Admissions

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Occupational Therapy is a healthcare profession that works with people of all ages, diagnoses, and living situations to help achieve increased independence in their valued occupations. We consider the tasks of daily living, such as making breakfast, taking a shower, caring for children, playing, and even sitting in school, as important occupations that help individuals succeed in life. When someone is unable to do one or several of their valued occupations, an occupational therapy assistant may have the opportunity to work with the individual on an established plan of care to achieve the goals that the individual has helped set. It is a growing, challenging, and exciting career path for anyone who enjoys using their creative skills to help individuals become, regain, or work toward independence.

An occupational therapy assistant is supervised by an occupational therapist.

Steps to Admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Applications will not be considered until all parts are submitted in full. Read the directions closely below to ensure you've completed all steps of the application process.

The application deadline for the OTA Program is February 15.

1. Complete the online Minnesota West application at mnwest.edu/get-started/apply

2. Complete the admissions requirements for general student admission at Minnesota West. Information can be found at mnwest.edu/admission/general.
   1. If you have a post-secondary degree, request that transcript be sent to admissions@mnwest.edu. College/University transcripts will need to be requested from the institution that granted them. The admissions staff will confirm the information.
   2. International degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director. Email OTA@mnwest.edu.

3. Take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) and direct your score results (transcript) to the Minnesota West OTA program.
   
   1. This exam is taken online. The cost of this exam is the responsibility of the applicant.
   2. Find exam information at https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register. (See step-by-step instructions at the end of this document on how to register for the TEAS exam). 
   3. After completion of the exam, you will have immediate access to your results. You will need to login to your ATI account and use the transcript credit to send to the Minnesota West OTA program.
   4. If you choose, you may re-take the exam one time. You must wait two weeks between the two attempts. The higher of the two scores will be used for your application.

4. Fill out the E-Form OTA Application >. All applications will be reviewed and considered using the OTA Applicant Assessment Score Sheet found on the OTA website. Students will be notified within 8 weeks of the application deadline of their acceptance or denial into the OTA program.

General Education Requirements for the OTA Program

The OTA Program has four general education requirements that must be completed prior to starting the OTA courses in the fall. These include: BIOL 2201, ENGL 1101, PSYC 1150, and HC 1180 or BIOL 2245. Students are encouraged to begin taking these courses before being admitted into the OTA program.

An additional two general education requirements can be completed prior to or during the first semester of OTA coursework. These include: BIOL 2202 and PSYC 2221.

You must achieve a ‘C’ or higher in each of these courses. Please connect with a college advisor if you need assistance registering for classes.

*BIOL 2201 and BIOL 2202 must be completed in the 5 years prior to your date of application. If more than 5 years have passed, contact OTA@mnwest.edu to discuss options and consider recency of completion. ENGL 1101, PSYC 1150, PSYC 2221, and HC 1180/BIOL 2245 do not have a recency requirement.

Click on the link for instructions for Registering for the TEAS exam for the MN West OTA Program