Occupational Therapy Assistant

Welcome! The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is designed for students with an interest in working with individuals who are limited in what they can do because of a physical, emotional or developmental disability, illness or the aging process. The goal of occupational therapy is to help people of any age – from newborns to the elderly – live their lives to the fullest – at home, at work or at school – by making it possible for them to perform life’s everyday activities.

Founded in 1917, occupational therapy is a well-established profession and offers many exciting opportunities for the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Occupational therapy is an expanding specialty in the healthcare field. Working under the indirect supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist, the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant provides patients training on ways to perform life’s daily activities, such as bathing, dressing and cooking. An occupational therapy assistant also offers patients and their families suggestions on how to adapt home, work and school environments to best meet the patient’s special circumstances.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at MCC combines coursework with a four-month supervised clinical experience that focuses on the psycho-social, physical and developmental aspects of practicing occupational therapy.

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)located at 6116 Executive Blvd., 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.

Certification

Graduates of the program are 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 graduate will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).  Additionally, all states require licensure to practice; However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification exam. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure.

The total number of graduates from MCC’s OTA program during the five-year period of 2017-2021 was 110, with an overall graduation rate of 88%.

Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NCBOT) can be found online.

Find out about a career in Occupational Therapy.

View the Program Curriculum

Application to the Program

Be sure to complete the following FIVE steps prior to the application deadline of February 1, 2022.

1. Attend a virtual Occupational Therapy Assistant information session before February 1, 2022.
2. Complete Occupational Therapy Assistant Program prerequisites.
   • All candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
   • Occupational Therapy Assistant Program prerequisites include the following MCC courses or their equivalent, if transferring:
     • Completion of BIO* 115: Human Biology (All science courses must be 4 credits, include a lab, completed with a “C” or better and taken in Spring 2017 or later.)
     • Completion of PSY* 111: General Psychology I
     • Eligibility for MAT* 109: Quantitative Literacy or MAT* 165: Elementary Statistics
3. Submit MCC General Application for Admission by February 1, 2022 and choose ‘General Studies: Allied Health’ for your major. [Please note: you will automatically be admitted to the college once required supplemental items are provided, but must apply for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program separately (step 5 below).]
4. Submit official copies of all transcripts by February 1, 2023. Electronic transcripts are encouraged, but paper copies are acceptable.
   • For electronic transcripts, visit your previous institutions’ websites for instructions on how to order online transcripts.
   • To mail a transcript, please send to Manchester Community College Admissions Office, Attn: Allied Health, Great Path MS #12, P.O. Box 1046, Manchester, CT 06045
   • Current MCC students may submit unofficial transcripts to Donna Sweeney, M.Ed.,OTR/L at dsweeney2@mcc.commnet.edu.
5. Submit the online Occupational Therapy Assistant Application by February 1st. Note: You will be required to copy and paste the text of your resume to your application; be sure to update your resume before beginning the application. *The application period has closed. Please consider attending an information session and applying next year by February 2023.
6. Please note: OTA courses from another institution may not be transferred into the OTA Program. Credit for previous course completion including AP courses must be evaluated by the Admissions office to be accepted for transfer. Credit is not provided for prior work experiences inclusive of experiential learning.

Questions: Email Donna Sweeney, M.Ed.,OTR/L, OTA Program Director, or call 860-512-2717.

Cost to Attend

Program total: $8,288

Program total: $8,809

Program total: $9,795

Tuition and fees are subject to change and are set by the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Connecticut State Legislature. Totals shown represent OTA classes only; exact program totals are dependent upon the general education courses transferred in by the student. All OTA courses must be taken at MCC.

Tuition and fees for any outstanding general education* courses and out-of-state tuition can be found on the college’s Tuition and Fees page.

*ANT*118, BIO*115, COM*173, ENG*101, MAT*109, PSY*201 and electives in CSC and The Arts.

Contact Information

Donna Sweeney, M.Ed.,OTR/L
OTA Program Director
860-512-2717