OTA Program Accreditation

Accreditation & Certification Eligibility

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), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD  20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA or visit their website. 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).

Certification, Licensure, and Important Considerations

Individuals will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) upon successful completion of coursework and passing of the national certification exam. In addition, Missouri requires licensure to practice; however, acquisition of a state license is based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

A felony conviction may affect a student’s ability to secure a clinical fieldwork rotation and/or graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Exam or attain State Licensure.