Academic Programs

Occupational Therapy Assistant, A.A.S.

*Please see accreditation note below.

Locations: Worthington

Links to:

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.

The OTA curriculum consists of 6 general education courses and 18 OTA courses. The general education courses are offered through at Minnesota West in a variety of formats, including PSEO, in-person, online, and hybrid. The OTA courses are offered in-person on the Worthington campus. If you have any questions about the OTA curriculum or about applying to the OTA program, please contact OTA@mnwest.edu.

COURSE #	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	Summer - Year 1
BIOL 2201	Human Anatomy	4
ENGL 1101	Composition I	3
PSYC 1150	Lifespan Developmental Psychology	3
HC 1180	Medical Terminology in Healthcare OR	2
BIOL 2245	Medical Terminology	2
	Total Credits Summer - Year 1	12

	Fall Year 1
BIOL 2202	Human Physiology	4
OTAC 1100	Introduction to Occupational Therapy Assistant	2
OTAC 1105	Clinical Conditions and Abilities	2
OTAC 1110	Foundational Skills for the OTA	4
OTAC 1115	Problem-Based Learning for the OTA I	2
PSYC 2221	Psychology of Mental Illness	3
	Credits Fall - Year 1	17

	Spring - Year 1
OTAC 1200	Movement of Occupations	3
OTAC 1210	Pediatric Applications	4
OTAC 1215	Problem-Based Learning for the OTA II	2
OTAC 1220	Rural & Community-Based OT	4
OTAC 1230	Level I Fieldwork A	1
OTAC 1240	Documentation for the OTA	1
	Credits Spring - Year 1	15

	Fall - Year 2
OTAC 2100	Mental Health Across the Lifespan	3
OTAC 2110	Adult Applications	4
OTAC 2115	Problem-Based Learning for the OTA III	2
OTAC 2120	Geriatric Applications	4
OTAC 2130	Level I Fieldwork B	1
OTAC 2140	Professional Seminar	2
	Credits Fall - Year 2	16

	Spring - Year 2
OTAC 2230	Level II Fieldwork A	6
OTAC 2240	Level II Fieldwork B	6
	Credits Spring - Year 2	12
	TOTAL CREDITS	72

Notes:

*This associate-degree-level occupational therapy assistant program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation, adjust standard B.4.14. and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Students must complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Updated: pp 9/27/2023