Occupational Therapy Assistant: OTA Progression Track (OTPJ)

The undergraduate Occupational Therapy Assistant: OTA Progression Track is a program intended for the student with an earned associate’s degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant, who has passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam, and who is licensed in their state of practice. This undergraduate professional program is offered fully online.

Admission Requirements
To be eligible for regular admission to this program, each applicant must present evidence of the following criteria:

Official transcripts for all college work including a completed associate degree in occupational therapy assistant.
A cumulative college grade point average of 2.5 or better in undergraduate academic course work.
Licensure in the state they currently practice in.

Because admission is considered competitive, the academic criteria listed above should be considered as minimum standards.

Please note the following:
In the admission process, a formula is employed that assigns points for GPA and for the other admission topics. Admission to the program is based on the compilation of all points.

Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the professional occupational therapy assistant curriculum. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be sent to the University Admissions Office in time to be processed prior to the department deadline.

Eligible Occupational Therapy Assistant applicants must review their prior coursework and credits with the occupational therapy advisor before admission to the program. In addition to the occupational therapy assistant sequence of courses, students must complete the WMU Essential Studies/support course work prior to graduation from WMU.

Academic Credit Transferred from Associate’s Degree or Diploma Program
Graduates of community college associate degree and diploma programs will be awarded transfer credit on a course-by-course basis in accordance with University policies for prior WMU Essential Studies (WES), science and electives. An additional block of credits may be awarded for prior occupational therapy assistant study and successful NBCOT completion.

Program Requirements

WES courses as required

Review with OTA Advisor - Can be taken at WMU or elsewhere as specified by the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA).

Long-Term Care Administration Cognate (alternate paths of study may be chosen after discussion with OTA advisor) (15 hours)

GRN 1000 - Introduction to Aging Studies Credits: 3 hours
HSV 3700 - The Health System and Its Environment Credits: 3 hours
HSV 4780 - U.S. Health Policy Credits: 3 hours
(WES Level 3 LNP)
HSV 4820 - Post-Acute Care Administration Credits: 3 hours
REL 3180 - Death, Dying, and Beyond Credits: 4 hours
(WES Level 3 GP)

OTA Coursework (15 hours)

OT 3601 - Leadership for the OTA Credits: 3 hours
OT 4640 - Professional Reasoning Credits: 3 hours
OT 4700 - Functioning of the Older Adult Credits: 3 hours
OT 3405 - Baccalaureate Project Design and Implementation Credits: 3 hours
OT 4801 - Baccalaureate Project Presentation Credits: 3 hours

Baccalaureate Project Requirements

Under the guidance of an instructor, students will design and implement an in-depth baccalaureate project. The baccalaureate project serves as an avenue for students to apply their understanding of scholarly works while demonstrating knowledge gained throughout their experience and the OTA curriculum in one of the following areas: clinical practice skills, administration, leadership, advocacy, or education.

Benchmarks for all students admitted to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Professional Program

Students will complete all required OT courses with a grade of “C” or better and maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 or better.
Students may repeat only one required professional course, and that course only once, to attain a grade of “C” or better.
Students who fail to attain a grade of “C” or better in a professional course will be placed on departmental probation.
Students who do not successfully complete departmental probation will be dismissed from the program.
A second unsuccessful enrollment will result in dismissal from the program.
The student must adhere to all departmental policies as established and provided in the Student Handbook at orientation.

Credit for prior learning and proof of Occupational Therapy Assistant board certification and licensure (30 hours)

HSV 3100 - Professional and Interpersonal Skills for Patient Centered Care Credits: 15 hours
This course credit is given in recognition of prior learning and successful completion of the NBCOT exam.
HSV 3200 - Clinical Practice in U.S. Healthcare Delivery Credits: 15 hours
This course credit is given in recognition of prior learning and successful completion of the NBCOT exam.