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.
| Year | Total Number of New Graduates Testing | Total Number of New Graduates Passing (% passing) | Total Number of New Graduates Failing (% failing) |
| 2019 | 16 | 15 (94%) | 1 (6%) |
| 2018 | 16 | 16 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2017 | 20 | 19 (95%) | 1 (5%) |
| 2016 | 20 | 20 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2015 | 15 | 15 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
The total number of graduates from MCC’s OTA program during the five-year period of 2015-2019 was 92, with an overall graduation rate of 85%.
| Graduation Year | Students Entering/ Graduating |
Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 21/19 | 90% |
| 2016 | 26/23 | 88% |
| 2017 | 24/20 | 83% |
| 2018 | 14/13 | 93% |
| 2019 | 20/17 | 85% |
| Total | 105/92 | 88% |
Find out about a career in Occupational Therapy.
Application to the Program
In addition to completing the MCC Application for Admission, students who are interested in pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy are required to fill out a separate Occupational Therapy Assistant Application (applications are also available by calling the Admissions office at 860-512-3210) and return it to the Health Careers Office, LRC A237.
Contact Information
Maggie Moriarty, Program Director
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
860-512-2719