Health Sciences

Pre-Occupational Therapy Assistant Certificate

(Cooperative Program)

Occupational Therapy’s purpose is to promote improvement of health and self-sufficiency.  The field involves evaluating patients’ abilities and disabilities and establishing goals and methods of treatment.  Treatment methods include light handicrafts, sports, vocational skills and training to overcome specific disabilities.  Typical activities include helping a patient with a disability find activities that encourage growth and development, helping a patient with a neurological handicap overcome poor coordination and communication, or helping a senior citizen adjust to the special problems of aging and maintaining optimum physical function.

Students can take one year of general education study at Midlands Technical College before transferring to an institution that offers an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.  Currently, Trident Technical College and Greenville Technical College offer this degree program in South Carolina. These are one-plus-one programs.  Midlands Technical College offers the first year of the two-year associate degree program.  Students must make direct application to Trident Technical College or Greenville Technical College and complete their degree requirements.  Completion of Phase I does not guarantee admission to Phase II.

Special Requirements

In addition to the college’s placement test and the admissions requirements of the Health Sciences department, specific admission criteria to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program include:

• Acceptable admission criteria:

  • HOBET 50 percent composite (minimum reading 50 percent; mathematics 50 percent; algebra 50 percent) and MTC writing sample score of 30; or

  • SAT 910 (minimum verbal 430, minimum mathematics 440) and MTC writing sample score of 30; or

  • ACT 19 (minimum verbal 18, mathematics 23) and MTC writing sample score of 30; or

  • Associate degree or higher.

• High school or college credits in biology, algebra, physics

• Interview by the institution(s) awarding a degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Students must also take and pass the Health Occupations Aptitude Exam prior to admissions to Trident Technical College.

NOTE:  Admission to the first phase of the program at Midlands Technical College does not guarantee admission to the second phase at Trident Technical College or Greenville Technical College.

Certificate:  Pre-Occupational Therapy Assistant (35 Credit Hours)

**Science courses should be delayed until the student is ready to transfer.  These courses are valid for no more than 24 months.

¹MAT 110 - College Algebra may be substituted.
²Greenville Technical College requires PSY 212 - Abnormal Psychology
³Greenville Technical College requires PHI 105 - Introduction to Logic or Introduction to Philosophy