Occupational Therapy Assistant

The AAS in Occupational Therapy Assistant is a one-plus-one degree program that prepares students to practice as certified occupational therapy assistants (COTA) after meeting certification and state licensure standards. East Central College is one of five colleges in the Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC) currently selected to offer the program coordinated through State Fair Community College. ECC offers and enrolls students in the general education coursework; sophomore level (professional level) coursework is taught via a hybrid approach through internet-based technology.

Through the combination of general education, professional-level coursework, classroom and laboratory practice, and clinical fieldwork experiences, students learn the profession of occupational therapy assistant. The Professional Year does not run on a traditional ECC academic cycle. Classes begin in the fall semester and will run until the next fall semester of the following year. Completion of professional coursework takes one full year.

The MHPC Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The program prepares graduates to sit for the national certification examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and meets education requirements for licensure in the state of Missouri. Individual states may have specific licensure and educational requirements. Information regarding licensing and education requirements in other states may be requested from the MHPC Program Director. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).

For more information regarding accreditation, please contact:

Additional Information

• Missouri Health Professions Consortium
• Missouri Health Professions Consortium OTA Policies and Procedures
• Missouri Health Professions Consortium FAQs
• MHPC OTA Technology Information
• Observation Hours Alternative Assignment
• OTA Student Handbook 2024-2025

Admission Requirements
Students must have completed:

• High school diploma or the equivalent(documentation sent to the registration office)
• Application for Admission
• A placement test as specified by the college.(Please note: Some coursework requires minimum placement results)
• Meet program-specific admission requirements

Admission to the OTA program is competitive. In order to apply to the MHPC OTA program at ECC, students must complete and submit an official application packet available from the Nursing and Allied Health office or website. Students must complete all general education coursework PRIOR to beginning the professional-level program. However, students can complete coursework in the summer semester prior to the start of the program in August; under these circumstances, program admission would be contingent upon successful completion of general education prerequisite coursework and maintenance of the required 2.5 GPA. Satisfactory criminal background check and drug screening upon acceptance to program.

Admission Process
Enrollment in the MHPC Occupational Therapy Assistant program is selective and an informational packet with application materials is available online or at the Sedalia campus. Students must complete all general education coursework PRIOR to entry into the professional-level program. However, students can complete coursework in the semester prior to the start of the program; under these circumstances, program admission would be contingent upon successful completion of general education prerequisite coursework and maintenance of the required 2.5 GPA. Transcript evidence of satisfactory completion of general education/prerequisite coursework must be received with the application packet. SFCC may not be able to offer admission to all qualified applicants. Only students meeting all admission criteria and submitting completed application packets within the established timeframe will be considered. The Selection Committee meetings are conducted the spring before the start of the professional year. Admission decisions of the Selection Committee are final. Applicants will receive a letter regarding admissions status following committee review.

OTA Application Class of 2025–2026

Deadline May 1, 2025

Job Shadowing Resources for applicants

Mercy Washington
Mercy Washington Job Shadowing

Missouri Baptist Sullivan
SM-MBSH_Shadowing@bjc.org
573-468-4186 x 1827

Phelps Health
Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Centers

Employment Opportunities:

The Occupational Therapy Assistant profession is experiencing high job growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment of occupational therapy assistants is projected to increase by 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.

In May 2018, the industries employing the largest numbers of occupational therapy assistants and their annual median salaries were:

Offices of Health practitioners – $60,440

Nursing care facilities – $65,930

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – $55,680

Elementary and Secondary Schools – $50,380

Home health care services – $65,330

• Occupational Therapy Assistant Fact Sheet

OTA Student Program Outcome Goal

Individuals will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) upon successful completion of coursework and passing of the national certification exam.

Students participating in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program must be able to:

• Participate in lab activities that require hands-on contact with classmates and instructors in various stages of moderate undress so as to prepare for clinical training.
• Speak and understand the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice.
• Observe and interpret signs and symptoms through visual, auditory, and tactile feedback. Students must possess functional use of the senses that permit such observation.
• Utilize hand and mechanical tools safely and effectively.
• Exhibit sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function, and coordination to safely and accurately provide remediation.
• Demonstrate the use of accepted techniques accurately and safely when using equipment and materials of the profession.
• Participate in physical activity involving lifting of approximately 50 lbs., bending, moving, and safely supporting others in transfer.
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and colleagues, including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds.
• Communicate judgments and treatment information effectively, with appropriate confidentiality.
• Demonstrate appropriate behaviors and skills in classroom and fieldwork in interactions with faculty, other students, fieldwork coordinator, fieldwork supervisors, and professional colleagues.
• Demonstrate the mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve to perform therapeutic interventions.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Learning Outcomes (PDF)

Brett Butler MFA, BA, COTA/L
MHPC OTA Program Director
State Fair Community College
3201 W. 16th Street
Sedalia, MO 65301
660-596-7361
bbutler6@sfccmo.edu

Jennifer Smith 
MHPC OTA Administrative Assistant
State Fair Community College
3201 W. 16th Street
Sedalia, MO 65301
660-596-7353
jsmith140@sfccmo.edu

Nancy Mitchell, MSN, RN
Dean of Health Sciences
East Central College
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084
636-584-6616
nancy.mitchell@eastcentral.edu

Julie Beck
Program Assistant for Allied Health
East Central College
Health Science Building – Suite 105
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084
636-584-6616
julie.beck@eastcentral.edu