Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) are skilled health care providers who work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Duties of the PTA include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs, teaching clients exercises and activities of daily living, performing treatments and reporting client responses to the physical therapist. In addition to direct patient care, the physical therapist assistant also performs functions such as patient transport, preparation for treatment and maintenance of equipment.

Physical therapist assistants work in a variety of settings including: acute and rehabilitation hospitals, private physical therapy offices, community health centers, outpatient and sports facilities, corporate or industrial health centers, research institutions, extended care facilities, home health agencies, pediatric centers, schools, colleges and universities.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at The State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org   website: www.capteonline.org

Program Director: Matthew Connell, MPT
Contact (941)752-5346
Connelm@scf.edu

Degrees:

*Effective with the Fall Term 2013: The Physical Therapist Assistant program will only be offered as an Associate in Science, (AS), degree after May 2014.  Students admitted into the PTA program, effective fall 2013, must meet the requirements for the AS degree.

PTA Application Information

Program applications for fall 2014 will be accepted from January 6, 2014 to Febaruary 28, 2014.   

Student must apply/reapply every year.There is no waiting list for the PTA program

Links to Information about the PTA Program 

PTA Program Frequently Asked Questions
Click here for information about the Physical Therapy profession
Click here to view the Admissions Requirements for the PTA Program 
Click here to view the estimated program cost for 2012-2013 
Click here to view the State College of Florida Health Profession Program Student Handbook
Click here to view the State College of Florida PTA Program Student Handbook

 Follow us on Twitter @SCFPTA 

PTA Information Sessions: 

PTA information sessions will resume during the Fall 2013 semester. Please check the webpage after the start of the fall semester for available dates.

In an effort to maintain the integrity of our PTA Information Session schedule and serve as many individuals as possible - Please be advised that if you have reserved a seat for any of the sessions below and cannot attend, you must call to cancel your reservation by 3:00PM of the day you have reserved.  Any no call/no shows will be placed on a "hold list", and cannot reserve a seat for the next Information Session.  Individuals will be taken off the "hold list" after the next available Information Session has been held, and may then call to reserve a seat for the next Information Session that has available seating.  No exceptions to this policy will be made. 

All sessions will be held at the Bradenton Campus and seats are limited. Call (941) 752-5346 to register for one of the available sessions below:

 NOTE:

   Attendance at an Information Session is mandatory to be considered for acceptance into the PTA program.

Announcements and General Information

• Effective with the Fall Term 2013: The Physical Therapist Assistant program will only be offered as an Associate in Science, (AS), degree after May 2014.  Students admitted into the PTA program, effective fall 2013, must meet the requirements for the AS degree.Students must take any Area II, AS Mathematics course to fulfill the general education requirements for the PTA program.

• Effective with the Spring Term 2010: Students must take SPC 1608 Fundamentals of Speech Communication or ENC 1102 Written Communication II to fulfill the general education requirements for the PTA program.

• The cost of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program includes tuition and fees as listed under Financial Information. A laboratory fee is charged for each laboratory and clinical course. These fees cover laboratory supplies and liability insurance required by clinical agencies. In addition, approximately $50 is needed in the first Fall semester to purchase the clinical uniform to be worn in the laboratory/clinical area. Textbooks for the academic and PTA courses average approximately $1000 for the two years.
• Program brochures are available at the PTA Program department, Health Professions Division Office and the Student Services office at the Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice campuses.

Program Enrollment, Graduation and FSBPT Data

* Graduate Employment Rate is the % of program graduates who were employed as PTAs within six months of passing the licensure examination