{"id":45900,"date":"2019-12-17T20:16:58","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T20:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/academics.otc.edu\/sur\/?page_id=45900"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:56:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:56:05","slug":"faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/academics.otc.edu\/ota\/faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This means that most OTA lectures are online and labs will be in-person, on the Springfield OTC campus with instructors and other students.<\/p>\n
Students must come to campus for lab classes, as well as lab practice and testing, lecture presentations, special events and community service projects. The larger class of OTA students is divided into smaller sections for more personalized time with the instructor. The time commitment on-campus varies with the semester and the time of year.<\/p>\n
It is possible for students to live outside of the Springfield area and still take advantage of the OTA hybrid format. For those students, it is helpful to have room and board available in Springfield for times there is bad weather or when courses require more on-campus practice time.<\/p>\n
The hybrid program allows for more flexibility in a student\u2019s schedule, including more time for family and work responsibilities while going to school full-time. However, faculty recommend a minimum of 30 hours of devoted study time for a 15 credit hour semester in OTA. Due to the nature of the learning material, it would be very difficult for a student to hold a full-time job while participating in the OTA Program, but we have many students who continue to work while in the program.<\/p>\n
Clinical experiences are held in various clinics, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and schools around the Springfield area, in Missouri, and in other states. Students work with our Academic Fieldwork Coordinator to schedule these experiences while in the program.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What are the requirements for applying to the OTA Program?” el_id=”1447436208843-bd570e73-dde8″]These requirements must be met in order for a student to be considered:<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What is the required GPA for admission to the program?” el_id=”1471360765197-55612778-15d6″]Students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA in pre-requisite courses<\/u> <\/em>in order for the application to be considered.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How do I calculate my pre-requisite GPA?” el_id=”1447436208722-a9c6edea-01f3″]To find the pre-requisite GPA, take the number of credit hours TIMES (X) the following letter grade score (A=4, B=3, C=2,). Grades of D or F will not be accepted as having met the pre-requisite. Calculate the total for all pre-requisite courses and divide by the total number of credit hours possible.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Improving knowledge of the OTA profession for the application process” el_id=”1471360351402-eef1696b-6779″]The following are not required for admission but are suggestions for improving your\u00a0knowledge of the OT profession and chance for success in the OTA Program. Applicants should plan to COMMUNICATE this knowledge in the application and interview processes.<\/p>\n [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What if I haven\u2019t had any previous experience in healthcare?” el_id=”1447436208603-8cd4d502-d311″]Students come to the OTA Program with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Some have years of experience and some have none at all. Both types of students can be successful. However, the more a student understands the profession, the\u00a0more satisfied one will be with the choice to pursue an occupational therapy assistant degree.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Which classes do I need to take before I apply?” el_id=”1447436208486-1de81cff-562e”]The course sequence, including pre-requisites, is included in the admissions packet on the OTC website. You can find a list of pre-requisites at https:\/\/academics.otc.edu\/ota\/suggested-course-sequence-aas\/.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ENG 101(3CH), PSY 110(3CH), SOC 101(3CH), BCS 165*(4CH), BCS 205*(4CH), COM 100**(3CH), PLS 101(3CH)***<\/p>\n *See the Preferred Course Sequence for details.<\/p>\n **Students may substitute COM 105 for the COM 100 requirement.<\/p>\n ***Substitutions for PLS 101 are not allowed for this program.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Since the admission deadline is April 15, can I take courses in the spring or summer and still be admitted for the fall?” el_id=”1447436208371-15ffd246-e9bb”]In order to guarantee all points <\/em><\/strong>for admission into the OTA Program, all students must:<\/p>\n If a student is enrolled in pre-requisite courses on April 15, they may submit an application. Students enrolled in spring courses will be scored using their midterm grade during the admission process. If enrolled in spring<\/u> coursework, students must provide proof of midterm grades when submitting their application packet.<\/u> If a student is admitted while taking classes in the spring, the admission will be contingent on the student\u00a0receiving a \u201cC\u201d or better in that course.<\/p>\n [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How many times can I repeat a course to improve my GPA?” el_id=”1447436207873-a48a57c6-b575″]The Health Sciences Department allows a course to be repeated twice. If a prospective OTA student cannot achieve a \u201cC\u201d or better in a pre-requisite course on the second attempt, the course would not be counted in the application scoring process and the student would become ineligible for admission to the OTA Program. Please see the OTC Student Handbook for repeat procedures.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Do I need my transcripts sent to OTC?” el_id=”1447436207654-c10407be-5860″]All college transcripts need to be sent to OTC prior to applying for the OTA Program. High school transcripts will be needed by Health Sciences if a student has less than 20 credit hours of college courses. Transcripts sent to OTC Student Services can be viewed electronically in the Health Sciences department.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What if I took classes several years ago and want to apply to the OTA Program?” el_id=”1447436207545-fd0e5349-a555″]The program accepts most pre-requisite coursework as eligible to meet requirements, even if it was taken several years ago. Students must have a \u201cC\u201d or better in all pre-requisite coursework.<\/p>\n EXCEPTION<\/strong>: Student must take Anatomy and Physiology within the last 5 years before application is made. If a student is applying for admission in 2021 and took A&P in 2015, he\/she will have to repeat the course(s) to be eligible for admission, as that would mean a 6 year span between admission and completion of the course.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How many people apply to the OTA program?” el_id=”1471360644745-13095f24-1f05″]Each year the program has 60 – 80 applicants.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How many students are accepted into the program?” el_id=”1471360842835-65870977-2197″]We accept an average of 24-28 students for the program each fall, depending on the scores of the cohort. When deemed necessary by the Program for future fieldwork scheduling, the class size may be reduced for the application period.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What is the average GPA of students admitted to program?”]The average GPA is 3.6 out of 4.0 for students selected to the OTA program.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”I want to be an OTA, but I had to enroll in the BCS Degree at OTC. What does this mean for me? What does that mean for me?” el_id=”1447436206734-24c8aa9c-21d8″]You must be enrolled in a degree in order to receive financial aid. We suggest you enroll in the BCS degree, then start by taking the OTA pre-requisites on your list of required courses. If you are accepted into the OTA Program, you won\u2019t have spent time and money on extra courses that you don\u2019t need. If you don\u2019t get in the first time, you will still be enrolled in a degree track and can finish the degree if you choose to do so. So, again, no time or money will be wasted.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What type of computer system do I need?” el_id=”1447436206450-ad05d8c8-af6b”]Students taking online courses at OTC must have access to a computer that meets OTC’s Computer Requirements for Online Courses. You can find this on the OTC website at www.otc.edu<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have any questions about these computer requirements, please email helpdesk@otc.edu<\/a>.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What are the criteria for acceptance?” el_id=”1447436206291-82e6c17b-9dbe”]\u00a0<\/strong>*Academics: 60% of the total score<\/p>\n *References: 10% of the total score<\/p>\n *Essay: 10% of the total score<\/p>\n *Interview: 20% of the total score (may be online or in-person)<\/p>\n Note: OTA informational sessions are listed on the OTC website at https:\/\/academics.otc.edu\/healthsciences\/informational-sessions\/<\/a>[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Who should I use as my references?” el_id=”1447436206031-1bfd6611-5f3e”]Students should request references from people who are able to speak to the criteria on the reference form.<\/p>\n Scoring for references is based on the points assigned to the different qualities of the applicant illustrated on the reference form. Students do not receive extra points for additional letters sent to the committee.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Do I get credit for applying in previous years? Do I get credit if I was an alternate last year?” el_id=”1447437307372-3c717047-4b50″]There is no credit given for previous applications or for previous alternate status. However, applicants who were given alternate status and were not selected are encouraged to apply again.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What is the application timeline?” el_id=”1447437306964-5ba9bcfe-efbf”]The timeline provided is tentative and may vary slightly as needs and schedules change.<\/p>\n [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What if I\u2019m selected for an interview and\/or admission, and I change my mind about continuing with the admissions process?” el_id=”1447437306596-bd1a3a3e-8389″]The admissions committee understands that unexpected changes happen which may limit your ability to participate in the admissions process. We only ask that you contact the Health Sciences office as soon as possible (preferably several days prior to your interview), so that other applicants may be called to take your place. As it speaks to an issue with professional behaviors, any applicant who misses the interview and has not called to cancel in an appropriate amount of time will be ineligible for admission in future years.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”If I\u2019m not accepted, can I apply again?” el_id=”1447437306202-c9654ada-6844″]For most students, there is no limit to the number of times a student can apply for the OTA Program. If a student is not accepted, he\/she should contact the Health Sciences office at 447-8954 or email healthsciences@otc.edu<\/a> to activate the application for the next year. OTA applications will be good for one year from the date of the first application. After one year, students will need to reapply for admission. Students are encouraged to update any or all of their application materials from a previous year, in order to show currency in their activities.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”I don\u2019t want to do anything else but be an OTA. What if I don\u2019t get in the first time?” el_id=”1447437305874-3054955f-7028″]Because there are usually more applicants than open positions, the program faculty encourages all students to reflect on his or her long term goals when applying. As members of the admissions committee, we want to maintain an unbiased review of all applicants but here are some ideas of how to proceed if you aren\u2019t admitted:<\/p>\n [\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Does the A.A.S. Occupational Therapy Assistant degree transfer?” el_id=”1458768025076-8c69761a-e09b”]Yes. This degree will transfer into Drury University’s Bachelor of Science in Health Services. \u00a0Click here<\/a> for more information.[\/vc_toggle][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_btn title=”FAQs in PDF Version” style=”custom” custom_background=”#1548e1″ custom_text=”#ffffff” shape=”round” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Facademics.otc.edu%2Fmedia%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F8%2F2020%2F10%2FOTA-Program-FAQs-09.10.20.pdf||target:%20_blank|”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”” h4=”For more information regarding OTA specific information or the profession of the Occupational Therapy Assistant, please contact:”]Becky Jenkins, MS, OTR\/L Joanna Hilburn hilburnj@otc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Hailey Hudlow hudlowh@otc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Kat Westmoreland westmork@otc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Julia Ritter Frizzel ritterj@otc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/strong>OTA Program Director
\n417-447-8855
\njenkinsr@otc.edu<\/a>[\/vc_cta][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”” h4=”For more information regarding the OTA application process and OTA advising please contact:”]Natalie Beckler
\n<\/strong>Health Sciences Programs Specialist
\n417-447-8954
\nbecklern@otc.edu<\/a>
\nhealthsciences@otc.edu<\/a>[\/vc_cta][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”” h4=”For more information regarding OTA advising, please contact:”]Your assigned OTC Navigator or:<\/b><\/p>\n