The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Physical Therapist Assistant Technology (PTST) provides students with the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to become licensed or certified as a physical therapist assistant (PTA). Licensure or certification in most states requires graduation from an accredited PTA program, background clearances, and passing the National Physical Therapy Examination.
The integrated curriculum includes lecture, lecture/lab, seminar and practicum courses. Core Physical Therapist Assistant Technology course content is cumulative and taught in four sequential semesters in a two year cycle. The Technical Study curriculum requires student to be on campus or in the clinic three to five days per week each term.
Three practicum courses require students to complete a minimum of 600 off-campus clinical education hours under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. Under certain circumstances, students in practicum courses are required to attend clinicals on days outside of the academic calendar. These circumstances may occur on scheduled or unscheduled campus closures or on days when classes are cancelled. Examples include: certain holidays, spring recess, snow days and/or prior to the start of semesters. Students are notified in advance of the clinical education schedule.
Contracted clinical education sites normally require students to demonstrate both medical and background clearances, as well as the ability to perform the core tasks and essential job functions of a physical therapist assistant. Students who are unable to perform the core tasks and essential job functions, or who cannot demonstrate medical and background clearance may not be able to complete the requirements for the Physical Therapist Assistant Technology.
Students who are Board Certified Athletic Trainers may be admitted to the Athletic Trainers Transition (ATT) concentration. This concentration adds the skills and knowledge of a physical therapist assistant to the Certified Athletic Trainers knowledge and skill competency. The ATT concentration is primarily online, requires six 3-day lab weekends on the Ashtabula campus, and can be completed in as little as 15 months. All ATT concentration students must complete a minimum of 600 hours of clinical education, which can be arranged anywhere in the country.
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