equivalent Anatomy & Physiology courses.
When applying for the certification examination with the National Board for Certification (NBCOT) students will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of felonies. Fingerprinting is required for application for state licensure with the Board of Occupational Therapy (BOT) and for placement in most Level II fieldwork sites. For limitations based on felonies students are advised to call NBCOT and BOT any time. Students who are unable to clear the fingerprinting process required for Level II fieldwork will not be able to be placed and complete the requirements for the program.
Although work experience is always helpful; only equivalent coursework will count as college credit.
First you need to have your transcripts formally evaluated. Here are two agencies you can go to: American Education Research Corporation or Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute. Be sure that they divide the classes into upper and lower division courses. Then you will need to apply to the college to get a student number. Turn the evaluated transcript into the Admissions office with your student number on it. Make an appointment with the graduation specialists to see which courses will be accepted. You will need to take English, Speech, and American Institutions in this country even if you have had them in your native country.
Students are placed at sites that will provide them with a variety of experiences and enable them to exit the program as an entry-level generalist.
All placements are subject to the availability of the facility. Every effort will be made to place students living in Orange County and its neighboring counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego) at facilities located within a 60 mile radius from the Student's residence. Placements outside of these counties can not be guaranteed.
Student must have access to reliable transportation, up to 60 miles one way, for Level I & Level II fieldwork. Students without access to reliable transportation may be unable to complete Level I & Level II fieldwork, and unable to successfully complete the OTA program.
Students are unable to complete their fieldwork out-of-state or internationally.
It is not advisable that you work due to the fact that you will be required to be at your schedule facility 40 hours per week.