Helping patients live fully
When unexpected illness or injury happens, one of the first casualties are those daily tasks most of us take for granted.
Brushing our teeth, making coffee or taking a shower can become an intense labor and sometimes an impossibility.
Occupational therapy assistants help reverse the effects of a stroke, heart attack, serious injury, issues related to advancing age or other health crisis through a variety of methods that you’ll learn in our program.

Preparing for certification
The faculty in our program are all occupational therapists with extensive experience working with patients.
Through lecture, lab and clinical fieldwork, they’ll teach you about the occupational therapy process, including assessment and intervention.
With their guidance and encouragement, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills you need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam.
Courses include:
- Human Physiological Anatomy
- Mental Health Conditions
- Clinical Kinesiology
- Introduction to Physical Rehabilitation
- Human Development & Clinical Interaction
- Rehabilitation Conditions and Intervention Planning
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy – Lab & Lecture
- Productive Aging
- Therapeutic and Psychosocial Intervention
- And much more!
For a complete list of courses and their descriptions, visit the College Catalog.
Your career at a glance
With the aging of the population OTAs have never been in greater demand, especially in hospitals.
Explore the opportunities and salaries available locally with this handy tool.
If you haven’t been recruited by a hospital by the time you complete your associate degree, our Career Services team can help you with the job search and interview preparation, including resume-development.
If your goal is to become an occupational therapist, you can be assured that credits earned in our program will transfer toward the required bachelor’s degree.
Additional Information
Select programs in Health and Human Services require specific criteria to gain admission, such as testing requirements or minimum grade point average in prerequisite courses. Please view the Selective Admissions program application packet for information on application requirements, ranking and deadlines.
For information on how to apply to a Selective Admissions program, please email us at selectiveadmissions@macomb.edu. Selective Admissions applicants are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor or counselor prior to submitting an application to the program. This meeting will allow for review of the application process, program prerequisites and requirements. Contact the Counseling and Academic Advising Office at 586.445.7999 for office hours.
The total number of graduates from Macomb Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program during the 3-year period of 2018-2020 was 80 with an overall graduation rate of 77%.
Graduation |
Student Entering |
Graduation |
---|---|---|
2020 |
32/21 |
66% |
2019 |
36/30 |
83% |
2018 |
36/29 |
81% |
Total |
104/80 |
77% |
Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx.
Year |
NBCOT Pass Rate |
---|---|
2020 |
92% |
2019 |
100% |
2018 |
100% |
The goal of the Health and Public Services Division is to prepare every student to think critically and practice competently and compassionately in rapidly changing environments. All efforts are designed to build knowledge, enhance practical skills, and promote patient and the population’s safety. Furthermore, the program is designed to foster professional integrity and ultimately improve the health outcomes and protection of patients, families, and communities across the continuum of care and practice. Students must possess certain functional abilities, essential for the delivery of safe, effective clinical care and protection of the public during clinical and internship training activities in the field. Therefore, the faculty has determined that certain technical standards are required for admission to, progression in, and graduation from the Health and Public Services (HPS) programs.
In addition to classroom learning, clinical and internship learning occurs throughout the HPS programs and involves considerations (such as patient and population safety and clinical and internship facility safety) that are not present in classroom accommodations. Applicants or students interested in HPS programs who seek accommodations prior to or immediately after enrolling in the college are highly encouraged to also request an assessment of the types of reasonable accommodations needed for the clinical and or internship components of the program.
An individual must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the following technical standards of general abilities: (1) observation; (2) communication; (3) motor skills; (4) intellectual, conceptual, and quantitative abilities; (5) essential behavioral and social attributes; and (6) ability to manage stressful situations. Individuals unable to meet these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation will not be able to complete the programs and are counseled to pursue alternative careers.
SPECIAL SERVICES STATEMENT: Students may individually discuss the essential functions and technical standards with a college counselor from our Special Services department. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American Disability Act of 1991, academic accommodations may be provided to students who have a documented disability.
For further information, visit Special Services.