Occupational Therapy Assistant

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

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 - 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-B 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 opens October 1st. The Department of Occupational Therapy follows a rolling admissions process to allow for early acceptance of exceptional applicants. Applications are reviewed as they are submitted, and applicants are notified of their initial status within 45 days of submission. Please note: The OTA-B Program is shifting to a summer start (rather than Fall semester) and will therefore begin Summer 2026 for application cycle opening October 1, 2025.

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.

Delivery Models 

From now through end of spring 2026 semester, most didactic coursework in the OTA-B Program takes place in-person in classrooms and labs in Lewis & Clark Halls. Occasionally classes are scheduled in other University of Missouri campus buildings. All campus buildings are accessible and equipped with Wi-Fi access for online learning needs through Canvas (learning management system).

Beginning Summer 2026, the OTA-B Program will be offered in two delivery models: on campus (traditional in person) and hybrid (90% online and 10% in person). Students should understand that there are different expectations, processes, and policies for each modality and should confer with an advisor before determining which to select. At the point of application, students must select one modality for program completion. Upon admittance, students will be required to finish the program in the delivery model in which they were accepted. Only extenuating circumstances will be considered for a modality change and any requests will need approval by the OTA-B Program Director and will be communicated to the CHS Office of Student Services.

Both delivery models are accessible learning environments. 

Fieldwork placements and some baccalaureate projects take place at off-campus sites which have a written agreement with the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Technology Requirements 

Students must have a portable computing device that can access the Internet and is equipped with the required software listed below. Students are required to bring a computing device to class to complete in-class work and access materials. There will also be times when students will be required to access online resources, including email, and will not have access to campus facilities. The recommended minimum specifications are listed below but there are no specific requirements for what device students have and use as long as it can run the programs listed in the required software section and access the required online platforms. The MU OT Department strongly recommends against using Chromebook and Windows Surface devices as they are unable to run some of the programs and platforms listed below.

Recommended Guidelines:

• Processor Intel Core i5 Processor
• Memory 8GB RAM
• Storage 80GB Hard Drive
• Operating System Windows 11 or Mac OS X 10.13 or later
• Webcam Built-in or External
• Microphone Built-in, External, or Headset

Internet and Required Online Platforms: Students must have reliable access to internet while off campus. They must be able to access all online platforms used for completion of coursework. This includes Canvas, Zoom, and online proctoring platforms. Whenever possible, online platforms should be accessed via University of Missouri Single Sign-On (SS0), including Zoom, Google Drive/Docs, and Microsoft Outlook.

Required Software: Students are required to create and upload Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations over the course of their studies. If students do not already have Microsoft Office installed on their computer, it can be downloaded, Student Office 365, for free from DoIT by following instructions at: https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/is/microsoft-home-use-program-hup. Students can also access Office 365 online for free by logging into https://portal.office.com/ with USERNAME@umsystem.edu credentials. Many required readings will be made available in portable document format (PDF). The latest versions of the Firefox and Chrome browsers have built-in PDF readers. MU OT Department still recommends that students download Adobe Acrobat Reader to ensure compatibility.

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 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 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.

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