Online OTA Associate Curriculum

As a student in St. Kate’s online Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) associate degree program, you will complete a total of 63 credit hours. You’ll start by taking 1-3 semesters of LIFE Core courses (Phase 1), followed by the 4-semester OTA professional course sequence (Phase 2). This will provide you with a well-rounded education that allows you to earn a degree and sit for the NBCOT® Exam, which you must pass in order to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA).

Courses are offered year-round in the winter, summer and fall semesters. You may apply for admission to start in any term.

Blended Learning Model

Approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), our OTA degree program features a unique combined online and on-site curriculum. The online learning component, which represents 80% of the program, establishes the foundation you need to complete your in-person skills labs and fieldwork.

Phase 1: LIFE Core Sequence

You’ll start by taking 1–3 semesters of LIFE Core courses. All LIFE Core courses are provided 100% online—even those with labs! The number of semesters students take during the LIFE Core sequence varies depending on how many previous courses they transfer in, their personal preferences, and the availability of spaces in the OTA Professional Sequence (Phase 2, below).

Contact your admissions counselor to learn more about your timeline. They can review your previous college transcripts to make a preliminary plan.

Prerequisites for OTA Professional Sequence

Before progressing into the OTA Professional Sequence courses, you must (a) have a 2.5 grade point average across the four prerequisite courses listed below, and (b) complete each prerequisite course with a grade C or better. Earning a C in all courses will not meet the 2.5 prerequisite GPA requirement.

Courses	Course Name	Credits
BIOL 2400	General Anatomy and Physiology with Lab*	4
IPE 1020	Medical Terminology	1
PSYC 1000	General Psychology	4
PSYC 2020	Lifespan Developmental Psychology*	4

*If taken at another college, these courses must have been completed no more than five years prior to the start of the OTA Professional Sequence.

Supporting Course for OTA Professional Sequence

In addition to the prerequisite courses students are required to complete the following supporting course. The supporting course can be taken prior to the start of or during the first three semesters of the OTA Professional Sequence.

A minimum grade of C is required in this course

Course	Course Name	Total Credits
PHIL 2440	Biomedical Ethics	4
Total Credits		4

LIFE General Education Core

In addition to the program-required courses, students must complete the LIFE general education core curriculum. These requirements can be met with a mix of prerequisite, supporting, and additional elective courses. A maximum of two courses from the supporting course and LIFE general education core can be taken during the first three semesters of OTA coursework.

The following two courses will be available to OTA students in addition to the prerequisite and supporting courses to complete the LIFE general education core curriculum:

LIFE Core Course	Course Name	Credits
CORE 1000W	The Reflective Woman	4
THEO 1000	Theological Questions	4

Transfer credits

St. Kate’s welcomes students with prior college experience. If you have completed a previous bachelor’s or A.A. degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to enrollment at St. Catherine University, you are exempt from the LIFE core curriculum requirement. If you have completed an A.A.S. or have taken courses without completing a degree, you should contact your admission advisor to find out how your previous college credits may transfer in to meet the general education core requirements. After first enrolling at St. Kate’s, however, you should plan on taking all remaining LIFE courses at St. Kate’s.

Phase 2: OTA Professional Course Sequence

After you’ve completed your LAS courses and met all prerequisite requirements, you’ll progress into phase two of your degree program, the OTA Professional Sequence. OTA courses are offered in a “cohort” format, meaning you’ll take a series of predetermined courses in a fixed, four-semester sequence.

During the OTA Professional Course Sequence, you will be expected to attend and participate in a total of 12 skills labs. These labs happen in pairs over two weekends each of the first three semesters of the sequence. During the last semester of the sequence, you will participate in 2 8-week long Fieldwork experiences. These experiences are full-time, in-person experiences.

OTA Professional Sequence: First Semester

Course	Course Name	Credits	Session
OTA 1100	Foundations of Human Occupation with Lab	2	1st half of semester
OTA 1120	Role of the OTA with Lab	2	1st half of semester
OTA 1140	Psychosocial Approaches 1 with Lab	2	2nd half of semester
OTA 1150	Professional Growth and Community Engagement with Lab	2	2nd half of semester
OTA 1280	Level I Fieldwork; Experience 1	1	2nd half of semester

OTA Professional Sequence: Second Semester

Course	Course Name	Credits	Session
OTA 1290	Level I Fieldwork; Experience 2	1	1st half of semester
OTA 2240	Psychosocial Approaches 2 with Lab	2	1st half of semester
OTA 2250	Rehabilitation Practice 1 with Lab	2	1st half of semester
OTA 2265	Rehabilitation Practice 2 with Lab	2	2nd half of semester
OTA 2275	Pediatric Practice 1 with Lab	2	2nd half of semester

OTA Professional Sequence: Third Semester

Course	Course Name	Credits	Session
OTA 2370	Pediatric Practice 2	2	1st half of semester
OTA 2380	Aging with Lab	2	1st half of semester
OTA 2390	Primary Care and OT with Lab	2	2nd half of semester
OTA 2420	Applied Skills with Lab	2	2nd half of semester

OTA Professional Sequence: Fourth Semester

Course	Course Name	Credits	Session
OTA 2355	Level II Fieldwork, Experience 1	6	1st half of semester
OTA 2365	Level II Fieldwork, Experience 2	6	2nd half of semester