Occupational Therapy Assistant: AAS

Associate in Applied Science | 73 credit hours minimum

Area of Interest: Health Professions

Program Website

Academic Advising

Program Description:

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, Associate in Applied Science, prepares students for positions as occupational therapy practitioners who work under the supervision of registered occupational therapists. Through courses in the development, structure and function of the human body, psychology and occupational therapy principles and techniques, along with clinical experience, students learn skills in communicating, interviewing, assessing, intervention planning, and implementation of interventions for consumers of occupational therapy services.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) 

7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Telephone: 301-652-6611 or Website:  www.acoteonline.org 

Graduates of the program will be able 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). All states require licensure in order to practice; however, acquisition of state licenses are typically based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Please be aware that a felony conviction could impact a student's ability to participate in fieldwork experiences, ability to take the certification exam, and/or obtain a license to practice occupational therapy. See OTA Program Director for more information.

Note: All OTA students must complete Level II Fieldwork within 18 months following completion of academic coursework.

The OTA program is a selective admission, college-level program. Students must have successfully completed specific requirements prior to application, including:

• having high school or college cumulative grade point average of 2.5
• having minimum placement test scores or successful completion of the following courses:

Math Proficiency: Complete ONE of the following prior to application to the program:

• Math ACT score of 22 or higher OR SAT math score of 540 or higher (within the last 3 years)
• Place into Math 140 higher on the Accuplacer (Next Gen) (within the last 3 years)
• Completion of courses:  MTH 140 or MTH 140S or higher-level math with a “C” or higher

English Proficiency: Complete ONE of the following prior to application to the program:

• ​English ACT score of 18 or higher OR SAT EBRW score of 500 or higher (within the last 3 years)
• Accuplacer (Next Gen) score of 250 or higher (within the last 3 years) OR high school GPA of 2.6 or higher
• Placement into ENG 101 

Reading Proficiency: Complete ONE of the following prior to application to the program:

• Reading ACT score of 18 or higher OR SAT EBRW score of 500 or higher (within the last 3 years)
• Accuplacer (Next Gen) score of 250 or higher on the Reading Portion (within the last 3 years)
• Demonstrate college-level reading competency.

Biology:

• A&P I (BIO 207) must be completed with a “C” or higher within the last 5 years from application to the program.
  • Prerequisite: BIO 111 or BIO 140 or CHM 101 with a minimum grade of “C”, or college level course equivalent, and Reading Proficiency.

Psychology:

• General Psychology (PSY 200) must be completed with a “C” or higher within 5 years from application to the program.

Locations.  This program is offered in its entirety at Forest Park. 

Licensure. This program meets the educational requirements for state licensure in the following states: Missouri and Illinois. Students interested in pursuing licensure in a different state should contact the program coordinator for more information.

Cost of Attendance.  For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES. 

Program Career and Salary Information.  Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at the following URL: https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest. 

The following limitations to the data apply: Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.

Interested in this program? Start the enrollment process by visiting the Apply to STLCC page.   

At the completion of the program, students are expected to:

1. articulate the distinct nature of occupational therapy and the roles of occupational therapy assistants within the occupational therapy process.
2. describe how participating in life’s occupations promotes health and wellness and illness prevention.
3. explain how choice of occupation and participating in occupation are influenced by age, ethnicity, disease, culture, lifestyle, economic status, and physical, social, and policy environments.
4. apply awareness of self through respect, empathy, and cultural humility during the occupational therapy process.
5. contribute to the occupational therapy process through obtaining relevant client information and demonstrating competence in select assessments under the direction of an occupational therapist.
6. implement intervention strategies across the lifespan and care continuum that include strategies in restoration, modification, maintenance, prevention, and health promotion to participate in occupation.
7. advocate to support client needs, practitioner needs, and the profession’s needs.
8. engage openly and professionally in the supervisory relationship with occupational therapists, occupational therapy aides, and volunteers.
9. exhibit ethical and professional conduct in accordance with the core values and code of ethics established by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Program of Study

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COM 101 is preferred.

Admission and Requirements

We admit up to 24 students every fall. Admission to the OTA program is on a first-come, first-served basis for those students who meet the minimum academic and other requirements. In order to facilitate the entry of students in the available spaces, a waiting list is used. A student is placed on the waiting list once program application prerequisites have been met and a program application has been submitted. Placement on the waiting list is based solely on the date of application. Students will be sent a letter each fall while on the list asking for their intentions to pursue admission to the program. Failure to respond to this letter by the deadline will result in removal from the list. Letters will be sent in the spring to those being offered admission to the program in the fall semester. All those receiving letters must attend a mandatory program orientation in May.

The OTA program is a selective admission, college-level program. Students must have successfully completed specific requirements prior to application, including:

• high school or college cumulative grade point average of 2.5
• minimum placement test scores or successful completion of specific courses
• successful completion of BIO 207 - Anatomy and Physiology I with a "C" or higher within the last five years (beginning Aug. 1, 2020)
• successful completion of PSY 200 - General Psychology with a "C" or higher within the last five years (beginning Aug. 1, 2020)

Students must complete the appropriate pre-requisite courses before enrolling in the required general education, biology, and OTA courses.

Once accepted to the OTA Program, there will be a mandatory orientation during the first part of May.

All OTA students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of academic coursework.

Please Note: Credits earned in STLCC’s OTA AAS program generally do not transfer to occupational therapy master’s degree programs. The curriculum for an OTA degree is distinctly different from the curriculum for an OT degree. OTA focuses on technical skills and knowledge, while the OT degree emphasizes theory, research, and management. In addition, the OT degree is an entry-level master’s degree. In most cases, a student would need to complete a bachelor’s degree before beginning an OT degree program.

Retention Policy

Students must earn a "C" (74%) or above in all OTA and Biology courses and maintain an overall G.P.A. of at least 2.0 (C).

Students receiving a "D" or below 74% in OTA or Biology courses must repeat these courses. Only one repeat is allowed. The student may not enroll in a course more than two times without an appeal to the Selection and Retention committee. If repeating these courses puts a student out of the program sequence, the student will be able to continue at a later date only if space is available.

No OTA course may be repeated more than once, or enrolled in more than twice without review by the retention committee.

Students may only repeat/re-enroll in OTA courses on a space available basis.

More information regarding specific classroom and fieldwork education grading policies is available in the student handbook which is distributed at orientation.

OTA Program Admissions Requirements

Academic Plan

Missouri Civics Examination.  Students entering college for the very first time in fall 2019 and who intend to complete an associate’s degree must successfully complete a civics examination. Information on who is eligible for a waiver can be found on the STLCC website.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you originally enrolled at STLCC prior to Fall 2025, you may need to view an archived catalog for your correct program requirements.  Please speak with an advisor or the program coordinator for more information.

Courses to be completed prior to beginning program:

Critical Courses: Critical courses are most important to a student's declared major and most strongly predict later success in the major.  A critical course requires a minimal grade to progress to higher-level courses.

Exploratory Courses: Exploratory courses are first-semester courses that introduce the program and career field.

Gateway Courses: Gateway courses are courses in many career pathways that must be completed before progression in higher-level courses. These may be the same as critical and/or exploratory courses.