Program Information
Programs Offered
Sample Courses
Regulatory Agencies and Professional Associations
This comprehensive list provides the applicant with information regarding admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program (OTA).
Allied Health Advisors
Schedule an appointment with your Allied Health Advisor to review admissions requirements (select and schedule a date for at least 2 weeks after submitting transcripts). Appointments can be schedule through Navigate or you can reach out to your Allied Health Advisor directly: Cindy Alcombright, cindy.alcombright@rccc.edu (South Campus) or Dr. Quinn Lacy, quinn.lacy@rccc.edu (North Campus).
Program Information
Admissions to the OTA Program is a multi-step process. To get started, carefully follow the Minimum Admission Requirements (MAR). Applicants must follow all steps of the MAR by March 30 each year to advance to becoming a qualified applicant.
The first step of the MAR is to apply to the College and select “OTA” as the program of study. Applicants will also need to send high school or college transcripts (if applicable) once the initial application is completed. Once accepted to the College, students can begin to work towards admissions to the OTA program.
Attending an OTA Information Session is a program admission requirement. Students are required to attend one health information session in the year prior to or in the year of desired admission. Five sessions are offered each year, generally in January, March, July, September, and November, but times vary. All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. Registration is required, and registrants will receive a link to join prior to the meeting. Applicants are required to attend the entire session. Adults only, please.
Program Admission Testing and Point System Evaluation
The program admissions test is the ATI Test of Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®). Applicants can find more information about this test. Applicants are required to take the ATI TEAS® and score a minimum of 60 (percentile rank) on the Reading Comprehension section and score a minimum of 55 (percentile rank) on Overall Score to be eligible to move to the selective point system. To take the test, register at ATI and follow directions provided. ATI TEAS® scores will count towards admissions (see Point Scorecard). Further details about the test will be discussed at the OTA Information Session.
OTA program applicants will be ranked using an objective point system, and the top 20 ranked students will be contingently accepted. There are multiple ways applicants can earn points, including the standardized program admissions test, general education coursework, a certificate, diploma, or degree, and volunteer or work experience in the healthcare field. Refer to the OTA Point System Selective Admission Process Scorecard for details.
Contingent Acceptance
Completion of the following is required only for those who have been offered conditional (contingent) acceptance into the program. Information and forms will be provided by the program at an OTA Health Packet Information Session in May each year. Contingently accepted students have a designated timeframe (deadlines announced at the Health Packet Information Session) to meet all requirements to advance to final acceptance and thus begin OTA coursework.
- Current CPR Certification: American Heart Association at BLS Healthcare Provider level
- Background Report/Drug Screen: Clinical facilities require criminal background checks and drug screening for students assigned to their facility for fieldwork.
- In addition, the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and state licensure boards (such as the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy) may prohibit eligibility for certification or licensure based on a felony conviction.
- If a student is denied access to participate in fieldwork by the facility based on criminal background check and/or drug screen results, the student will not receive a secondary placement in another facility. The student will not be able to meet competencies required for progression in the program.
- Physical Examination/Current Immunization Documentation
Credit for Previous Courses/Transfer of Credit Procedure
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Only students within the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) may apply to transfer OTA courses due to the NCCCS curriculum standards. All out-of-state students or those in private colleges must apply to the OTA program with the general student population.
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Entry or re-entry is based on the availability of space. The OTA program accepts only 20 students per cohort, regardless of entry method.
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A grade of “C” 70-79% or higher is required for non-OTA prefix courses (BIO, COM, ENG, HUM, and PSY). If an applicant is transferring from an OTA program with a grading scale other than a 10-point scale, transferability will be determined by a grade of 70% or better in all non-OTA prefix courses.
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Satisfy competency standards of a grade of “B” 80-89% or higher in all OTA courses required for the program. If an applicant is transferring from an OTA program with a grading scale other than a 10-point scale, transferability will be determined by a grade of 80% or better in all OTA courses.
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Placement in the OTA course sequence will be determined by the OTA Program Director after reviewing transcripts and OTA course records.
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- Submit a written formal request to the OTA Program Director.
- Provide the OTA Program Director with a written letter of recommendation from the Program Director where the student is transferring from, validating the applicant’s status of good academic standing with eligibility to return to their previous OTA program.
- Submit syllabi to the OTA Program Director for all OTA courses completed that are being evaluated for transfer credit.
- Submit official transcripts from the NC Community College where the student attended. Transcripts will be evaluated by the Rowan-Cabarrus Lead Records Analyst or other staff in the Registrar’s office.
- Complete 25% of the required total number of credit hours at Rowan-Cabarrus to be eligible to graduate from Rowan-Cabarrus. To meet residency requirements, 25% must be courses within the program of study, in accordance with Rowan-Cabarrus course residency requirements.
- Applicant must be prepared to demonstrate competency assessment for entry. Competency assessment will involve:
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- A comprehensive written exam including questions from all previous OTA courses. A minimum of 20 questions from each prior OTA course will be included in the comprehensive exam. The applicant must achieve 80% to progress in the application process. The written exam will only be given once. If the applicant does not achieve 80%, they may not transfer into the program.
- Completion of all OTA skills at a satisfactory level. Required skills will be determined based on coursework already completed. Evaluation criteria will be made available prior to the skills testing. Directives for completing the competency assessment testing and skills performance will be provided to the applicant in a timely manner.
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- Communicate with the Clinical Compliance Assistant to discuss the completion of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Health Packet, which includes a background check, drug screen, physical examination, CPR, record of immunizations, and other program documents. The Clinical Compliance Assistant will also provide information about uniforms required for the program (which must be fitted in person at a specified vendor after contingent admission is granted).
Delivery Model and Distance Education
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- Blended: The OTA program primarily uses this format, also known as in-person.
- Hybrid: 3 Hybrid courses (OTA 140, OTA 240, OTA 245).
- Internet: 1 Internet (online) course (OTA 280).
Admissions Documents
- Minimum Admission Requirements (MAR) – Fall Entry
- Fall Admissions Deadline – May 1
- Point System Selective Admissions Process – Fall Entry
- Fall Admissions Deadline – May 31