Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Building
Contents

Physical Therapist Assistant - A.A.S. Degree (Career)

APPLICATION CODE 282

For curriculum information, contact the Division of Health and Sciences—Room KHH-304--443-518-1560.

Under the direction and supervision of a Physical Therapist, the Physical Therapist Assistant, a skilled technical health care provider, performs selected physical therapy procedures and related tasks. Depending on the employment setting and the individual patient, those tasks may include contributing to total patient care and assisting the Physical Therapist in carrying out complete procedures and programs.

Suggested Summer Term

Course NumberTitleCredits
ENGL 121College Composition

3
BIOL 101/101LBiology for Allied Health

4
MATH 138Statistics

4

Suggested Semester 1

Course NumberTitleCredits
BIOL 203/203LAnatomy and Physiology I

4
PTAP 100Introduction to Physical Therapy

2
PTAP 110Fundamentals of Practice I

3
PTAP 120Clinical Kinesiology

3
PTAP 130Therapeutic Modalities

3

Suggested Semester 2

Course NumberTitleCredits
BIOL 204/204LAnatomy and Physiology II

4
PTAP 150Clinical Pathology

3
PTAP 160Orthopedic Dysfunctions I

3
PTAP 210Fundamentals of Practice II

3
PTAP 240Therapeutic Exercise

3

Suggested Summer Term

Course NumberTitleCredits
PTAP 214Clinical Education I

2
PTAP 265Professional Issues in Physical Therapy

1

Suggested Semester 3

Course NumberTitleCredits
PSYC 101General Psychology

3
PTAP 250Clinical Neuroscience

3
PTAP 255Clinical Correlations for Physical Therapy

3
PTAP 260Orthopedic Dysfunctions II

3
COMM 101Introduction to Human Communication

3
OR
COMM 105Fundamentals of Public Speaking

3
OR
COMM 110Interpersonal Communication

3

Suggested Semester 4

Course NumberTitleCredits
PTAP 270Clinical Education II

4
PTAP 275Clinical Education III

4

Total Credit Hours: 68

Applicants for the PTA program must have completed the following minimum prerequisite/general education coursework: college-level English Composition or HCC’s ENGL 121, BIOL 101/101L, and MATH 138. Applicants must have an overall HCC GPA of 2.25 or higher and an overall science/mathematics GPA of 2.0 or higher, must have completed BIOL 203/203L with a “B” or better, and are required to have a minimum of 50 hours of documented PT clinical observation experience. A grade of “C” or better is required in all Physical Therapist Assistant and science courses.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Howard Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 800-999-2782; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org.

Badge showing the CAPTE logo

A graduate should be able to

  1. Administer competent, entry-level patient care, under the direction of a licensed physical therapist.
  2. Model ethical, legal, and effective clinical judgment across healthcare settings.
  3. Develop the skills to educate and advocate for their patient populations and communities at large.
  4. Demonstrate the capacity to build strong professional partnerships and take on leadership roles.

The goals of this program are

  1. The program will provide pathways for student success, completion, licensure eligibility, and preparation for entry-level employment as safe, effective, and competent physical therapist assistants.
  2. The program will maintain an organized, sequential, evidence-informed curriculum with didactic, laboratory, and clinical education experiences that reflect contemporary physical therapy practice and workforce expectations.
  3. The program will maintain qualified faculty, appropriate learning resources, and strong clinical and community partnerships to support student achievement and program effectiveness.
  4. The program will promote ethical practice, professional responsibility, inclusive patient-centered care, service, and ongoing assessment to guide program improvement.