Associate of Applied Science Degree
Physical Therapist Assistant
| Licensure | Program Termination |
| Mission | Voluntary Withdrawal |
| Philosophy | Accreditation |
| Goals | Consumer Information |
| Role | PTA Program Applicant Handbook |
| Admission Requirements |
The South College-Asheville Physical Therapist Assistant program is an eight (8) quarter program leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree. Classes may be taught throughout the day and evening, Monday through Friday and Saturday. Class schedules may change at the discretion of the institution. Students must be committed to considerable out of classroom preparation and study. Certain classes require off-campus site attendance. The student is required to successfully complete all clinical internships for successful completion of the program.
PTA Licensure
Passing a state licensing examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is a requirement for the professional practice in the state of North Carolina. Specific information regarding application for licensure will be available to students during their last term of enrollment. Licensure or registration is not required in every state for the Physical Therapist Assistant to practice. Complete information on practice acts and regulations can be obtained from individual state licensing boards.
Clinical education internships are required and are administrated by South College-Asheville and take place in a variety of health care delivery facilities in the Asheville metropolitan area and beyond. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from these off campus educational sites.
The Physical Therapist Assistant program provides a comprehensive curriculum that includes verifying the competence and professionalism of its students. To promote an optimal educational experience for all students, diversity in teaching methodology is also practiced. As role models, those involved with the program strive to exhibit the professional attributes expected of the physical therapy professional.
Mission
The mission of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to develop knowledgeable, motivated, and competent professionals who have entry-level skills necessary to meet the demands for a career in the profession of physical therapy, as a Physical Therapist Assistant. The program strives to instill in each student the necessity and value of life-long learning. Towards this endeavor, the program promotes activities that foster the development of critical thinking by emphasizing student reflection, self-assessment, and service across the curriculum.
Philosophy
South College-Asheville is committed to creating a supportive educational environment as evidenced by the academic and technical experience of the faculty, by the resources made available to students, and by the breadth of the clinical opportunities. The college strives to recruit and retain a student body that is representative of the diversity found in the Asheville community. The primary objective of the PTA Program is to graduate skilled and dedicated professionals who will assist the health care community in meeting the physical therapy needs of the citizens of Western North Carolina and surrounding regions.
- Provide an effective comprehensive instructional curriculum that is well rounded in all fundamental concepts and theories as they apply to physical therapy modalities and rehabilitation procedures.
- Graduate Physical Therapist Assistants who will reflect the highest standards of legal, ethical, and moral conduct.
- Provide Physical Therapist Assistants whose skills and knowledge are commensurate with the expanding need for physical therapy services in the state of North Carolina, United States, and international community.
- Work closely with the local physical therapy community in improving the quality of physical therapy services delivery.
- Maintain excellence in didactic and clinical areas that are pertinent to the faculty’s area of instruction.
- Provide students with opportunities for exposure to a variety of professional experiences, including acute care, rehabilitation, extended care and assisted living, outpatient orthopedic, sports medicine, home health and pediatric.
Role of the PTA in Health Care Delivery
Physical therapy is the promotion of optimal human health and function through the application of scientific principles to prevent, identify, correct, or alleviate acute or chronic movement dysfunction of anatomical or physiologic origin. A Physical Therapist Assistant is an educated health care provider who works under the supervision of a physical therapist. His/her duties include assisting the physical therapist in exercises and activities of daily living, conducting treatments using special equipment, administering modalities and other treatment procedures, and reporting to the physical therapist on the patient’s responses.
PTA Admissions Requirements
Prospective students applying for admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant program must meet the following:
- Meet the requirements for general admission to the college as found in the current catalog.
- Meet minimum score requirements on the college entrance examination, or present documentation of a score of 17 or higher on the ACT Assessment examination, or present documentation of a 900 combined score or higher on the SAT I examination or have earned transfer hours of either 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours with at least a 3.0 GPA or better.
- Complete and submit to the PTA Department Chairperson the South College-Asheville PTA Program Application.
- Complete the PTA program entrance exam.
- Submit three (3) letters of reference utilizing the program’s reference form. These reference forms will be scored and must average seventy-five (75) percent or better.
- Submit proof of at least twenty-four (24) hours of observation and/or work hours in a physical therapy setting using the form provided by the PTA program.
- Complete and submit a written essay packet. Applicants must score at least an average of 70%.
- Complete all required general education core courses and earn the minimum grade required by the PTA Program.
- Commit to full-time attendance and participation in a rigorous educational program, significant out of class preparation time, and internship assignments off campus.
Students applying to the Physical Therapist Assistant program MUST accept the following:
- A felony conviction may affect ability to be placed in a clinical facility for education or to attain state licensure.
- Failure to produce proof of the following and the results may severely limit fieldwork placement (possibly increasing the overall length of the program) and future employment options:
- Negative TB test
- Hepatitis B vaccination or waiver
- Health release to participate in clinical internships. A physician’s certification that a student is in good general health.
- Other immunizations, such as MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella)
- A current CPR certification
- Criminal background check
- Drug screen
Prospective students transferring credit into the PTA program should consult with the Dean of Academic Affairs regarding transferability of credit, whose decision is final. There is no guarantee that transfer credit will be given for major curriculum courses.
The applicant must demonstrate the functional capacities described in the following chart. Any students who believe that they are unable to meet these requirements without special accommodation should contact the PTA Department Chair immediately. A determination regarding whether or not to grant a special accommodation will be made based on the particular circumstances of the case in question. Under no circumstances will the college make accommodations that will endanger patients or other students.
Function |
Requirement |
Example tasks for PTA |
Vision |
Adequate to ensure safety of self and others in classroom and/or clinic settings. |
Observing patient behavior and appearance; directing patient’s and own movement inside and outside a classroom and/or clinic; overseeing set-up and implementation of treatment activities. |
Hearing |
Adequate to allow effective communication with patients and others in person and by remote means, and to ensure safety of self and others. |
Face to face communication with patients and families who may have language, hearing, vision, or cognitive problems, or who may be illiterate; telephone consultations with other professionals or families; attending to pages, overhead announcements, etc. |
Tactile Sensitivity |
Adequate to allow effective evaluation and therapeutic interventions related to movement disabilities, and to ensure safety of self and others in the use of thermal, vibratory, and other sensory stimulation techniques. |
Palpation of muscle activity in muscle testing, recognition of “hot” areas related to inflammation; determining safe water temperature. |
Gross motor strength and coordination |
Adequate to ensure the safety of self and others in classroom, laboratory, and clinic activities. |
Safe transfers of student and patients; safe and efficient mobility within the school and clinic settings; safe and efficient mobility within the community; safe and efficient transportation of treatment materials. |
Fine motor strength and coordination |
Adequate to allow the use of measurement and evaluation devices common in physical therapy, and to ensure safe manipulation of patient’s bodies and of treatment materials. |
Measuring joint range of motion using a goniometer; placing a patient’s hand in functional position for splinting; setting controls on treatment equipment; performing manual facilitation and mobilization techniques. |
Critical thinking skills |
Adequate to allow mastery of basic course content and to demonstrate sound judgment in simulated and real life therapy situation. |
Identifying cause and effect relationships in patient behavior in order to modify treatment approach; determining which behaviors could lead to unsafe situations; determining when to request additional support. |
Interpersonal skills |
Adequate to allow establishment of an effective working relationship with patients, families, and other professionals. |
Interacting with difficult family members; defining physical therapy to physicians and/or other referral sources; working with a difficult co-worker; motivating a depressed patient. |
Communication skills |
Adequate to allow completion of course work and effective verbal and written communications with patients, families, other professionals, and the general community. |
Class discussions and presentations; research papers; weekly progress notes on a patient; discussing patient behavior and needs with patient and family; home programs and education material for patients. |
Program Termination
Grounds for termination from the PTA Program:
1. Insufficient academic progress.
2. Nonpayment of costs.
3. Failure to comply with rules and/or Code of Conduct.
4. Non-adherence to Attendance Policy.
5. Falsification of application to the college.
6. Unsafe or unethical clinical behavior.
Failure to meet the minimum grade required for any course will cause disruption in the program rotation, thus causing dismissal from the program. Any student wishing to reapply to the program must contact the Department Chair. The Department Chair will then initiate a reinstatement hearing. Following the hearing, a determination will be made as to whether the student will remain terminated from the program or be allowed to re-enter during the next rotation. Only under severe mitigating circumstances will a student be reinstated into the program more than one time.
Voluntary Withdrawal
If a student voluntarily withdraws, there will be no guarantee that he/she will be readmitted. Re-admission will be based on results of the reinstatement hearing, scheduling, and space availability. Before voluntary withdrawal from any class, the PTA student should see the PTA Department Chair to determine the best course of action, since withdrawing may interrupt or stop continued education in the PTA program.
PTA Program Accreditation Status
The South College-Asheville Physical Therapist Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone (703) 706-3245; accreditation@apta.org).
Contact the PTA Department Chair at (828) 398-2527 with any issues involving the PTA program.
| Cost of Program | |||
| Tuition & Fees | $42,400 |
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| Books & Supplies | $3,216 |
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| On-Time Graduation Rate | 64% |
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Reasons for students not completing on-time (i.e. 2 years for Associate degree programs, 4 years for Baccalaureate degree programs):
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| An institution calculates an on‐time graduation rate for each program by: * Determining the number of students who completed the program during the most recently completed award year, * From the total students identified in step one, determining the number of students that completed the program within normal time, regardless of whether the student transferred into the program or changed programs at the institution, and * Dividing the number of students who completed the program within normal time, as determined in step two, by the total number of students who completed the program, as determined in step one, and multiplying the result by 100. |
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| Placement Rate - July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 | |||
Number of Graduates |
Number placed in Field or Related Field |
Number Continuing Education |
Placement Percentage |
11 |
11 |
0 |
100% |
| 3 Year Outcomes for 2009-2011 | |||
| Graduation Rate (Technical Component) | 70% |
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| Ultimate Licensure Exam Pass Rate | 100% |
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| Employment Rate | 100% |
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| Median Loan Debt - Year Ended June 30th, 2011 | |||
| Federal Education Loans | $27,334 |
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| Institutional Loans | $0 |
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| Private Education Loans | $0 |
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| Employment | |||
| 31-2021.00 - Physical Therapist Assistants | |||
