Located in Virginia Beach, Tidewater Community College offers students an opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree that leads to certification as an occupational therapy assistant. The program is in the school’s Health Professions department and is accredited by the Council for Occupational Therapy Education and the American Occupational Therapy Association. To participate in the school’s program, students must have 30 hours of observation time with an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant, and a personal interview with the director. The program requires five semesters. The final semester includes two internships in occupational therapy.
Tidewater CC
1700 College Crescent
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
757-822-7273
tcc.edu
This two-year community college based in Richlands, Virginia offers an occupational therapy assistant program as part of its Math Science and Health Technologies department. The program, which began in 1998, combines classroom and online courses with community involvement and clinical education acquired in the field. Prerequisites include algebra, biology and chemistry. Students who did not take these courses in high school must pass at least the first semester of the year-long classes in order to be considered for entry into the program. The coursework includes four full semesters plus one summer session. Students do fieldwork during the third and fourth semesters.
SVCC
P.O. Box SVCC
Richlands, VA 24641
276-964-7643
sw.edu
The occupational therapy assistant program offered at Southwest Virginia Community College expanded its reach in 2008. The school began offering the program through two other state community colleges: Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon and Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap. Students take online courses and participate in other courses through video broadcasts. Lab work for both Virginia Highlands and Mountain Empire is done at VHCC. The VHCC program graduated its first class in May 2010.
Virginia Highlands Community College
P.O. Box 828
100 VHCC Drive
Abingdon, VA 24212
276-964-7643
sw.edu/msht/ota