Fox College - Bedford Park, IL
Occupational Therapy Assistant

Learning To Live Life. 

Occupational Therapy Assistants help anyone, ranging from small children to the elderly, with developmental disabilities or trauma recovery issues who need to relearn activities of daily living. As an occupational therapy assistant, you can work with individuals to help them re-learn how to do all kinds of tasks–from brushing their teeth to learning to get into a car–despite various physical or mental challenges. 

The Fox College Occupational Therapy Assistant program is designed to be completed in 18 months. The accelerated curriculum is centered on teaching students the critical skills they will need to become Occupational Therapy Assistants. You’ll spend the majority of your time taking classes directly related to your occupational therapy career while learning in simulated clinical labs. 

We encourage you to visit us and learn why our occupational therapy assistant graduates Finish First!

 

PROGRAM INFO

The Occupational Therapy Assisting program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4829. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Students are 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 in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the result of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. 

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Graduation Rates As Of 2/15/2024

Year Entered Program # Students Admitted # Students Earned A Degree Graduation Rate 
2019-2020 47 32 68%
2020-2021 54 44 69%
2021-2022 44 36 82%
2019-2022 145 105 72%

 

Performance on the NBCOT credentialing exam can be found at      https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance

Note: Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

 
 

HIGHLIGHTS

At Fox College, our Occupational Therapy Assistant faculty have real-world experience, so they can teach in the classroom what it takes to succeed. 

Our class sizes are usually small, making it easier to get to know your teachers and get personal, one-on-one attention.

With Fox College's 18-month Occupational Therapy Assistant program, you will learn about:

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Mental health
  • Physical rehabilitation 
  • Pediatric rehabilitation
  • Assistive Technologies 

 

 

Your fieldwork classes will give you real exposure to the field and help you make valuable industry contacts.

 

CURRICULUM

Fox College offers a 18-month Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant program for students seeking the core skills that will help them start occupational therapy careers. 

To read course descriptions, download our school catalog

To see the essential functions you will need to perform in the program, please click to view the Essential Functions In The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

 

CONCENTRATION COURSES

  • Introduction to Occupational Therapy
  • Medical Terminology & Documentation
  • Anatomy & Physiology for OTA / Theory
  • Anatomy & Physiology for OTA / Laboratory
  • Human Occupations
  • Conditions Affecting Health & Occupations
  • Human Movement for Occupation
  • Assistive Technology
  • Activity Analysis & Group Process
  • Neurocognitive Rehabilitation and Aging
  • Theory of Physical Rehabilitation
  • Occupational Performance I:  Physical
  • Physical Rehabilitation Level 1 Fieldwork
  • Professional Issues in Occupational Therapy
  • Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy
  • Theory of Psychosocial Occupation
  • Occupational Performance II:  Psychosocial
  • Psychosocial Level I Fieldwork
  • Theory of Pediatric Occupations
  • Occupational Performance III:  Developmental
  • Pediatric Level I Fieldwork 
  • Level II Fieldwork A/B
 

CAREERS

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects demand for occupational therapy assistants and aides to grow 25 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations2. An aging population means more conditions and ailments, such as arthritis and strokes, that may affect the ability to do everyday activities.

As part of our commitment to helping you find a job after graduation, Fox College career services assistance will help you find the right job!

 

Occupational Therapy Assistants work in:

  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Nursing homes
  • Hospitals 
  • Schools
  • In-home care

 

 

PRICES

As long as you stay enrolled full-time at Fox College, tuition rates will be frozen and will never go up from year to year. There are a variety of financial aid programs available for those who qualify. 

Associate Degree Program
TUITION/ADMISSIONS FEES (for students entering January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024)
Tuition Per Semester (Semesters 1-4)
$7,920
Tuition Per Semester (Semester 5)
$2,600
Lab Fees Per Semester (1-4 only)
$870
Application Fee
$50
Tuition Deposit**
$50
Confirmation Deposit**
$50
Estimated Books and Supplies (for completing the program)
$3,440
* Associate Degree Program is 4.5 Semesters
** Deposit is credited towards tuition when the student begins classes. It is not refundable after the due date.

COST OF ATTENDANCE BUDGETS

When students use federal financial aid to help cover their educational costs, the federal Department of Education requires schools to use a formula to determine what types of financial aid the student is eligible to receive.    

Part of this formula is using a cost of attendance budget to determine the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive each academic year.    This budget includes direct school costs like tuition, fees and books.  It also includes indirect costs that the student may have while they attend school.   This includes things like housing and transportation.   The school develops a standard cost of attendance budget for these purposes using actual tuition and fees each year and average estimated amounts for the indirect costs.   

The specific components included in our COA (Cost of Attendance) budgets include: 

·      Tuition and fees 

·      Books, course materials, supplies and equipment 

·      Federal Direct Loan Program origination fees and insurance costs* 

·      Living expenses (housing and food)

·      Transportation 

·      Personal expenses

·      Other miscellaneous costs such as professional licensing fees when applicable

*These costs are excluded if the student does not borrow any funds from the student loan programs.  

Note that the amounts in the budget can vary depending on the student’s enrollment status, program of study, and dependency status.   If you have questions about this or you would like to see the COA budget for a specific program of study that would apply to you,  please contact the Financial Aid department.