Physical Therapist Assistant Associate in Science (PTA-AS)
The physical therapist assistant is a skilled technical health care worker, who under the supervision of a registered physical therapist carries out a planned patient care program. Duties of the physical therapist assistant include: training patients in exercise and activities of daily living; conducting treatments utilizing special equipment; assisting in performing tests, evaluations and treatment procedures; and observing the patient's responses and reporting to the supervising physical therapist. This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
Special Admissions Requirements
Student enrollment in the program is limited. The number of students in each class shall be determined by the availability of space, equipment, qualified faculty and hospital and clinical facilities necessary for a meaningful education. Only one class per year is accepted. Program acceptance is based on selection from all qualified applicants meeting the minimum criteria on a first-qualified/first served basis. After the allotted seats for each class are filled, the applicants meeting the minimum criteria will be guaranteed a seat in the next starting class. All applicants who meet the established criteria will be accepted into the program. However, not all will be guaranteed seats in the class of their choice if the application is not completed in a timely fashion. Minimum requirements for eligibility to the program include high school diploma or GED. Applications for both the College and program must be complete and the appropriate transcripts must be on file. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and have completed prerequisite course work with "C's" or better. Finally, applicants must provide documentation of 48 hours of observation of physical therapy in three different venues. Final admission to the program is contingent upon submission of a satisfactory federal background
check and a drug screen. Admissions information packets are available on the Pensacola State College website. Contact the PTA program director, Cena Harmon, at (850) 484-2303 or the Admissions Office for details at (850) 484-2210.
Degree Requirements
Note: W 00753 CPR for Health Care Providers must be taken prior to starting clinical.
All courses must be completed with a minimum "C" or higher grade.
The following courses must be completed with a minimum "C" or higher grade prior to any core courses of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program:
Preliminary Courses (17 hours)
| BSC 1093 | Anatomy and Physiology I^ | 3 cc |
| BSC 1093L | Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 1 cc |
| ENC 1101C | English Composition I^***+ | 3 cc |
| MAC 1105 | College Algebra^*** | 3 cc |
| HLP 1081 | Concepts of Life Fitness*** | 3 cc |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective (Category II)*** | 3 cc |
| SPC 1006C | Basic Speaking and Listening Skills# | 1 cc |
Semester I-Fall (16 hours)
| PHT 1000 | Introduction to Physical Therapy^ | 3 cc |
| PHT 1120 | Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology^ | 3 cc |
| PHT 1120L | Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology Laboratory^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 1251 | Basic Skills in Patient Care^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 1251L | Basic Skills in Patient Care Laboratory^ | 2 cc |
| LIS 1004 | Introduction to Internet Research~ | 1 cc |
| DEP 2004 | Human Growth and Development^***+ | 3 cc |
Semester-II-Spring (16 hours)
| PHT 1210C | Therapeutic Modalities^ | 3 cc |
| PHT 1253 | Neuromuscular Therapeutic Techniques I^ | 1 cc |
| PHT 1253L | Neuromuscular Therapeutic Techniques I^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 1224 | Musculoskeletal Therapeutic Techniques I^ | 3 cc |
| PHT 1224L | Musculoskeletal Therapeutic Techniques I Laboratory | 2 cc |
| PHT 1801 | PTA Clinic I^ | 1 cc |
| BSC 1094 | Anatomy and Physiology II^ | 3 cc |
| BSC 1094L | Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory^ | 1 cc |
| CPR (CEU) | |
Semester III-Fall (13 hours)
| PHT 2162 | Neuromuscular Therapeutic Techniques II^ | 1 cc |
| PHT 2162L | I Neuromuscular Therapeutic Techniques II Laboratory^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 2933C | Special Topics in Rehabilitation^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 2227C | Musculoskeletal Therapeutic Techniques II^ | 2 cc |
| PHT 2810 | PTA Clinic II^ | 6 cc |
Semester IV-Spring (12 hours)
Total Credit Hours: 74