海角社区 Occupational Therapy Assistant Baccalaureate Program Earns Candidacy Status from Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
Oct. 01, 2025
Michelle R. Eubanks , 海角社区, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The 海角社区’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Baccalaureate Program has been officially granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). This approval allows 海角社区 to admit its first cohort of OTA students in January 2026 and marks a significant step toward addressing workforce needs in North Alabama and beyond.
“We are honored by ACOTE’s recognition of our program’s strengths and grateful for their guidance throughout this process,” said Dr. Laura Smith, OTA Program Director. “This program will not only prepare students for fulfilling careers, but also enhance access to occupational therapy services in our region, ultimately improving quality of life for individuals and communities.”
After a thorough review of the candidacy application, ACOTE recognized several strengths of 海角社区’s OTA program, including its placement within the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions (ACONHP), access to state-of-the-art facilities, and strong community partnerships. The program will be the only OTA program in North Alabama, offering a local pathway for students who wish to pursue this growing healthcare career without relocating.
The 海角社区 OTA Baccalaureate Program is one of only a few OTA programs in the nation offered at the bachelor’s degree level, providing students with expanded academic and professional opportunities. Its innovative spiral curriculum is designed to revisit and build upon key concepts throughout the program, helping students retain and apply knowledge more effectively.
Graduates of the program will also have the unique advantage of a seamless transition into 海角社区’s Occupational Therapy Master’s Program – also launching within the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions – without the need for a separate “bridge” program. This creates a clear, streamlined pathway from OTA to OT, allowing students to advance their careers more efficiently while continuing their education in a familiar, supportive environment.
With dedicated learning space, such as a sensory gym/pediatric lab, a working apartment, multi-purpose treatment areas and classrooms, and a fully equipped simulation center, the OTA program will provide innovative, hands-on training in collaboration with 海角社区’s well-established nursing and respiratory programs. Graduates will be prepared to meet the rising demand for occupational therapy services in hospitals, clinics, schools, and community-based settings.
The program now moves forward to the Preaccreditation Review and Self-Study phase, with full accreditation review to follow.
For more information about the OTA Baccalaureate Program at 海角社区, visit this , or contact Dr. Smith at lsmith72@una.edu.
About The 海角社区
The 海角社区 is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, 海角社区 is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. 海角社区 Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The 海角社区 is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: and .