Methodist University is leading the way with an innovative and groundbreaking Bachelor of Science Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program – and students across the state are taking notice.
Methodist University is leading the way with an innovative and groundbreaking Bachelor of Science Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program – and students across the state are taking notice.
Currently, there are nine fully accredited, associate-level occupational therapy assistant programs across North Carolina; however, none of them offer an accredited baccalaureate-level program. MU is on track to change that by potentially earning accreditation for its OTA program before graduating its first class of students in the spring of 2027.
The program, which was first announced in 2022, quickly caught the attention of Fayetteville-native Christina Herbert, who is part of the first class of OTA students that will graduate in 2027.
“I decided to attend Methodist University specifically because of the OTA program,” said Herbert, who is currently a sophomore. “There are very few OTA bachelor programs in the nation and one of them happens to be right here in Fayetteville. I’m really looking forward to more of the program since it already has such a great community.”
What is an OTA?
Naturally, one might ask, “What is occupational therapy and what does an occupational therapy assistant do?” Occupational therapy provides services that help people return to their meaningful daily activities by addressing chronic disease, disability, and mental health conditions in a variety of healthcare settings, schools, home-based care, and communities. Occupational therapy assistants partner with occupational therapists to provide those services.
“Occupational therapy assistants are autonomous in our treatments,” said Dr. Melissa Gibson, MU’s OTA program director and assistant professor of Occupational Therapy. “Once a client is evaluated by an occupational therapist, the occupational therapy assistant performs the treatment to help a client reach their goals before discharge. We spend a lot of time with the clients.”
According to Gibson, there is a big demand for occupational therapy assistants in a variety of settings ranging from schools to home health with an average annual salary of $60,000.
Hands-On Learning
Methodist University’s OTA program prides itself on a contemporary, hands-on, and evidence-based curriculum.
“We don’t want to spend all of our time in the classroom. Our goal is for this program to be as hands-on as possible because it’s one of the best ways to learn,” Gibson added. “Students are going to be learning a lot of skills like how to safely transfer a patient and how to use adaptive equipment like a bedside commode, tub transfer bench, walker, crutch, or wheelchair.”
Like most baccalaureate-level programs, students will spend most of their initial two years with pre-requisite and general education courses. But during their final two years of the program, students will be able to focus much of their academic efforts on learning the ins and outs of occupational therapy – with some semesters including clinical field work experiences that give students an opportunity to shadow and assist in real-world occupational therapy settings.
“We have a fieldwork coordinator who will help set up various rotations for students in pediatrics, physical dysfunction, and more,” Gibson said. “This helps students determine what areas they enjoy in the profession and gives them a chance to build on the skills they learned in the program.”
The program also provides opportunities for engagement in student organizations for leadership, advocacy, social participation, and ongoing faculty research.
Following graduation, OTA graduates are able to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam and when they pass, they can practice as a Certified & Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L).
A Special Connection
The OTA program even has a special connection under its belt – the on-campus Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program, which became the first doctoral-level program in Occupational Therapy in North Carolina in 2018. Now, it is considered one of the strongest programs in the state, graduating approximately 120 students in the past four years.
Not only does the OTD program share some of its faculty expertise with the OTA program, the OTA students also have access to many of the same facilities and equipment in the modern McLean Health Sciences Building: activities of daily living (ADL) lab, motor control and pediatric lab, mobility courtyard, clinical skills lab, human performance lab, and motion analysis lab.
While some OTA students may elect to enter the workforce after graduation, some students may be interested in graduate school. For example, Herbert is strongly considering Methodist University’s OTD program after earning a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2027.
“My career goal is to become an occupational therapist, so after completing the OTA program, I hope I can continue my studies with the OTD program,” Herbert said.
Apply Now
Methodist University’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is still welcoming students into the program. To learn more or apply, visit the program landing page.