Being educated as a Physical Therapist Assistant prepares students to work in a variety of healthcare settings that provide physical therapy services. Students who satisfactorily complete the PTA Program are awarded the Associate of Applied Science - PTA 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. Graduates of the PTA Program are prepared to take the NPTAE 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. The SPC PTA Program is a selective admission program with a limited admission number each Spring. Admission to South Plains College does not guarantee admission to the SPC Physical Therapist Assistant program.

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 with any questions prior to submission of a Program application.  Program applicants must complete the following requirements: Applicants must be TSI compliant at the time a Program application is submitted. Complete admission requirements for South Plains College and separate PTA application requirements. SPC PTA Program admission requirements can be found at http://www.southplainscollege.edu/exploreprograms/healthoccupations/alliedhealth/spcpta.php

Students must have completed (or plan to complete) all prerequisites prior to Program admission to be eligible to apply to the PTA Program. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a “C” or higher.

Applications can be submitted from September 1st to October 31st . Admission determinations for the Spring semester are made in November. Admission will be determined by overall points earned from prerequisite GPA, TEAS, observation experiences, and interview scores. 

Program advisors are:

 Jackie Underwood, Director of Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

junderwood@southplainscollege.edu

Kevin Beaugh

kbeaugh@southplainscollege.edu

 

To be eligible for licensure as a PTA a student must graduate from an accredited PTA Program receiving an Associate of Applied Science Degree-PTA, successfully pass the NPTAE, and apply for licensure (through the state of Texas or the state you plan to practice in).

 

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.   Director of Physical Therapist Assistant Program is Jackie Underwood: (806) 716-2470, junderwood@southplainscollege.edu.