2023-2024 General Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 General Catalog

Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS



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Specialization in Physical Therapist Assistant prepares students to work in a variety of healthcare settings that provide physical therapy services.  Students who satisfactorily complete this program will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree. The A.A.S. in PTA is a terminal degree and does not directly transfer to university-level DPT programs, but does offer the option of applying to PTA BS programs and PTA Bridge to DPT programs. Students will be prepared to take the NPTE-PTA licensing exam upon completion of AAS PTA degree plan. To qualify for the Associate of Applied Science degree, the student must successfully complete each course found in the AAS PTA degree plan. South Plains College Physical Therapist Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone; (703) 706-3245; email:  accreditation@apta.org; website; http://www.capteonline.org.   To contact the Program/Institution directly, please contact Jackie Underwood (Program Director) at (806) 716-2470 or junderwood@southplainscollege.edu. Program Admission Requirements The number of students admitted to the PTA program is limited; therefore, all students interested in admission to the program should contact the PTA Program Director or a program advisor.  Applicants must complete the following procedures. Applicants must be TSI compliant at the time a program application is submitted. Complete admission requirements for South Plains College. Admission to the South Plains College does not guarantee admission to the SPC Physical Therapist Assistant program. Admission requirements can be found http://www.southplainscollege.edu/exploreprograms/healthoccupations/alliedhealth/spcpta.php Students must have completed or be currently enrolled in English 1301, Math Core, Humanities Core, and SCIT 1420 Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology I to submit an application for the PTA program.  All courses must be completed with a “C” or higher prior to Spring admission to the PTA Program. Applications can be submitted from September 15th- October 31st. Admission determinations for the spring semester are made in November. Admission will be determined by overall points earned from GPA, TEAS, variety of observation experiences, and interview scores.  In case of an exact point match between two or more applicants, submission date of application will be used to determine ranking. Program advisor is Jackie Underwood, Director of Physical Therapist Assistant Program. To be eligible for licensure as a PTA in the state of Texas a student must graduate from an Accredited PTA Program receiving an Associate of Applied Science Degree-PTA, successfully pass the NPTE-PTA, and apply for licensure through the state of Texas.

Freshman Year


Prerequisites*/General Education Requirements


General Education requirements for the SPC PTA Program establish foundational knowledge to build skilled knowledge and ability for PTA courses.

Total General Education Semester Hours: 20


Notes


*Prerequisites will be completed prior to admission into the Program

Total Semester Hours: 15


Summer Semester


This summer semester is a 10 week course of study required prior to Clinical I experience in the fall semester.

Total Semester Hours: 7


Sophomore Year


Fall Semester


This fall semester is the first [integrated] Clinical experience along with advanced knowledge/skill courses to prepare students for full time [terminal] clinical experiences.

Total Semester Hours: 13


Spring Semester


This semester consist of capstone clinical experiences and workforce entry level preparation.

Total Semester Hours: 12


Notes


* Although not a requirement, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in EDUC 1100 during the first semester of enrollment.

** Consult program advisor for proper choice of courses.

****Can be any qualifying Humanities credit

      

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