The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Virginia Western Community College has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). This significant milestone allows the College to begin enrolling students for the Fall 2025 semester and officially launch the Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.
“This candidacy designation represents the culmination of years of work to ensure this program meets the highest educational and professional standards,” said Leah Savelyev, DHSc, OTR/L, OTA/L, Program Head for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. “From building the curriculum to designing hands-on training labs and purchasing industry-standard equipment, we have laid a strong foundation for our students’ success.”
Occupational therapy assistants work closely with licensed occupational therapists to help people across the lifespan develop, recover, and maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Graduates of Virginia Western’s program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination and, upon state licensure, can begin working immediately in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, schools, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and in-home care.
“Adding Occupational Therapy Assistant to our existing portfolio of health professions programs enables us to meet a growing demand in our region,” said Marty Sullivan, Dean of Health Professions at Virginia Western. “We now offer nine accredited healthcare programs that help train the next generation of skilled healthcare providers.”
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Virginia Western is the result of a broader effort to localize and expand access to vital healthcare education in the Roanoke region. When Jefferson College of Health Sciences merged with Radford University in 2019, Jefferson’s associate degree programs in Physical Therapist Assistant, Surgical Technology and Occupational Therapy Assistant were temporarily housed at Radford University Carilion. These programs were then transferred to Virginia Western to serve the local community more affordably and efficiently. Physical Therapist Assistant and Surgical Technology relaunched at Virginia Western in Fall 2022.
Associate of Applied Science degrees like the Occupational Therapy Assistant degree are designed to help students enter the workforce quickly and with confidence. “This is exactly the kind of training our region needs,” said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western. “We’re preparing students for high-paying careers that make a difference, and we’re doing it in a way that’s accessible and affordable.” The median salary for occupational therapy assistants in the Roanoke region is $69,687.
Tuition for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is estimated at $12,600 for in-state students, and is eligible for federal and state financial aid, as well as scholarship opportunities through the Virginia Western Educational Foundation.
The program can be completed in two years, including summer semesters, not including prerequisite coursework.
The application deadline for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant was March 15, with one cohort accepted each fall. To better prepare for admission into the selective program, students may first complete one of two Career Studies Certificates offered in the spring and fall:
- Introduction to Occupational Therapy Assistant: Prepares students with job-ready skills in a healthcare setting or for the National Registry of EMT certification.
- Introduction to Occupational Therapy Assistant – Pediatrics: Offers training for working with infants and children in settings such as Head Start, preschools and residential care facilities.
Full admission requirements, including prerequisites and selection criteria, are available at www.virginiawestern.edu/ota.
