Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington’s radiation therapy associate degree program has won the Indiana Career and Technical Education Program Award for Excellence. The award will be presented to Ivy Tech Bloomington at a public ceremony on Tuesday, February 23 at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.
Ivy Tech Bloomington’s Associate of Science in Radiation Therapy is the only accredited radiation therapy associate degree program in Indiana. The classroom is equipped with a state-of-the-art Virtual Environmental Radiotherapy Training (VERT) system, and Ivy Tech is one of 14 programs in the United States that trains students in this interactive 3-D virtual treatment room.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of radiation therapists will increase by more than 24 percent over the next ten years,” said Karlee Wyatt, Ivy Tech’s radiation therapy program director. “With the development of over ten proton therapy centers in the United States in the next five to ten years, the need for radiation therapists to treat cancer patients at these centers will increase. Our degree program has recognized this evolution of industry, and now Ivy Tech Bloomington offers specific training to our radiation therapy students in traditional photon therapy with additional effort put into focusing on proton therapy as well.”
The program has received national recognition for its accomplishments, including designing and implementing the nation’s first Proton Therapy Specialist Certificate, and was a nominee for the Bellwether Award for innovative programs among community colleges across the nation.
Ivy Tech’s radiation therapy degree program has a five year average job placement rate of 96 percent. “In just the last two years, all 15 of our graduates have taken jobs in radiation therapy,” Wyatt said.
The degree program has an on-time completion rate of 87 percent, and graduates work in various hospitals or radiation oncology centers throughout Indiana. Graduates of the program have also been given opportunities to pursue careers in a number of locations throughout the United States.
Ivy Tech Bloomington’s Radiation Therapy associate degree program is fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) and received the maximum accreditation award of eight years.
The Awards for Excellence program is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education.
For information about how to apply to Ivy Tech, visit www.ivytech.edu/applynow.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
