A Next-level Degree

Bryan Magaña BS ’06, MA ’09, Marketing & Communications

Addressing a critical workforce gap in Utah, Weber State is launching a bachelor’s degree for occupational therapy assistants — a program that will elevate patient care while giving students a competitive edge.

Those pioneering the program say it’s a proactive response to a changing industry.

Traditionally, OTA higher education stops at the associate level. By offering a bachelor’s, the university’s program is one of fewer than 20 in the U.S. to elevate the credential.

“As occupational therapy advances, industry professionals have recognized the need to move beyond traditional associate-level training,” said Robyn Thompson, assistant professor and OTA program director.

Thompson crafted a curriculum that blends rigorous science with practical application.

“We see how this bachelor’s degree will serve students better than an associate degree,” she said. “We’re being forward-thinking with this, creating better training and more career opportunities for our graduates.”

A bachelor’s degree provides a more robust foundation for students who eventually want to pursue graduate school or move into leadership roles in healthcare.

Occupational therapy helps people regain the ability to thrive in their daily lives, whether recovering from illness or injury, managing disabilities, or navigating new assistive technologies.

Occupational therapy assistants work in hospitals, schools, clinics, and homes. They create and implement individualized treatment plans. Thompson describes the field as the place where “science, creativity, and compassion collide.”

Where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 19% growth in employment through 2034 — and where Utah’s population is booming and the need for rehabilitative care is rising — WSU will bring a new wave of professionals to the workforce.

The OTA program will take hands-on training to the next level when Weber State opens the Occupational Therapy Pathways Building on the Ogden campus later this year.

The facility features simulated hospital, clinic, and home environments designed to mimic the challenging, real-world conditions therapists face every day.

“Our students do not just learn in a perfect, ADA-compliant world,” said Rhonda Roth, assistant professor and the program’s academic field coordinator. “They learn how to adapt their care to the diverse, sometimes cramped, and unmodified spaces in which their future patients actually live.”

The building will also house a community clinic where students provide free services under professional supervision. The program has already established partnerships to work with unhoused families, older adults, and early childhood centers.

“Our goal is to involve students with client populations from the start,” Roth added. “This not only grows their clinical reasoning through real-life experience, but also supports the community.”

The program earned candidacy status with the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and began accepting applications in the spring. The inaugural cohort of 24 students is slated to begin in fall 2026.

With small cohorts, a state-of-the-art facility, and a curriculum designed for the future of healthcare, the program is a win for both WSU and the state of Utah.

“This is an exciting time for Weber State students,” Thompson said. “We’ll provide them with an option in their own community to enter a strong profession with a bachelor’s degree, or to prepare for graduate school with skilled clinical and work experience.”