2020-2021 Catalog [Aug. 2020-Aug. 2021] [Archived Catalog]
Physical Therapist Assistant (222A) (A.S.)
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Associate in Science
This is a Limited Access program.
Mission/Purpose
The mission of the Associate in Science Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program is to create competent, ethical and confident entry-level health care practitioners committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive, non-discriminatory, and supportive learning environment. The program is a balance between theory and practice that enhances the educational experience and provides students with the skills and preparation necessary for employment in the field of physical therapy.
The Program
The PTA program is a combination of general education and professional coursework including lecture, laboratory, and clinical education components. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded an Associate in Science in Physical Therapist Assistant degree, and are eligible to apply to sit for the state administered national examination in order to qualify for licensure to practice as a PTA.
Admission to this program is limited and is based on academic performance and other criteria.
A minimum grade of C or better must be achieved in all professional coursework.
Graduation Rates*
Licensure Exam Rates*
- 2017 - 90.3%
- 2018 - 91.3%
Employment Rates*
*The years represented reflect the years that these cohorts of students were formally admitted into the Technical Phase of the PTA program.
Internships/Externships/Rotations/Fieldwork
Employers view clinical experience as essential to understanding the responsibilities of a physical therapist assistant. Clinical training at local physical therapy facilities is arranged as part of the PTA curriculum. Students will be required to undergo drug screening and criminal background checks prior to clinical placements.
The Career
According to the U.S. Department of Labor the demands for PTA’s is expected to grow by 30% between 2016 and 2026. The U.S. Department of Labor lists PTA as one of the 30 fastest growing occupations through 2016.
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a skilled technical health care provider who works under the supervision and direction of a Physical Therapist (PT) in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of physical disability resulting from injury, disease, pain, birth defects, and other health-related conditions. The PTA, working as a member of the rehabilitation team, assists in implementing the treatment program according to the plan of care developed by the PT. Typical duties of the PTA include training patients in exercise, ambulation and activities of daily living, conducting treatment using specialized equipment, administering therapeutic physical agents such as heat, cold and electrical stimulation, assisting in the performance of tests, and observing and reporting patient responses and changes in condition to the PT.
The Dictionary of Occupational Titles rates the strength demands of a PTA at the medium level. This translates into lifting or exerting a force of 20 to 50 pounds occasionally, 10 to 25 pounds frequently and 10 pounds or less constantly.
Interested students can learn more about the profession of physical therapy and the role of the PTA by contacting the American Physical Therapy Association, 111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; telephone: (800) 999-2782; website: apta.org.
Certification/Licensing
Graduates of the program who pass their state administered national examination are prepared to function as entry-level Physical Therapist Assistant practitioners.
Program Accreditation
The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone: (703) 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: capteonline.org.
Application Procedure
Admission to the professional phase of the program is limited and based upon selective academic performance and other criteria. An information/application packet outlining requirements, procedures, costs and other pertinent information is available from the Health Career Information Center at North Campus, or at fscj.edu/222A.
Minimum requirements that must be met for consideration for admission to the Professional (PHT prefix) coursework of the PTA program are as follows:
- Applicants must be accepted for admission to Florida State College at Jacksonville or be currently enrolled at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Acceptance to Florida State College at Jacksonville does not guarantee admission to the Professional (PHT prefix) coursework of the PTA program.
- Applicants must submit a completed application for the Professional (PHT prefix) coursework of the program to the PTA department. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered. Contact the PTA department for information/application packets and deadlines.
- Complete the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Test (HESI-A2) with a score at least a 75% averaged across all categories and include the results in the PTA application file.
- Applicants must have completed 23 credit hours of prerequisite coursework, including ENC 1101 or ENC 1101C or ENC 1102 , DEP 2004 or PSY 1012, BSC 2085C, , or higher-level MAC prefix course or or or or , or higher level PHY prefix course and a Humanities course, all with a minimum grade of C and minimum combined grade point average of 2.5 prior to beginning the Professional (PHT prefix) coursework phase of the PTA program.
- Applicants must submit documented evidence verifying completion of a minimum of 10 hours of outpatient and 10 hours of inpatient observation, volunteer service, and/or work experience in physical therapy. Verification forms can be obtained from the PTA department.
- Applicants must provide a copy of their official college transcript(s), including prerequisite coursework, to the PTA program. Students not currently enrolled in Florida State College at Jacksonville and/or who are transferring college credit courses are required to have a second copy of their official transcript(s) sent directly from the college or university to the registrar’s office at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Students who have submitted completed applications to the PTA department by the deadline will be ranked according to a point scale based on grade point average in the required general education courses, health care related work experience or military experience for the completion of BSC 2086C and PHY 1020C or higher level PHY prefix course and overall GPA. The 30 highest ranked students each Summer and the 15 highest ranked students each Spring will be accepted into the Professional (PHT prefix) coursework of the PTA program and notified of their acceptance by FSCJ email. A ranked alternate list will be established. In the event of forfeiture, the next highest ranked student will be notified of acceptance. Refer to the PTA program information/application packet for a complete description of the point system on which ranking is based.
Note: Admissions preference is given to fully qualified candidates who have met all entrance criteria, including the satisfaction of prerequisite courses. Should seats remain available in the program cohort, applicants who fulfill admissions criteria prior to the start of the program will be considered next, followed by those with the highest number of completed prerequisite courses. Qualified applicants with pending prerequisite course requirements will receive a conditional acceptance letter outlining the remaining criteria for full program admission.
Application Deadline(s)
The application deadline is February 15 each year for the cohort starting in the Summer term and September 15th each year for the cohort starting in the Spring term.
Need More Information? Contact:
The Health Career Information Center, (904) 713-4545 or hcic@fscj.edu
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