Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Occupational Therapy is a respected, rewarding and lucrative health career profession that helps people to achieve and maintain independence and well-being. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs), working under the direction of an Occupational Therapist, make a difference in people’s lives by helping them be as independent as possible when physical, psychological, or social challenges prevent them from doing everyday things that give their lives meaning. They work with clients from newborn to older adults in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, and nursing homes.

Occupational Therapy is a dynamic, growing profession with many job opportunities in a wide variety of health care and community settings. Employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow by 34% between 2020 and 2030. Demand for occupational therapy assistants will continue to increase due to the aging population, including the baby-boomer generation, and increasing numbers of people needing to live independently in the community with a disability of some nature. Median annual pay for occupational therapy assistants was $62,940 (app. $31.14/hour) in 2020, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $84,090, and the lowest 10 percent earning $43,180. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)

WHO BENEFITS FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?

1. People with neurological conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis
2. Children and adults with developmental conditions such as cerebral palsy, learning disorders, autism, and Down's Syndrome
3. People with orthopedic conditions such as broken bones, amputations, and sports injuries
4. People with work related disorders such as back injury and carpel tunnel syndrome
5. People with medical conditions such as heart attacks, arthritis, burns, and spinal cord injury
6. People with mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol addiction
7. People who require assistance in completing their everyday activities
8. People who are well and wish to maintain a balanced life style and a high quality of life

If you’re interested in a career that will allow you to help others live life to the fullest, occupational therapy might be for you!

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at MGA is fully 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 301.652.6611 and the web address is www.acoteonline.org. For more information, please visit the ACOTE website.

Certification and Credentialing

After graduation, our students are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). The NBCOT program data results can be found at National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). All graduating Occupational Therapy Assistants must pass the NBCOT exam in order to become licensed to practice in the state of Georgia. Middle Georgia State University exam results are among the best in the country.

Felony Conviction

A felony conviction may affect a student’s ability to complete Level II Fieldwork or a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Exam and attain state licensure. All students will be required to complete a background check upon admission to the OTA Program. If you have been convicted of a felony, you will be required to complete the Early Determination Review process with NBCOT to determine eligibility to take the National Certification Exam and provide the OTA Program with documentation from NBCOT indicating that you will be eligible to take the certification exam once all other eligibility requirements are met. Failure to provide the OTA Program with this documentation prior to the mid-term date in the first semester of the OTA Program will result in immediate dismissal from the OTA Program. For more information on the Early Determination Review process, please see the NBCOT website.

OTA Program Outcomes

Graduation Year	# of students admitted	# of students graduated	Percentage
2023	23	15*	65%*
2022	23	16	70%
2021	30	25	83.3%
Total	115	81	67.8%

*Note: And additional 6 students from this cohort are continuing in the program and are scheduled to graduate in Spring 2024

Admissions can help you with the application process.

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Additional OT Resources