Occupational Therapy Assistant Application Steps

Admission into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at College of Western Idaho (CWI) is competitive and requires a supplemental application process as outlined below.

Program Application Period

Fall 2025

Applications open in February.

1. Review Qualifications
Applicants to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program must be 18 years of age, have a clean background, and may be subject to vaccination requirements as outlined below.

Background Check

Admission into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check for students accepted into the program.

A clean background check is required for full admission into the program and must be completed annually for continued enrollment.

Students are responsible for the requesting and payment of the background check as well as handling any disputes that arise.

Background checks performed for previous employment may not be used for admission into the program.

Vaccinations

Occupational Therapy Assistant students participating in clinical rotations with certain healthcare institutions will be subject to vaccination requirements. CWI has been granted discretion to approve exemptions to vaccination requirements due to medical conditions, disabilities, and/or, religious reasons.

Vaccine Medical Exemption Form

Vaccine Religious Exemption Form

For a copy of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Handbook, please contact Mel Henderson.
2. Apply to CWI
Apply to CWI.

Choose Occupational Therapy Assistant as your major.

Be admitted as a student, and complete next steps on the Student Checklist for Success.

Connect with Admissions
3. Complete Prerequisite & Corequisite Classes
Grades for completed and in-progress prerequisite and corequisite classes will be reported on your Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Application.

Grades for in-progress classes will be verified at semester end.

Current CWI students may view their progress in Student Planning.

For classes in which you are currently enrolled, please complete a Course Credit Verification Form.

Meet with your advisor to discuss options specific to your situation.

For classes previously completed as part of bachelor’s or master’s degree, please submit a Bachelor’s Degree Transfer Credit Request Form.

Prerequisite Classes

To be eligible for acceptance into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, you must complete the following prerequisite classes with a C or higher:

ENGL 101 Writing and Rhetoric I (GEM 1)

PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychology (GEM 6)

Human Anatomy & Physiology*

Option 2

BIOL 227/227L Human Anatomy & Physiology I

Option 1

BIOL 226 Human Anatomy & Physiology I Plus

BIOL 227P/227L Human Anatomy & Physiology I

BIOL 228/228L Human Anatomy & Physiology I*

*Must have been completed within the last five (5) years.

Associate of Applied Science Degree Plan

Corequisite Classes

While not required for entry into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program, completion of the following classes with a C or higher can increase your ranking points on your application.

HLTH 101 Medical Terminology

Must be completed within the first semester of the program, if not prior.

COMM 101 Fundamentals of Oral Communication

GEM 3: Mathematical Ways of Knowing
4. Provide Unofficial Transcripts
As part of your application, you will be asked to provide a copy of your unofficial transcripts with all prerequisite and corequisite classes and previous degrees highlighted.

If you have attended or are currently attending CWI, access your unofficial transcript via your Self-Service Toolkit on myCWI.

Unofficial transcripts from other colleges or universities may be obtained by contacting the institution directly.
5. Obtain Professional References
As part of your application, you will be asked to provide two (2) professional references.

References must be a supervisor, manager, instructor, or coworker.

Each of your chosen reference will complete an OTA Professional Reference Form.

Upon completion, the reference will seal the form in an envelope, sign their name across the seal for official recognition, and return the sealed envelope to you for submission with your application.
6. Prepare a Cover Letter & Resume
Prepare a 500 – 1,000 word cover letter answering the following questions:

Why are you interested in pursuing a career in occupational therapy?

How do you believe occupation factors into the pursuit of a meaningful life?

In addition to a cover letter, please prepare to include an up-to-date resume with your application.
7. Apply to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
Upon completion of Steps 1 – 6, you are now ready to officially apply to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Application

Your completed and signed application, along with any required materials, should be sealed in an envelope and submitted to One Stop Student Services in-person or by mail by the deadline.

Applicants who submit their application by the priority deadline will receive up to five (5) additional points on their application.

Please write your full name and Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Application on the envelope.

Do not staple any of the documents within your application.

Only complete applications will be considered.

Additional materials or additions to your application will not be accepted upon submission.

Each fall, 15 students are admitted into the program.

Applicants not admitted may be placed on an alternate list should an opening occur.

Applicants must reapply each semester.
8. Participate in Orientation & Interview
All applicants to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program are required to participate in a mandatory orientation and panel interview following submission of their application. Dates and details of each will be communicated via email to applicants.

Orientation will be held over Zoom.

Following orientation, a panel interview is scheduled with each applicant.

The panel interviews will take place in May at the Ada County Campus Quail Building.