Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS

Put your compassionate nature and great interpersonal skills to work in a career that is dynamic and creative as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). As an OTA you may help patients develop or recover the skills they need to perform everyday tasks as you:

  • Facilitate treatment after injuries
  • Provide ongoing rehabilitation across the lifespan
  • Work in geriatrics 
  • Work in pediatrics (school-based or outpatient)
  • Encourage and promote independence across the lifespan

The Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program is designed to prepare you to function as a professional OTA in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, and school settings under the supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR).

Program Accreditation Status - The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is 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-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates 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). Successful certification permits the graduate to apply for licensure as required by the State of Illinois. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Graduation Year Students Enrolled/graduated NBCOT Pass Rate
2022 15/12 93%
2021 16/15 93%
2020 16/14 100%
2019 16/16 100%
Total: 63/57 97.6%
View NBCOT program data results

Requirements and Guidelines

Contact (815) 455-8710 with specific questions about this program.

(in-district) Total Amount: $9,126.75

Credit Hours to Complete: 67

Weeks to Complete: 80


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OTA Information Sessions

Sample Semester 1 4 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: BIO-157*#4 hrs
*This course is not required for graduation

Sample Semester 2 12 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: ENG-151 | SPE-151#3 hrs,PSY-151#3 hrs,BIO-263#4 hrs,HCE-111#1 hr,MCC-101*#1 hr
*This course is not required for graduation

Sample Semester 3 9 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: ENG-151 | SPE-151#3 hrs,BIO-264#4 hrs,OTA-110#2 hrs

Sample Semester 4 12 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: OTA-120#3 hrs,OTA-130#3 hrs,OTA-140#3 hrs,AOM-135#3 hrs

Sample Semester 5 11 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: OTA-150#3 hrs,OTA-160#5 hrs,OTA-170#3 hrs

Sample Semester 6 14 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: OTA-210#5 hrs,OTA-220#4 hrs,OTA-230#3 hrs,OTA-240#2 hrs

Sample Semester 7 12 Credit Hours

    COURSE LIST Course Ids: OTA-250#2 hrs,OTA-260#5 hrs,OTA-265#5 hrs

Career Outlook

Related Programs

What you need to know about getting your Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS (CIP 51.0803)

Total Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS Costs
Cost in-district out-of-district out-of-state international
Tuition $7,805.5 $22,359.91 $32,088.98 $32,088.98
Additional Costs $1,321.25 $1,321.25 $1,321.25 $1,321.25
Program Total $9,126.75 $23,681.16 $33,410.23 $33,410.23

What makes MCC's Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program better than or distinct from similar programs at other institutions?

At MCC, instructors emphasize focus on the community, cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and clinical reasoning in every aspect of the program. MCC's OTA program incorporates technology, evidenced-based information, and current trends to provide you with hands-on experiences to assist in the learning process. Many aspects of the program include working with community partners to encourage more application-based learning within the curriculum. 

What job opportunities are available to someone with an Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS?

This AAS degree prepares you to function as a professional OTA in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, and school settings under the supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR).

How will MCC's Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program prepare me for my career or connect me to opportunities?

Gain real-world experience and network in the community as you complete your fieldwork experiences and through application-based curricular activities.

By the Numbers:

What have graduates gone on to do?

MCC OTA students have been hired by local school districts, skilled nursing facilities, and local children's outpatient clinics throughout the area. Some students have decided to get higher degrees in occupational therapy at four-year institutions through bridge programs. 

Outside of the Classroom

  • Mission

    The McHenry County College OTA Program will prepare individuals to function as entry-level certified occupational therapy assistants (OTA). Working in partnership with the occupational therapist, graduates will plan and implement goal-directed therapeutic occupations uniquely designed to help patients and clients achieve optimal performance in their daily life roles.

    As means to implement the mission, the occupational therapy assistant program will provide:

    • A comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes understanding of the development, achievement, or restoration of adaptive occupational performance for the unique needs and diversity of each individual.
    • Excellence in didactic knowledge and professional skills instruction with an emphasis on learning in community contexts.
    • A foundational understanding of the basic tenets and clinical reasoning of occupational therapy and its application to those who seek to live productive lives.
    • Opportunities to succeed and grow as lifelong learners, and as professional and ethical members of society.
  • Program Learning Objectives

    Graduates of the program will:

    • Demonstrate understanding of human growth and potential within the context of environment and culture.
    • Use clinical reasoning skills and meet the objectives of an occupational therapy intervention plan and recognize the need for adaptations, adjustments, and restructuring of a plan with the guidance of the occupational therapist.
    • Function as a professional and ethical member of a healthcare delivery team reflecting a range of models and systems.
    • Demonstrate effective oral and written communications with supervisors, colleagues, and consumers and their families.
    • Act in an ethically responsible way with regard to legal obligations applicable in practice environments.
    • Respect all people and cultures while providing services to clients in a variety of settings.
    • Demonstrate attitudes, values, and behaviors congruent with the profession’s standards and ethics.
    • Demonstrate strategies utilizing personal strengths as agents of therapeutic change.

Additional Information

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Semesters to complete assumes students are taking a full-time credit load of 12 credits per semester (the minimum required for federal financial aid).

Proportion of students completing in normal time is the percentage of completers who earned the credential within the specified time of their first enrollment at the College.

Students attending part-time or changing their program of study are two common reasons why they may not complete in "normal" time.

Tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees. Prices for books and supplies are subject to change.

See additional information about international student costs.