Physical Therapist Assistant, AS

Purpose 

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program is designed to provide students with entry-level skills and knowledge to work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist in the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal and/or neuromuscular deficits, injury, disease, or disorders. Graduates will be eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Exam for licensing; a passing score is required to practice in the field of physical therapy. Enrollment in the PTA core program is limited to 25 students by the Commission of Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) with admission once a year in January.

While in the program, students will attend class or internships all day, five days a week, for three and half consecutive semesters and must complete the coursework together as a cohort. All PTA courses are provided in an on-campus format from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday on the Charlotte Campus.

Accreditation

Graduation from a physical therapist [assistant] education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. It is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.

Florida SouthWestern State College is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Approval of Substantive Change on June 10, 2024. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted for Accreditation status. Achievement of Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Accreditation status has been achieved.

Admission Requirements

Secondary application submitted by September 15

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)Program admits students once per year and starts each Spring semester. The curriculum includes a combination of classroom, laboratory, and clinical education experiences. The PTA program has limited enrollment due to the rigorous clinical education requirements for the program. 

Acceptance to Florida SouthWestern State College does not imply acceptance into the Physical Therapist program. Each applicant must meet specific criteria listed in the admission policies.

Admission to the program is determined by admissions points, academic transcript evaluation, and affective skills demonstration. Admissions points are awarded for the completion of General Education and Program Specific Requirement coursework, all of which must be completed prior to starting the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.  Pre-admission requirements include satisfactory completion of the following:

• Students must complete all prerequisites prior to the start into the program.
• Students are responsible for submitting all official transcripts to the College by the deadline.
• College-approved criminal records check and drug testing at the applicant’s expense. This includes a background check. 
• A minimum Science GPA of 2.75 is required, encompassing Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, Medical Terminology, and General Biology 1 or Microbiology. One Science class maybe in progress at time of the application, in which case the Science GPA at the time of application will be calculated based on the other three science classes. Admission may be granted with the condition that the GPA remains at 2.75 or higher upon completion of the fourth Science class.
• A minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.75 to include all General Education (18 16 credit hours) and Program Specific (14 credit hours) coursework requirements. Three of these courses may be in progress at time of the application, in which case the Cumulative GPA at the time of application the Cumulative GPA will be calculated based on the completed courses. Admission may be granted with the condition that the Cumulative GPA remains at 2.75 or higher upon completion of all of the courses.
• GPA calculation are based on the top score (the highest grade of the duplicated course)
• All courses must be completed with a “C” or higher.
• A minimum of 24 observation hours under a licensed PT or PTA
• Mandatory interview and written essay  

After acceptance, students must complete the following:

• Immunization and health report
• TB Skin Test
• Certification in American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR and AED); to be obtained prior to the start of the program
• Proof of Health Insurance prior to the start of the first clinical (August)

Internship Requirements

The clinical education component of the program includes two full time clinical experiences that provide students with appropriate role modeling and an opportunity to interact with individuals with impairments common to the clinical setting.  The clinical affiliations are coordinated with the goal to provide the student with the opportunity to apply new skills at various levels of attainment, as well as ensure adequate didactic education prior to clinical education.  The Program Director and the ACCE is responsible for assuring each student has the required experiences appropriate to the level of education.  The integrated internship begins in the beginning of third semester of core coursework and is 40 hours a week for 7 weeks (minimum of 280 hours). The terminal internship begins in the beginning of last semester and is 40 hours a week for 8 weeks (minimum of 320 hours). Any hours missed or changes in the schedule must be discussed with the Program Director and the ACCE.  These hours must be made up in conjunction with the CI, CCCE and ACCE.

Students are assigned to clinical facilities by the ACCE and the Program Director.  The student will not choose their clinical affiliation and the clinical affiliation may change at any time. There is no guarantee of the clinical site being close to the student’s home and travel is mandatory. The student is also required to be at the facility the same hours that their clinical instructor works, this may include later days, weekends and holidays.

Course Prerequisites

Many courses require prerequisites. Check the description of each course in the list below for prerequisites, minimum grade requirements, and other restrictions. Students must complete all prerequisites for a course prior to registering for it.

Graduation Requirements

All General Education, Program Prerequisite, and Program Requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Students must fulfill all requirements of their program to be eligible for graduation.