Occupational Therapy Assistant

The Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S. in OTA) program utilizes meaningful and purposeful activities and occupations to promote health, independence, learning, and overall well-being across the lifespan, serving individuals of all ages, from newborns to older adults.

Under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist (OT), the occupational therapy assistant (OTA) works directly with individuals, families, groups, and communities to facilitate health, well-being, and learning through engagement in meaningful activities and occupations, thereby supporting the process of therapy services.

In addition to direct patient care, occupational therapy assistants participate in addressing the factors that affect the delivery of health services and the disparities that contribute to occupational deprivation.

Program goals and objectives.

• The program will prepare competent and confident occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students through dynamic, skills-based curricula at the associate level that promote hands-on learning and real-world success.
• The program will offer a sequential, integrated curriculum that reflects contemporary OTA practices.
• The program will provide students with a curriculum that recognizes, fosters, and embraces diversity and different learning styles.
• OTA students are adult learners, and our program will provide the opportunity to take responsibility for learning, professional behavior, respect for others, and preparedness.
• OTA students will anchor assessment and intervention strategies in occupation-centered practice, fostering client-centered interaction that generates a meaningful occupational therapy process.
• The program will prepare graduates to provide occupational therapy interventions in various settings within the OT professional scope of practice and under occupational therapist supervision for the OTA.
• The program will prepare graduates to demonstrate ethical and professional behaviors consistent with California State Law and Practice Acts and the professional standards of practice.
• The program will employ faculty who demonstrate current knowledge in their teaching areas and are committed to professional standards of excellence.
• The will prepare graduates to utilize self- assessment and awareness in communication, skills, knowledge, and behaviors with patients/clients, caregivers, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals.

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts does not discriminate against students based on race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital status.

The A.S. in OTA Program is committed to preparing practitioners who recognize occupation as both the means and the end of occupational therapy intervention. Graduates are expected to listen to and value clients’ and families’ perspectives, develop meaningful occupational profiles, select and interpret appropriate assessments, design individualized intervention plans, and collaborate effectively with clients, caregivers, and interdisciplinary team members. Through this commitment, the program seeks to develop practitioners who are prepared to advocate for occupational participation, promote health and well-being, and positively impact the lives of the individuals and communities they serve.

• ACOTE Candidacy Status
• Hands-On Lab Training
• Clinical Hours Provided
• Job Placement Assistance

All applicants to Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts must meet the General Admission Requirements for all Programs, including the entrance exam where required, and the additional admission requirements for this program.

• All applicants must attend a one-on-one meeting with the Admissions Team advisor to receive specific information about admission requirements, program and clinical rotation scheduling, and financial aid resources. A packet of registration documents will be given to applicants to complete and return.
• All applicants must submit official transcripts.
• Submit — for applicants requesting credit granting for some/all General Education courses — original transcripts from the Registrar at an educational institution. Copies are not accepted. All coursework must be completed and given a grade of at least a “C.” Anatomy and Physiology with Laboratory must be completed within the last five (5) years. All credit granting is subject to approval from the Registrar. Please allow seven (7) days for review.
• The OTA Admissions Committee will review all applications and invite top-scoring applicants for an interview. Please see the admissions scoring rubric.
• Complete the online FAFSA for federal student aid.
• The 20 top-ranking applicants will be offered seats in the program with up to fifteen (15) alternates. Selected applicants must accept the seat within 72 hours of receiving the formal acceptance letter.

The program information, length, and schedule are subject to change. Read the accompanying Addendum for changes and updates, as well as check in with the Admission Advisor for details. Enrollment is available only to students who live in California.

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S. in OTA) program has a classroom equipped with modern audio-visual teaching aids, textbooks, journals, anatomical charts, and models, in addition to e-library resources. The laboratories are equipped with the most current tools and materials used in the occupational therapy practice.

The pediatric laboratory is equipped to work with children and youth experiencing developmental, musculoskeletal, neurological, and learning issues; the lab will also serve as our sensory integration lab. Our daily living lab is situated in a room that has been developed and implemented as a living quarter, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room settings.

There is a spacious lab for all the physical disabilities and biomechanical techniques, a hand therapy lab, and an ergonomics lab. The instructor-to-student ratio is 1:25 in lecture and 1:12 in laboratory.

The program includes seven (7) General Education courses and eighteen (18) core Occupational Therapy Assistant courses. Students with previous college courses equivalent to the General Education (GE) requirements can request an evaluation of their transcripts for credit transfer. During the first quarter, students will complete up to 24 hours per week of GE courses online.

Students must pass their first quarter and maintain a GPA of 3.0 to progress to the second quarter, which contains general education courses and the first OTA core course.

Quarters 3, 4, and 5 consist of blended course delivery that includes both online synchronous instruction Monday through Thursday and asynchronous learning activities. In addition, students must attend on-campus lab instruction for 2-3 weekends each quarter. Starting in Quarter 3, Fieldwork Level I will begin. This entails 40 hours of hands-on experience distributed throughout the third and fourth quarter and 80 hours in the 5th quarter. Quarters 6 and 7 each include 8 weeks of full-time level 2 fieldwork. Fieldwork takes place at an assigned clinical site and requires the student to work the full-time schedule set by their fieldwork educator. The student schedule could include any day of the week or any hour of the day.

The student receives nine hundred seventy hours (970) of didactic and laboratory instruction and eight hundred (800) hours of clinical education, allowing them to apply the lecture topics to practical use. The curriculum equips students with the technical, clinical, and interpersonal skills required to excel in this field. Additionally, the program prepares students to take the NBCOT Certification exam.

An Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant is awarded upon program completion. The normal completion time for this program is eighty-four (84) weeks, excluding any holidays and vacation times. To ensure program completion is on time and the required program hours are fulfilled, class times may be rescheduled on an alternate day of the week (i.e., Sunday through Saturday).

Upcoming start date for this program: March 29, 2027 (application deadline January 29, 2027).

Tuition and fees. Registration Fee (non-refundable) $100.00; Student Tuition Recovery Fund $0.00; Textbooks $575.00; Tuition $50,400.00. Total program cost $51,075.00. Total program cost excludes transportation, room and board, and personal expenses.

Total fees per period of enrollment. Period 1: $8,975.00; Period 2: $8,850.00; Period 3: $8,700.00; Period 4: $6,675.00; Period 5: $5,725.00; Period 6: $6,525.00; Period 7: $5,625.00.

Cost of Attendance, 2026–2027 (one academic year). Tuition & Fees $26,200.00; Books $325.00; Transportation $7,830.00; Food & Housing $22,692.00; Personal Expenses $819.00; Loan Fees $99.00; Laptop Fees $450.00; Total Cost of Attendance (One Academic Year) $58,415.00. Individual student costs will vary.

Financial aid. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts participates in various federal and state student financial assistance programs, including the Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Direct and Direct PLUS Loans, Cal Grant, Sallie Mae® and Campus Door loans, and veteran benefits, for those who qualify. Each campus has a Financial Aid Advisor. Gurnick's FAFSA school code is 041698.

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Other fees, as applicable. ATI TEAS $120; background check $33–$75; drug testing $74–$148; CPR $55–$80; fingerprinting $81 and up; licensing board fees $200–$500 depending on the exam and license; campus parking permit $25; graduation ceremony fee $20–$50. Some of these fees may be paid by Gurnick Academy for some programs.

Career paths. Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Certification and licensure. NBCOT certification examination (COTA), once the program is granted ACOTE Accreditation Status.

School Performance Fact Sheet. Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant – 112 Quarter Credit Hours at the San Jose campus is reported as a new program, so completion, placement and salary data are not yet available (published March 17, 2026).