Occupational Therapy Assistant

Department of Occupational Therapy
College of Health Sciences
801B Clark Hall
Columbia, Missouri 65211
(573) 882-3988

Occupational Therapy Assistant - Baccalaureate (OTA-B) Program

Occupational therapy is a health profession that uses a holistic approach to help people across the lifespan do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). There are two levels of entry into the occupational therapy profession, either as an occupational therapist (OT) or as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). Occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) are skilled health professionals who provide services to individuals across the lifespan to maximize their independence in meaningful everyday activities. OTAs use research, scientific evidence, and a holistic approach to incorporate an individual’s valued occupations into the intervention process.

The mission of the Department of Occupational Therapy is to improve the health and well-being of society by assisting people to optimize their participation in everyday life occupations.

We achieve this mission through the integration of our:

• Professional education of clinically innovative occupational therapy practitioners prepared to meet the dynamic occupational  needs of people and communities across the lifespan;
• Steadfast commitment to service to our community and our profession;
• Evidence-based practice; and
• Commitment to scholarship, discovery and clinical research to advance our profession.

OTA Baccalaureate Program Admission Criteria

Applicants to MU’s OTA-B Program are reviewed holistically. We take the time to get to know you as an individual through your application, not just a number on a score sheet. We are searching for applicants that possess personal attributes of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence, as well as the ability to perform essential functions fit for a career in occupational therapy. 

Application window for the OTA-B Program beginning coursework in Fall 2025 opens October 1, 2024. The Department of Occupational Therapy follows a rolling admissions process to allow for early acceptance of exceptional applicants. Priority application deadline is Feb. 1, 2025. Late application deadline is July 1, 2025. Applications are reviewed as they are submitted, and applicants are notified of their initial status within 45 days of submission. The Department of Occupational Therapy admits one OTA cohort with up to 44 students each year. 

Prerequisite and Cumulative GPA

• Minimum GPA: Cumulative 2.5 or higher (4.0=A). This includes ALL undergraduate completed coursework. Unofficial transcripts from each institution must be submitted with the OTA application.

Prerequisite Courses

The following prerequisite courses must be completed with a 'C' or better in each course prior to starting the OTA program. Prerequisites are subject to minor changes with each application cycle.

• General Biology – 3 credit hour course with a lab or 4 credit hours combined lecture/lab minimum
• Human Anatomy* – 3 credit hour course with a lab or 4 credit hours combined lecture/lab minimum
• Human Physiology* – 3 credit hour course with a lab or 4 credit hours combined lecture/lab minimum
• Sociology – 3 credit hour course minimum
• Abnormal Psychology – 3 credit hour course minimum
• Human Development – Must address development across the lifespan. 3 credit hour course minimum
• Introduction to Statistics – 3 credit hour course minimum. Any introductory statistics course in any discipline is acceptable.
• Medical Terminology – 1 credit hour minimum. Can take for credit or noncredit. Will accept a passing grade if taken as a pass/fail course.

*Courses must have been completed within 4 years of application.  Human Anatomy and Human Physiology can be substituted with Human Anatomy & Physiology I and Human Anatomy & Physiology II (both with lab).

Advanced placement, dual credit, and transfer credits for prerequisite coursework are acceptable if they were recognized by student's undergraduate institution and appear on official transcripts at the time of application. The Department of Occupational Therapy does not allow credit for experiential learning or work experience to count toward any of the degree requirements.

Required Application Materials

• All applications will be submitted in Mizzou GradSlate with the following requirements:
  • Application -
    • includes personal information, educational background, work and volunteer experience
  • Unofficial transcripts
    • official transcripts required upon acceptance into the OTA-B Program
  • Essay
    • topic provided
  • Potential interview
    • applicants may be invited for interview at any time during the application cycle

Optional Application Materials

• Observations in the field of Occupational Therapy
  • The Department of OT highly recommends observing occupational therapy in practice to gain a clear understanding of practice, settings, and client populations. 
     

Accreditation and Certification

The baccalaureate-degree-level occupational therapy assistant program 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. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program 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). 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.

Students must complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as a baccalaureate project within 24 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Assistant Teaching Professor S. Allen*, K. Peterson
Assistant Clinical Professor S. Shea Lemoins, B. Stevenson*
Assistant Professor W. Janes**
Professor T. Wolf**

*

Graduate Faculty Member - membership is required to teach graduate-level courses, chair master's thesis committees, and serve on doctoral examination and dissertation committees.

**

Doctoral Faculty Member - membership is required to chair doctoral examination or dissertation committees. Graduate faculty membership is a prerequisite for Doctoral faculty membership.

• BHS in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational Therapy Assistant does not have a graduate program. For a related degree please see the OTD in Occupational Therapy.