Occupational Therapy Assistant

1. Practice using innovative and evidence-based interventions within the role of the entry-level Occupational Therapy Assistant.
2. Demonstrate professional attributes, ethical standards, and values of the profession.
3. Deliver competent services/outcomes by using reflection, strengths, client centered and occupation based interventions, and critical and creative thinking.
4. Collaborate inter/intra professionally.
5. Work with people from diverse backgrounds in a variety of practice settings serving the community.

Young or old, we all have a job to do – the job of living. Learning, growing, playing, working, managing our homes, and caring for our families and ourselves are among the occupations of life.

Sometimes physical, emotional, or other challenges prevent people from participating fully in the job of living. Stroke, injury, depression, and developmental disabilities, for example, can make it difficult for people to do everyday tasks or be as active and as independent as they’d like. Occupational therapy – a vibrant, growing profession – makes it possible for people to regain independence and to enjoy life to its fullest. By choosing a career in occupational therapy, you will make a difference. You will improve the lives of children, young people, and adults alike. Occupational therapy assistants work with the supervision of registered occupational therapists to provide hands-on services to children and adults who are learning new ways to succeed in the occupations of life.

Students today can look forward to dynamic careers working in varied settings with people of all ages. Many practitioners help children thrive in the “occupations” of childhood learning, playing, and growing. Some work in schools with students who have learning disabilities or behavioral problems. Others work with children who have cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and other disabilities.

Practitioners also work with individuals in their homes, community centers, rehabilitation hospitals, and nursing homes. In these settings, they may support people with traumatic injuries, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, or mental health problems.

Wage information is available from the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

ACOTE Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Anoka Technical College is accredited 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, (301) 652-AOTA. www.acoteonline.org

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 the exam, the individual is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Most states require licensure in order to practice. However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensur

Application Dates

Application period for fall semester 2024 begins Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at 9 am.

Admission Guidelines

Steps to Admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program

You must complete all steps of the admissions process to be admitted into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.  Please read the full explanations below this checklist and review OTA Program Admission Requirements, Timeline.

1. Apply to Anoka Technical College and be admitted to the college
2. Complete the ACCUPLACER Assessments
3. Complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI-TEAS)
4. Attend mandatory program Information Session. RSVP
5. Apply to the OTA Program using the supplemental program application

If you are interested in the OTA Program at Anoka Technical College the following changes are made for summer admission to the program.

Email Enrollment Services at enrollmentservices@anokatech.edu to obtain a link for the recorded Information Session. Please note the transcript is not completely accurate in transcription.

Listen to the recorded Information Session. When complete, email Enrollment services and they will email you a survey to fill out. Once you return the survey, you will be emailed a certificate of attendance.

Apply to the college and get admitted. Submit your completed OTA admission packet.

Complete College orientation. Register for classes before the mandatory OTA Program Orientation for accepted and waitlisted students is Wednesday, May 8, 2024 from 3 to 5:30 pm in room 126 (alternative date and location TBD if needed).

Additional Resources

OTA Program Admission Policies

Take a virtual tour and review the list below to get an idea of what it's like to be a student at Anoka Tech.

Virtual Tour

Some courses in this program may require a prerequisite. Please see course descriptions for more details.

MnTC General Education Requirements

 This program requires completion of the following fifteen credits of general education from at least three goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC). Refer to the MnTC course list for elective courses:

Program Sequence

All COTA courses and HLTH1005 must be completed with a grade of C or higher. All ENGL, PSYC, and SPCH courses must be completed with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.