The state of South Carolina has one school offering a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree, one offering a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree, and four schools offering an Associate of Applied Science for Occupational Therapy of Assistants (OTA). All MOT, OTD, and OTA programs listed below are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Programs (ACOTE).

Occupational therapists and assistants go on to hold positions in school systems, mental health centers, community agencies, nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, and private practices. The higher the degree earned, the more lucrative the field becomes. As of 2020, occupational therapists in South Carolina earned an average salary of $82,678 per year; occupational therapy assistants, on the other hand, earned an average salary of $55,374 per year. South Carolina’s average occupational therapist salary tends to be on par with neighboring southern states, such as Tennessee and North Carolina.

Programs in occupational therapy are spread across the state, with locations in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, among other cities and towns.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Programs in Charleston

Charleston is a port city in South Carolina, known for its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and pastel antebellum houses. Home to the Medical University of South Carolina, students here may attend the school’s OTD program. As of 2020, licensed occupational therapists in Charleston earned an average salary of $83,883 per year.

Medical University of South Carolina

College of Health Professions
Division of Occupational Therapy
151-B Rutledge Avenue, MSC 962
Charleston, SC 29425-9620
johnsoss@musc.edu

  • Degree Level: The Medical University of South Carolina offers an entry-level OTD program for interested applicants. The program requires students to complete 119 credit hours.
  • Tuition: Tuition for in-state students is $8,346 per semester. The program is usually completed in 9 semesters, making the total cost $75,114.
  • Application Due Dates: Applications are due November 15th, 2020 for the following summer.
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Students must have a bachelor’s degree and completed at least 20 hours of prerequisite coursework, among other requirements.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Programs in Columbia

The capital city of South Carolina, Columbia is located in the center of the state and known for its hot summer temperatures. Aspiring occupational therapists may attend Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia to receive an MOT degree. As of 2020, licensed occupational therapists in Columbia earned an average salary of $93,205 per year.

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Center for Graduate Studies of Columbia
4201 North Main Street
Columbia, SC 29203
Toni.Oakes@lr.edu

  • Degree Level: Lenoir-Rhyne University offers a MOT program for interested applicants. The MOT program consists of 70 credit hours.
  • Tuition: Tuition for the MOT program is $930 per credit hour. The total cost of the program is $65,100 — excluding other fees.
  • Application Due Dates: Applications to the program are due in January of each year.
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Students must have a bachelor’s degree, a 3.0 GPA or higher, and 3 recommendation letters, among other application requirements.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in Greenville

Greenville is a small city located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina. As of 2020, licensed occupational therapy assistants in Greenville earned an average salary of $57,719 per year.

Greenville Technical College

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
506 South Pleasantburg Drive, MS 3011
Greenville, SC 29606-5616
Beth.Todd@gvltec.edu

  • Degree Level: Greenville Technical College offers an Occupational Therapy Assistant program consisting of 77 credit hours. The program is typically completed in eight semesters.
  • Tuition: Tuition costs $15,464 in total, for all U.S. residents.
  • Application Due Dates: Applications are accepted between January 15th and February 28th of each year.
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Interested students must submit all high school transcripts, or GED, and all college transcripts, if applicable. Admission to the program is given in two phases; acceptance into phase one does not guarantee acceptance into phase two.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in Newberry

Newberry is a small city in South Carolina, located 43 miles northwest of Columbia. As of 2020, licensed occupational therapy assistants in Newberry earned an average salary of $55,149 per year.

Piedmont Technical College

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
1922 Wilson Road
Newberry, SC 29108-2202
odell.s@ptc.edu

  • Degree Level: Piedmont Technical College offers an OTA program consisting of 70 credit hours.
  • Tuition: Tuition costs $184.25 per credit hour, excluding other fees.
  • Application Due Dates: Applications to the program are typically due between May 1st and 16th of each year.
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Interested students must have a 2.5 GPA in relevant coursework, completed at least 20 hours of observation, and completed the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), among other requirements.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in Columbia

As of 2020, licensed occupational therapy assistants in Columbia earned an average salary of $55,563 per year.

South University

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
9 Science Court
Columbia, SC 29203
(888)444-3404

  • Degree Level: South University’s Columbia Campus offers an OTA program for interested students. The program requires students to complete 109 credit hours.
  • Tuition: The university offers students tiered tuition, designed to make the cost of education more affordable; specific details can be found included in the link.
  • Application Due Dates: Applications must be sent at least 7 weeks before the start of the program.
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Interested parties can view South University’s Academic Catalog for information on application requirements and prerequisite coursework.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in Charleston

As of 2020, licensed occupational therapy assistants in Charleston earned an average salary of $56,181 per year.

Trident Technical College

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
P.O. Box 118067
Charleston, SC 29423-8067

  • Degree Level: Trident Technical College has an OTA program for interested applicants. Students in the program must complete 76 credit hours.
  • Tuition: The total cost of the program is $14,426.94 for tri-county residents without lottery assistance; the total cost of the program for other residents of South Carolina is $15,996.34 without lottery assistance.
  • Application Due Dates: N/A
  • Prerequisites/Application Requirements: Interested parties must first apply to Trident Technical College, then fill out an online application for the specific OTA program. Students must also successfully complete all prerequisite coursework.