Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant

Program Overview

Whether you’re interested in a career in health care, rehabilitation or social services, the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant program will prepare you to work with clients of all ages with a variety of physical, cognitive, emotional and developmental conditions. Working under the guidance of a registered occupational therapist and/or physiotherapist, you will maximize physical function and occupational performance to promote increased daily functioning and overall well-being for your clients. Hands-on labs begin in semester one where you learn and practice therapy skills in small groups to prepare you for success in the field. This program offers close to 600 clinical hours in a range of unique and diverse placement settings. Our new onsite living lab provides realistic simulations that transform classroom knowledge into the practical skills required for the field.

Community Involvement

Hands On

Helping Others

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)
Two additional senior level credits

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Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
September 2020	Open	Open

Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CDN)
Year one international: $13,322 (CDN)

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Semester 1 Courses

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Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Physiotherapy assistant
Rehabilitation assistant
Occupational therapy assistant
Vocational rehabilitation assistant
Special education assistant
Education assistant
Life-skills worker

View all Career Options

Program Details

In this two-year program you will learn to assist with the implementation of rehabilitation treatment plans and programs across the lifespan, from children to older adults, and throughout the continuum of care. Our faculty team brings a wide variety of clinical experiences and expertise to ensure you are well-prepared for your future career in rehabilitation.

Program highlights include:

Hands-on labs begin in semester one where you learn and practice therapy skills in small groups to prepare you for success in the field
Close to 600 hours of fieldwork experience, offering diverse placement settings
Theory and labs specializing in teaching the knowledge and skills necessary to treat clients with a wide variety of musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, respiratory and complex conditions
Our new on-site living lab provides the opportunity to practice clinical skills and scenarios in a realistic environment
Focus on development of professional skills throughout the program, including effective verbal and written communication strategies
Collaborations with community partners and other disciplines allow students the opportunity to experience interprofessional rehabilitation and further develop team-work and communication skills

The Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Program at Durham College is seeking accreditation by the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Education Accreditation Program (OTA and PTA EAP) of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada. The program has been granted Candidacy Status, which denotes an affiliation with the OTA and PTA EAP and is a pre-requisite for accreditation of the education program. Candidacy Status is not an accreditation status and does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation once it undergoes a full accreditation review.

OTA & PTA EAP Contact Information: Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Education Accreditation Program c/o Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada

Suite 26, 509 Commissioners Road West London, Ontario, N6J 1Y5

226.636.0632

www.otapta.ca

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)
Two additional senior level credits

Please note: This program may be highly competitive and have a specific selection process and application deadline. For more information, please contact recruitment@durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.3126. Please refer to Admission Processes for more details regarding highly competitive programs.

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

Costs

YEAR ONE FEES	Domestic	International
Tuition	$2,722	$13,322
Compulsory Ancillary	$1,337	$1,812
Program Incidental	$0	$0
Total Fees:	$4,059	$15,134

Please note: fees are based on the 2019-2020 academic year and do not include textbooks. For more information please see Other fees to consider.

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Physiotherapy assistant
Rehabilitation assistant
Occupational therapy assistant
Vocational rehabilitation assistant
Special education assistant
Education assistant
Life-skills worker

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Rehabilitation facilities
Outpatient physiotherapy clinics
Outpatient sports rehabilitation clinics
Community hospitals
Children treatment centres
Community development agencies
Long-term care facilities
Extended care facilities
Home care services
Offices of health-care practitioners
Social services agencies

Field Placement

Your learning experience will be complemented by a field placement component in the second, third and fourth semesters to practice your skills and strengthen your abilities. The placement in the fourth semester will extend into May.

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:

Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ESPC verification partner.
Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:

A clear and current Criminal Reference Check (CRC) with Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS). If you cannot provide a clear CRC with VSS, you may not be accepted for placement by a field placement agency. CRCs with VSS must be obtained from your local police station. You may be required to obtain additional CRCs with VSS to meet field placement agency requirements
Current Level C CPR from a recognized provider
Current standard first aid certification from a recognized provider
Entry immunization form completed by a health-care provider

Links:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Intakes and Availability

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

Admission Requirements

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Field Placement

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant in the news

Helpful Resources

College guide September 2020 [PDF]

College guide September 2020 [Interactive]

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]