Occupational therapy assistant classes at Ross campuses in Hopkinsville, KY.
ACOTE’s Disclosure Statement regarding Probationary Accreditation Action: The occupational therapy assistant program at Ross College in Hopkinsville, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was placed on Probationary Accreditation effective March 23, 2024, because the area of noncompliance related to 2018 Standard A.6.4 (certification exam pass rate) is so serious that the capability of the program to provide acceptable educational experiences for the students is threatened. The program has been requested to submit a Progress Report to return the program to full compliance with the Standards within the mandated time period for correction.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Applied Science degree program can prepare you for the opportunity to help improve the quality of a person’s life and ability to perform daily activities through rehabilitative exercises and activities. Working as part of a rehabilitation team and under the supervision of an occupational therapist, you will find occupational therapy assistants in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, home health care, early intervention, school systems, and psychiatric hospitals.
The goal of occupational therapy is to help clients return to every day activities such as work, play, leisure, and home activities. In order to accomplish this, occupational therapy assistants think creatively to help clients with disabilities.
Occupational therapy assistants work alongside and under the supervision of occupational therapists. They assist occupational therapy clients as they relearn and develop typical daily life skills like eating, getting dressed, working, driving, etc. Occupational therapy assistants can be found in a variety of settings and working with many different types of patients.
Some choose to work with the elderly in their homes, nursing homes, or clinics. Others work with children, helping them to expand their skills in accomplishing fundamental activities. Still others may decide to work with patients that have disabilities that challenge their ability to perform necessary tasks.
Students enrolled in the Ross Occupational Therapy Assistant program are required to successfully complete two different fieldwork components. The first fieldwork experience is a one week full time observation based experience in a psychosocial setting. This one week fieldwork is scheduled during the same month as Intervention in Mental Health allowing students to apply academic principles to real world settings. Once students have completed all academic courses, students are required to complete two 2-month full time fieldwork experiences.
This fieldwork experience allows students to follow and learn from experienced, well respected occupational therapy assistants and occupational therapists. Not only do students build necessary clinical skills, but more importantly gain valuable patient interaction skills. In summary, the four months of fieldwork allows students to apply academic principles to real patient care. The combination of the academic coursework and the fieldwork experience serve as an appropriate starting point for students to pass the certification exam allowing them to be practicing occupational therapy assistants.
Once a student successfully completes the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Ross, they are eligible to take the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) exam through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). In order to be able to work as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduates must take and successfully pass the exam.
In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
NBCOT Certification Examination Performance: For information pertaining to the most recent OTA graduates on the national certification examination, please refer to https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.
The total number of graduates from Ross College – Quad Cities/Bettendorf, Iowa, campus for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the three-year period of 2021-2023 was 24 with an overall graduation rate of 80%.
The total number of graduates from the Ross College – Hopkinsville, Kentucky, campus for the Occupational Therapy Assistant program during the three-year period of 2021-2023* was 38 with an overall graduation rate of 83%.
| Graduation Year | Students Entering / Graduates | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15/13 | 86% |
| 2022 | 10/6 | 60% |
| 2023 | 5/5 | 100% |
| Total | 30/24 | 80% |
| Graduation Year | Students Entering / Graduates | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19/15 | 79% |
| 2022 | 20/18 | 90% |
| 2023 | 7/5 | 71% |
| Total | 46/38 | 83% |
An Associate of Applied Science Degree will be awarded to each student who successfully:
| Program | Credit Hour | Program Length (Quarters) | Tuition per Credit Hour | General Fee | Total* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 96 | 8 | $411.00 | $0.00 | $39,456.00 |
* There is an optional technology kit that would add $395.00 to the cost of the program if selected. Published fees for the program are subject to change
Ross College Official 3 year Cohort Default Rate (for all campuses under the main campus of Ross Medical Education Center – Brighton, MI) for 2020 is [0.0].
The Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Program at Ross College – Ross College Hopkinsville and Ross College Quad Cities locations accredited by The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (Acote).
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200 North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929 (301) 652-2682 acoteonline.org
I was unsure about changing my career and taking out more financial aid to pay back. I was excited to come back to school but very nervous. After the first 3 days of my first MOD, I was extremely confident that this is what I wanted. Mrs. Bishoff has made learning so exciting and fun. I really wish I could give her a higher marking. She deserves it. She is by far the best instructor/teacher that I have ever had in all my years of going to school.
Tina Johnson Graduate Dental Assistant student at New Baltimore, MI campus Graduation: May 28, 2019
I love coming to Ross, because the teachers are great and the students create a bond. Since coming to Ross, my confidence has risen and I can't wait to start my externship.
Kylee Talmadge Graduate Medical Assistant student at Johnson City, TN campus Graduation: April 24, 2019
I am so grateful for my opportunity at Ross. Being able to just start in a program and learn the skills I need to become a Dental Assistant without the hassle of taking extra classes in such a short time is awesome. The Ross staff is amazing and so supportive throughout the whole experience. I would recommend Ross to anyone and everyone. Choose Ross and get started in a career today!
Dana Snyder Graduate Dental Assistant student at Brighton, MI campus Graduation: January 3, 2019
Before I joined Ross, I lost my job, my car, and I lost a child. I came to the conclusion that I was tired of being broke and working dead end jobs that I didn't enjoy doing. I wanted to do something I enjoyed and got paid to do because I take pride in my work. I always have to consider my 5 year old daughter when I make my life decisions, because she's been with me through all the struggles within the past five years. This time around I just had a talk with God. I asked him what I was destined for. That's how I ended up at Ross Medical. I am enrolled in the medical assistant program. I want to be a Phlebotomist and EKG Technician. The teachers and advisers are awesome! They are very fluent, vocal, and hands on when it comes to helping their students be successful. I enjoy coming to school every day. When I'm having a rough day, everyone is so welcoming, warming, family oriented, and understanding. Ross makes me happy. I appreciate and thank you ALL.
Keturah Roberson Graduate Medical Assistant student at Saginaw, MI campus Graduation: January 17, 2019
My name is Jason Barton and I graduated from Ross in 2012. I have been privileged since then to be able to help Ross with guest speaking engagements, mock interviews, delivering speeches at the graduation ceremonies, and being an advisory board member. For the last two and a half years, I have been even more privileged to be an instructor here at Ross. I am so thankful to be able to give back to Ross, which has given me so much.
Jason Barton Graduate Medical Assistant student at Kalamazoo, MI campus Graduation: December 6, 2012
