Occupational Therapy Assistant, B.S.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the occupational therapy assistant program complete a minimum of 120 credits for the B.S. degree. Students complete 60 credits of OTA courses, taken in 7 semesters across the second, third, and fourth years. The program requires one summer semester of OTA courses following the third year, and those summer courses are offered completely online.

Students are required to complete three level I fieldwork experiences concurrently with coursework. In the final semester, students must complete two full-time, 8-week fieldwork experiences in two distinct occupational therapy settings supervised by a licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.

All courses considered prerequisites for OTA courses and all OTA courses must be completed with a minimum of a B- (80%) to proceed in the program. If a student receives a grade below a B-, the student must repeat the course in the next semester that it is offered. Students may not enter third year (OTH 300 level) courses if prerequisite courses are not completed with the grade requirement. All OTH courses in the curriculum must be completed with a cumulative grade point average of B or higher to earn the OTA-B degree.

Students must design and implement a baccalaureate project in the fall of their fourth year. It should demonstrate in-depth knowledge in one of the following areas as required by accreditation:

• practice skills
• administration
• leadership
• advocacy
• education

Students are encouraged to explore electives, minors, and certificates that support their learning in the OTA program and their future career goals.

• Minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University’s Core Curriculum) required for the Occupational Therapy Assistant major: 120. 

• Minimum grade requirement for major courses listed below: B.

• Minimum GPA requirement for major courses listed below: 3.0.

Recommended Course Sequence

OTA courses are integrative by design and must be taken in a specific sequence.

Accreditation Status

The Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant at the University of Southern Maine is currently in candidacy status conferred by the ACOTE - Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Program Policies

In addition to general policies described in Academic Policies, specific policies of this program are as follows:

Personal health insurance is not required to attend classes at USM, however it’s strongly recommended that OT students have health insurance prior to participating in fieldwork experiences. Students who choose to not have health insurance will need to sign a declination indicating their understanding that the university is not responsible for their health care while on fieldwork. In addition, students will be limited in their fieldwork site options.

Students are required to become members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

As part of Level I and II fieldwork placements, students are required to complete an annual criminal background check and fingerprinting. If a student has been convicted of a felony and is uncertain if that conviction will jeopardize potential board certification, the student should participate in NBCOT’s Character Review Process and should complete the Early Determination Review to determine eligibility to sit for the NBCOT exam (required for licensure). Students also should check with the Maine State Licensure Bureau regarding eligibility for certification and licensure for the state.

Students must complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as a baccalaureate project within 12 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

All courses utilize Brightspace as a learning platform. Some courses also utilize distance education (e.g., zoom) for both synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid instruction. All course delivery models are included in the course registration information in Mainestreet. Students are required to access required technology (computer & Internet) to engage in all courses including face to face courses. Technology is available and may be accessed at all USM libraries.

Major Courses that Satisfy Core Requirements

Students are encouraged to explore Core courses that also count towards their major or minor. Courses listed below are part of this major and also satisfy University Core Curriculum requirements. Course lists that satisfy each requirement can be found on the Core Curriculum webpage.

• Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 3: 

• Quantitative Reasoning:

• Creative Expression: 

• Cultural Interpretation: 

• Science Exploration: 

• Socio-cultural Analysis:

• Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship:

• Culture, Power, and Equity:

• International: OTH 400  

• Engaged Learning: OTH 460  

• Capstone: OTH 450  

USM Core Requirements

Students must complete all Core and degree requirements as part of the Graduation Requirements. For more information, see Academic Policies.

The USM Core Curriculum provides a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal arts education that fulfills general education requirements. It is designed to help students become globally aware, purposeful, and lifelong learners.

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor.  For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.