Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Physical Therapist Assistant

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Offered By: College of Nursing and Health Professions
Application Deadline: April 1

Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at ASU is an associate-level program. The degree awarded is the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. The program is designed so that one year (25 hours) of general education courses and prerequisites are completed prior to being accepted into the PTA program. Once accepted into the program, students complete one year of professional courses (38 hours).

The PTA assists the Physical Therapist in patient evaluation and assessment activities, implements treatment programs according to a plan of care, trains patients in exercises and activities of daily living, conducts treatments using special equipment, administers modalities and other treatment procedures, and reports to the PT on patients’ responses to treatment. 

If, after careful examination of the material below, you have any questions or concerns, please contact the PTA Program Director at beckeith@astate.edu or Stacey Sloas at ssloas@astate.edu.

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  • Prerequisites

    PTA PREREQUISITES

    * the last digit of the course number indicates the credit hours for that course. Example: ENG 1003 = 3 credit hours

    General Education Courses


    Each one of the following, totaling 9 credit hours: 
    ENG 1003 Composition I (3 hrs)
    ENG 1013 Composition II (3 hrs) 
    MATH 1023 College Algebra (3 hrs)

    One of the following, totaling 3 credit hours: 
    POSC 2103 American Government (3 hrs) 
    HIST 2763 US History I (3 hrs)
    HIST 2773 US History II (3 hrs)

    One of the following, totaling 3 credit hours:
    CIT 1503 Microcomputer Applications (3 hrs)
    CS 1013 Introduction to Computers (3 hrs)

    TOTALS 15 CREDIT HOURS


    Required Support Courses


    Each of the following, totaling 10 credit hours:
    PTA 1013 Making Connections in PT (3 hrs) 
    BIO 2201/2203 Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (4 hrs)
    PHYS 2133 Survey of Physics for Health Professions (3 hrs)
    * PHYS 2054, General Physics I will be accepted

    Recommended Courses

    If other courses are needed for increased credit hours for scholarships, student financial aid, etc., the following courses are recommended (not required) for the degree:

    BIO 2221/2223 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (4 hrs)
    HP 3003 General Gross Anatomy (3 hrs)
    PSY 2013 Introduction to Psychology (3 hrs)
  • Admission Process

    APPLYING TO THE PTA PROGRAM

    All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester in which application occurs. If prerequisite courses are not completed by the end of the spring semester, the applicant must wait until the following spring to apply.

    Download the application and follow the directions on the application. The application should be turned in by April 1 of each year. The application can be turned in at the main office on the first floor of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, room 102, or mailed to:

    ASU Physical Therapist Assistant Program
    PO Box 910
    State University (Jonesboro), AR 72467

    Download the application>>>


    After applications are recieved, cumulative GPA and prerequisite GPAs are calculated and each reference and observation form is scored. This information is used to rank applicants. The top applicants are invited to an interview. Following the interview, scores from the interview are added to previous scores and applicants are again ranked. The top 30 applicants are invited to join the PTA program.

    Criteria that are considered:

    Cumulative GPA

    Prerequisite GPA

    Reference & Observation Forms

    Reading Comprehension

    Interview

  • Additional Information

    TRANSFERS

    Many of our students come from other colleges and universities. Applicants must gain admission to ASU by contacting ASU Admissions at 870-972-3024 or admissions@astate.edu. Applicants can download the prerequisite checklist form, obtain a copy of their transcripts, and contact an advisor by emailing beckeith@astate.edu or ssloas@astate.edu.

    Typically, most of the PTA prerequisite courses are offered at any community college or university with the exception of PTA 1013 Making Connections in PT and HP 2013 Medical Terminology. Both of these courses are offered online in the spring, summer, and fall semesters at ASU.

    Applicants can check to see if their courses are transferable to ASU by contacting the Registrar Office at 870-972-2031 or registrar@astate.edu or by visiting their website.

    CLINICAL EDUCATION 

    The PTA program includes three clinical rotations to provide students with hands-on experience with patients. Students are required to participate in three separate clinical internships during the program. These consist of a five week clinical rotation the last five weeks of the fall semester and also a five week and six week rotation in the spring semester. Currently, sites are chosen through a lottery system. Students are responsible for their living expenses and transportation during their clinical rotations. The total number of weeks that students are away from campus is sixteen.

    COST

    Estimated costs for the PTA program, not including housing, transportation and living expenses for clinical rotations are listed below. This information is only an estimate of the overall program cost and is subject to change. 

    See current ASU Undergraduate Tuition and Fees >>

    (The total number of hours for PTA per semester are Summer - 12 hours, Fall - 14 hours, and Spring - 12 hours)

    $45 - Graduation Fee
    $890 - Books
    $90 - Required lab equipment
    $390 - Physical Exam & Immunizations (ASU Student Health Center)
    $35 - CPR Certification (for Health Professionals)
    $37 - Professional Liability Insurance
    $670 - Health Insurance; policies vary in price. Currently, through ASU, an individual policy is $670 per year.
    $500 - Licensure Examination Fees (following graduation)

    STANDARDS & STATISTICS

    PTA Core Values: Expected Student Outcomes

    Abilities & Skills of the PTA

    PTA Application Statistics

    PTA Program Acceptance Statistics

    PROFESSIONAL COURSEWORK

    Professional courses for the PTA program begin each summer session. Students attend both summer sessions, fall, and spring. Students graduate in May of the spring semester.

    PTA Professional Coursework

    Summer

    PTA 2116 Patient Care Fundamentals          

    PTA 2126 Movement Science

    Fall

    PTA 2213 Musculoskeletal PT

    PTA 2223 Physical Agents and Massage

    PTA 2233 Neuromuscular PT

    PTA 2263 Pathophysiological Conditions

    PTA 2252 Clinical Education I 


    Spring

    PTA 2303 Neuromuscular PT II                   

    PTA 2323 Seminar

    PTA 2333 Clinical Education II

    PTA 2343 Clinical Education III

    Check out more details of PTA's

    Professional Coursework >>
  • Accreditations

    The PTA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

  • Checksheets & Degree Plans

    Checksheets

    Checksheets list all of the requirements and university obligations for degree completion.

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Phone: 870-972-2030
Fax: 870-972-2036

Room: 202
Administration Building

Postal Address:
PO Box 179
State University, AR  72467