OTA Admission Requirements

Occupational Therapy is a healthcare profession that works with people of all ages, diagnoses, and living situations to help achieve increased independence in their valued occupations. We consider the tasks of daily living, such as making breakfast, taking a shower, caring for children, playing, and even sitting in school, as important occupations that help individuals succeed in life. When someone is unable to do one or several of their valued occupations, an occupational therapy assistant may have the opportunity to work with the individual on an established plan of care to achieve the goals that the individual has helped set. It is a growing, challenging, and exciting career path for anyone who enjoys using their creative skills to help individuals become, regain, or work toward independence.

An occupational therapy assistant is supervised by an occupational therapist.

Steps to Admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Applications will not be considered until all parts are submitted in full. Read the directions closely to ensure you’ve completed all steps of the application process.

Application deadline for the OTA Program is March 15. 

1. Complete general college application process successfully. How to Apply
2. Take the TEAS Online Proctored by ATI exam, score 59% or higher. Multiple attempts are allowed. TEAS Exam Information | Register For The TEAS | ATI
3. Submit an official transcript to admissions@mnwest.edu demonstrating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
   1. If in high school at time of application, submit most up-to-date transcript.
   2. If a high school graduate without a college degree, submit final high school transcript.
   3. If a college graduate, submit final college transcript.
4. Complete OTA program application. To submit a full application, please have the following prepared:
   1. 1. Your highest TEAS exam score.
      2. Your cumulative GPA from your last completed (or almost completed if finishing high school) degree.
      3. Your current status on each general education requirement of the program:
         1. BIOL 2201: Human Anatomy
         2. BIOL 2202: Human Physiology
         3. BIOL 2245/HC 1180: Medical Terminology
         4. ENGL 1101: Composition I
         5. PSYC 1150: Developmental Psychology
         6. PSYC 2221: Psychology of Mental Illness
      4. If the above general education courses have been completed outside of the Minnesota State system, an official transcript MUST be submitted once the course has been completed.
      5. If any of the above general education courses have been completed within the Minnesota state system but not at Minnesota West specifically, this must be indicated on the application in order for admissions to transfer a grade in.
      6. Please note that each general education course must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. A C- is not sufficient.
5. All accepted and waitlisted students are required to attend a mandatory, in-person orientation, which is held toward the end of the spring semester. This date and all relevant details will be provided in the acceptance package that students receive via mail to their provided home address. Applicants who do not attend orientation are declining their seat in the program and their open seats will be offered to waitlisted applicants.

How applications are processed:

The application period for the Minnesota West OTA program is September 15-March 15 for the cohort beginning the following fall. The OTA program is allowed 20 students per cohort. Submitted applications are processed on a first come-first served basis. Once 20 seats are filled, applicants will be placed on a waitlist in case an open seat becomes available.

General Education Requirements for the OTA Program

The OTA Program has four general education requirements that must be completed prior to starting the OTA courses in the fall. These include: BIOL 2201, ENGL 1101, PSYC 1150, and HC 1180 or BIOL 2245.

Students are encouraged to begin taking these courses before being admitted into the OTA program.

An additional two general education requirements can be completed prior to or during the first semester of OTA coursework. These include: BIOL 2202 and PSYC 2221.

You must achieve a ‘C’ or higher in each of these courses. Please connect with a college advisor if you need assistance registering for classes.

*BIOL 2201 and BIOL 2202 must be completed in the 5 years prior to your date of application. If more than 5 years have passed, contact OTA@mnwest.edu.

This associate-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- 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). Students must complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following the completion of the didactic portion of the program. In addition, all states require licensure 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.