Physical Therapist Assistant - AAS (2106)

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program (2106) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), https://www.capteonline.org. 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
General Education Requirements (20 Credits)
Written & Oral Communication (6)
ENG 101	College Composition I	3
ENG 102	College Composition II	3
or ENG 105	Technical Writing
Quantitative/Scientific Knowledge, Skills & Reasoning (8)
BIO 121	Anatomy & Physiology I	4
BIO 122	Anatomy and Physiology II	4
Society & Human Behavior (3)
PSY 101	General Psychology I	3
Humanistic Perspective (3)
Select any English Literature Course		3
or Select one of the following courses:
ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, ART 200, CIN 101, CIN 103, DRA 100, FRN 101, FRN 102, MUS 100, MUS 109, MUS 110, MUS 117, PHI 101, REL 105, SPN 101, SPN 102
or Select any History (HST) Course
Major Requirements (48 Credits)
BIO 222	Kinesiology	4
HSC 109	Medical Terminology	3
PTA 101	Fundamentals of PTA	5
PTA 102	Principles of PTA	5
PTA 103	PTA Practicum I	4
PTA 106	Ther.Inter./Child Dev.&Geronto	3
PTA 201	Principles of PTA II	4
PTA 202	Principles of PTA III	4
PTA 203	PTA Practicum II	4
PTA 205	PTA Practicum III	6
PTA 206	Prof. Issues Phys.Thera.Assist	1
PTA 209	Therapeutic Exercise	2
PSY 209	Abnormal Psychology	3
Total Credits		68

Notes:

1. For an explanation of why General Education courses are included in this Program, please refer to the Section on General Education for an explanation of its Purpose and Requirements. 
2. This plan assumes the student is eligible to enroll in College Level Courses (designated as 100 +, e.g., ENG 101 College Composition I, HST 101 World Civilization I, MTH 100 Intro. to College Mathematics).  Placement results will determine College Level Readiness in English and Mathematics.  

Overview

Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) work as part of a team to provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist. PTAs implement selected components of patient/client interventions (treatment), obtain data related to the interventions provided, and make modifications in selected interventions either to progress the patient/client as directed by the physical therapist or to ensure patient/client safety and comfort.

Why major in Physical Therapist Assistant?

Physical therapist assistants (PTAs)have a rewarding opportunity to make a positive difference in the quality of people’s lives. Their work involves extensive contact with both patients and other health care professionals. PTAs work under the supervision of physical therapists in implementing treatment programs specific to the plan of care. PTAs work in hospitals, private physical therapy offices, community health centers, corporate or industrial health centers, sport facilities, research institutions, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, schools, pediatric centers, colleges, and universities. The PTA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE); rules and regulations regarding accreditation can be found on their website:  http://www.capteonline.org/AccreditationHandbook.

If I major in Physical Therapist Assistant, can I transfer to an upper-division college or university?

The PTA curriculum differs from that of physical therapists. Under most circumstances, courses completed and credits acquired toward this associate’s degree are not transferable. Our program, however, has an articulation agreement with Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, NY). This agreement allows graduates, who apply and are accepted into Mercy’s Physical Therapy program, to transfer many credits completed at ECC. Other accredited programs designed to allow experienced PTAs to continue working while attending a doctoral degree program on weekends exist, but our articulation agreement only applies to Mercy College.

Are there any requirements I must satisfy before I start taking courses in my major?

All students – even transfer students – should apply to the College as a General Science (curriculum code: 0603) student first before applying for admission to the PTA Program. Completion of prerequisites and submission of an application does not automatically guarantee admission. Transcripts from other institutions must be evaluated and accepted by ECC Enrollment Services prior to review by the PTA program. Strict application deadline is March 15 for enrollment the following Fall. Admission to the PTA program is competitive and merit-based and includes minimal basic standards that must be met for applicants to be considered for admission. These standards are as follows:

• Completion of all remedial and/or ESL courses as indicated by placement testing.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or higher. Only two of the three prerequisites may be repeated to achieve these grades; each may only be repeated once. Prerequisites courses are: BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits), ENG 101 College Composition I (3 credits), and PSY 101 General Psychology I (3 credits).
• A college GPA of 2.5 or higher in courses required by the PTA program. Grades in general education courses completed prior to admission are also applied to establish applicants’ GPA.
• Submission of a program application to the Division of Nursing and Allied Health (applications are accepted from January 1st to March 15th each calendar year).
• Completion and documentation of 50 required volunteer or work hours in a physical therapy department or facility by the March 15th application deadline.
• Completion of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a minimum score of 50. The TEAS may only be taken once per application and a passing score does not guarantee admission to the program. Students should not register to take the TEAS until all other application requirements listed above have been met.

How long will it take for me to complete this degree?

If you do not need developmental courses and have completed prerequisites and you register for an average of 15 credits each semester, you can complete the program in two years.

To contact the program directly, please call (973) 877-3375 or email ptapro@essex.edu.

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• Work under the supervision of a physical therapist in an ethical, lawful, safe, and effective manner;
• Implement a comprehensive treatment plan developed by a physical therapist;
• Communicate regularly with the supervising physical therapist about the patient's progress and the need for adjustments to be made by the physical therapist in treatment procedures in accordance with changes in patient status;
• Perform appropriate measurement and assessment techniques within the knowledge and limits of practice to assist the supervising physical therapists in monitoring and modifying the plan of care;
• Interact with patients and families in a manner that provides the desired psychosocial support including the recognition of cultural and socioeconomic differences;
• Participate in the teaching of other health care providers, patients and families;
• Document relevant aspects of patient treatment;
• Participate in discharge planning and follow up care;
• Demonstrate effective written, oral, and nonverbal communication with patients and their families, colleagues, health care providers, and the public;
• Identify levels of authority and responsibility; planning, time management, supervisory process, performance evaluations, policies and procedures; fiscal considerations for physical therapy providers and consumers; and, continuous quality improvement;
• Read and interpret professional literature;
• Accept responsibility for professional development; and
• Modify an intervention only in accordance with changes in patient/client status and within the scope of the plan of care that has been established by the physical therapist.