Occupational Therapy Schools in Minnesota

The Minnesota state has 3 ACOTE accredited Occupational therapy Schools which provides an entry-level master degree or Doctor of Occupational therapy program. Plus, the state also has 4 ACOTE accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Schools which provides an associate degree. The license to practice as an OT or OTA is compulsory for the passed out students of OT schools.

The 3 Occupational therapy schools in Minnesota are-

1. College of St. Scholastica 
2. St. Catherine University
3. University of Minnesota

Occupational therapy in Minnesota-

The occupational therapist, Occupational therapy assistant, and OT/OTA students have their own state association, i.e. MOTA (Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association).

The MOTA is a non-profit volunteer organization which provides a professional community for its members. The MOTA is a state-based professional organization and public voice for the occupational therapy profession in Minnesota.

The main role of the association is to promote the occupational therapy profession, create public awareness, provide support to the therapist in continuing education and improve and maintain the quality of occupational therapy profession in the state of Minnesota. The MOTA is an affiliated state body of the American Occupational therapy association.

Website – https://www.motafunctionfirst.org/

Occupational therapy License in Minnesota-

Occupational therapist and Occupational therapy Assistants are required to get a license from the Minnesota Department of Health.

The minimum requirements for the license are –

• Entry-level master degree or OTD degree
• NBCOT exam’s passing certificate.
• Application fees of $145.

Temporary OT/OTA License:

A temporary license to practice as an occupational therapist (OT) or as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) may be granted to persons who have completed the educational and experience requirements for licensure and are waiting to take or receive the results of the certification examination. The temporary permit is valid until the date the results of the exam are available to the Department for the first exam administered after the issuance of the temporary permit.

Temporary license fee- $50.

Accredited Occupational Therapy Schools in Minnesota- Entry level programs

#1 College of St. Scholastica 

The OT school at the College of St. Scholastica has state-of-the-art labs and classroom space. The OT school is attached with Maurices Community Clinic, an interdisciplinary clinic where students receive supervised hands-on experience working with uninsured or underinsured individuals. The OT program focuses on experiential learning and students are promoted to participate in original research projects.

College of St. Scholastica
Course Offered–	Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (entry-level)
University Campus	Duluth, MN
Public or Private-	Private Institute.
Department Chair-	Cope Steven, ScD, OT/L
Course Duration-	2.5-year program.
Class Size	32 students per year.
OT Admission	Once a year (Summer).
Application Procedure	Apply to the OT program through OTCAS.
Minimum Requirement (MSOT)	A B.A/B.S degree; A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; A minimum of 40 hours of documented volunteer or shadow experience with an Occupational Therapist; A personal essay; 3 letters of recommendation; GRE score.
Prerequisite Coursework (MSOT)	Anatomy & Physiology I and II (or human anatomy and human physiology courses); General Psychology; Lifespan Development Psychology (labs preferred); An introductory Sociology or Anthropology course; Medical Terminology; Statistics; Introduction to Occupational Therapy; Courses in physics, pathophysiology, research methods, and abnormal psychology are recommended.
Address	Department of Occupational Therapy 940 Woodland Avenue Duluth, MN 55812-1113 Email- [email protected]
Website	www.css.edu

#2 St. Catherine University

St. Catherine’s Occupational Therapy has a 70+ year history of excellence in occupational therapy education and leadership in the profession. The department has the most comprehensive array of occupational therapy programs in the country, with options at the associate, Masters and doctoral levels.

The OT school @ St. Catherine University offers 2 entry-level programs. One is a master of OT program and another one is a dual degree in OT. The OT school provides a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (MAOT) degree instead of a Master of Science degree.

Dual Degree OT program- this program is for high schools passed out student, who doesn’t have any bachelor degree. You can take admission in the dual degree or fast track/combined BS/MA option. Before moving to the MAOT program, you have to qualify the entire prerequisites with a minimum grading score, the program doesn’t promote you to the next step automatically.

St. Catherine plans to offer a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD): Entry-Level degree starting in summer 2019.

St. Catherine University Henrietta Schmoll School Of Health
Course Offered–	Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (entry-level)
University Campus	St. Paul, MN
Public or Private-	Private Institute.
Program Director-	Karen M Sames, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA
Course Duration-	2.5-year program.
Class Size	60 students per year
OT Admission	Once a year (Fall).
Application Procedure	Apply to the OT program through OTCAS.
Minimum Requirement (MAOT)	A baccalaureate degree; A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher; A minimum of 50 hours of documented volunteer or shadow experience with an Occupational Therapist in 2 or more settings; 3 letters of recommendation; An essay; A resume; GRE score not required; TOEFL min score- 80 (for an international candidate).
Prerequisite Coursework (MAOT)	Anatomy & Physiology; General Psychology; Lifespan Development Psychology Abnormal psychology; Medical Terminology; Statistics.
Address	Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Program 2004 Randolph Avenue (Mail #4158) St. Paul, MN 55105-1794 Email- [email protected]
Website	www.stkate.edu

#3 University of Minnesota

The Occupational Therapy program at the University of Minnesota is one of the oldest occupational therapy programs in the United States; having first prepared rehabilitation aids during the first World War. Since 1946 students have learned and practiced skills of occupational therapy in this OT school.

The OT school focuses on excellence in research, excellence in teaching, provides choices for learning location, and easy accessibility to Learning Materials.

The curriculum uses a hybrid educational approach that blends the distance and face-to-face instruction (75% online and 25% face to face). Students come to campus varying amounts of time each semester for face-to-face interaction with other students and faculty.

The OT school also provides a Ph.D. program in the Rehabilitation Science, a good option for the therapist who wants to be an OT educator or researcher.

University of Minnesota Center for Allied Health Programs
Course Offered–	Master of Occupational Therapy (entry level)
University Campuses	Minneapolis Campus, MN Rochester Campus, MN
Public or Private-	Public Institute.
Program Director	Peggy Martin, Ph.D., OTR/L
Course Duration-	2-year program.
Class Size	——–
OT Admission	Once a year (Fall).
Application Procedure	Apply to the OT program through OTCAS. University of Minnesota Supplemental Application in OTCAS.
Minimum Requirement (MOT)	A bachelor’s degree; A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; A minimum of 20 hours of documented volunteer or shadow experience with an Occupational Therapist in at least 2 practice areas; OTCAS personal statement; letters of recommendation (not required); Computer knowledge; OT minimum Technical standards.
Prerequisite Coursework (MOT)	Human Anatomy & Human Physiology (labs not required); General Psychology; Abnormal Psychology; Human Development Across the lifespan; An introductory Sociology or Cultural Anthropology; Medical Terminology; Statistics;
Address	Minneapolis Campus- Center for Allied Health Programs Occupational Therapy Program MMC 714 516 Delaware Street, SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0392 Email- [email protected] Rochester Campus Center for Allied Health Programs Occupational Therapy Program 300 University Square, R0869A, 111 South Broadway Rochester, MN 55904 Email- [email protected]
Website	Minneapolis Campus Rochester Campus

Occupational Therapy Assistant Schools in Minnesota

#1 Anoka Technical College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 
1355 West Highway 10 
Anoka, MN 55303-1590  
www.anokatech.edu
Status: Accreditation

#2 Herzing University
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 
435 Ford Road,
St. Louis Park
Minnesota 55426
www.herzing.edu
Status: Accreditation

#3 Northland Community and Technical College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 
East Grand Forks 
2022 Central Avenue N.E. 
East Grand Forks, MN 56721-2702 
www.northlandcollege.edu
Status: Accreditation

#4 St. Catherine University-Minneapolis
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program 
601 25th Avenue South 
Minneapolis, MN 55454-1494 
www.stkate.edu
Distance education track offered in California, Texas, and Virginia.
Status: Accreditation

Occupational Therapist jobs in Minnesota-

The outlook for occupational therapy employment is very good in Minnesota. The United States’s Bureau of Labor Statistics includes occupational therapy as one of its fastest growing occupations, with registered occupational therapists predicted to have a faster than average growth (21- 36%). Many Health Care Recruitment providers have reported a shortage of occupational therapists and OTA in Minnesota. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 2370 employed licensed occupational therapists in Minnesota in May 2016. And the requirement of license practitioner is increasing. Huge opportunities are there in Minnesota for the occupational therapist and occupational therapy Assistant.

Occupational Therapy Salary in Minnesota-

As per indeed.com, the average salary of an occupational therapist in Minnesota was $77,000 per annum (in 2016) and According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual and hourly income of occupational therapy professionals was $71,800 and $34.52, respectively in May 2016.