Program Overview

The Physical Therapist Assistant is a skilled technical health worker who performs physical therapy interventions under the direction of a Physical Therapist. Technical Standards/Essential Functions are available for your review on the program’s website. They have been designed to give you more information about the profession and important skills/functions. This information will be helpful to assist you in deciding on your career path.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245;

e-mail: accreditation@apta.org; CAPTE Website

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Students respect the culture, customs, ethnicity and values of their patients
Students utilize legal and ethical professional practices while conducting physical therapy.
Students employ effective documentation, oral and written communication skills in all settings.
Students apply safe and effective patient-centered interventions using sound reasoning.

Length and Kind of Program

The program is four semesters in length. General education and Physical Therapist Assistant classes are scheduled on the college campus. Correlated clinical experiences begin the second semester and continue throughout the program. These experiences take place at selected hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties.

Program Prerequisites (Must be Completed to Apply):

English: ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1001 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or higher.
Math: MATH 114 or higher, or Statistics such as STAT C1000 or PSYC 210 or equivalent with a grade of "C" or higher or "Pass."
Anatomy & Physiology: 4-unit A&P 150 (Introduction to Human Anatomy) and 4-unit A&P 151 (Introduction to Human Physiology) with labs or equivalent courses with grades of “C” or higher. A 5-unit minimum combined Anatomy and Physiology course with a lab can be substituted to meet this requirement.
Note: Exercise Physiology courses will not be accepted to meet the A&P151 requirement.
Medical Terminology: 3-unit MA 161 or equivalent course with grade of “C” or higher. Note: 1-unit or 2-unit courses will not be accepted to meet the MA 161 requirement.

Note: An 8-year recency standard is required for Anatomy, Physiology, and Medical Terminology. Any course that was completed more than 8 years prior to the application cycle will need to be repeated for recency prior to applying to the PTA Program.

Application and Acceptance Procedures:

Complete application to the program. The PTA application instructions and forms can be found online at the PTA Program website Application Information tab. The application and all supporting documents must be submitted by April 15. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.
Submit unofficial transcripts of ALL college work as part of your application PDF file. Electronic application packets need to be submitted via email by no later than April 15 at 11:59pm. DO NOT send official transcripts with your application. You will be asked to provide official transcripts directly to the Admissions & Records Department once you have been admitted to the PTA Program.
If you would like a counselor to review your transcript (optional), please make an appointment with the counseling department at (562) 467-5231 or via the Cerritos Academic Counseling website.
All work experience as a physical therapist aide must be verified by a letter on letterhead from your employer stating you are / were a paid employee, giving your job title, and dates of employment. Work experience in related medical fields must also be verified in the same way. To receive credit for volunteer work, documentation from the site must show at 50 hours of service in a physical therapy setting.
Application packets will be evaluated after April 15. Documents to be reviewed include the application demographics and form responses, unofficial transcripts, and work and/or volunteer verifications. Points are assigned using the following considerations:
1. Completion of Program Prerequisites with a minimum 2.0 GPA
2. Verified volunteer experience in a physical therapy setting (minimum of 50 hours)
3. Verified work experience in a related medical field
4. Verified work experience as a physical therapy aide or tech
5. Other completed college level courses in related medical, athletic training, kinesiology and/or pure science from regionally accredited college
6. Completed general education requirements
  
  Note: Letters b – f are not required to apply to the PTA Program but serve to strengthen your application. Point system details are available at the PTA Program website Application Information tab
Notification of application status will be mailed by June 30 of the application cycle year.

After Acceptance and Prior to Enrollment:

Official Transcripts – Admitted students must provide Official Transcripts to the Cerritos College Admissions & Records Department to verify all completed coursework and grades.
CPR for Healthcare Provider – You must present a valid CPR card for Healthcare Provider offered through the American Heart Association prior to the beginning of the program. Card must be valid throughout the duration of the program.
Health Clearance – Admitted students must present evidence of physical fitness and ability to perform tasks required of a physical therapist assistant. Physical exam, labs, x-rays, and immunization records must be cleared and verified after acceptance into the program.
Criminal Background Check – Clinical placements are a mandatory component of the curriculum and will require clearance of a criminal background check. Students who do not clear agency requirements are not eligible for clinical placement and will, consequently, be ineligible to continue in the program. If there is any concern regarding clearance of a criminal background check, please contact the Health Occupations Division for additional information.
A drug screen may be required depending on the internship site (determined during the clinical placement process).
If admitted to the program, failure to present the required documents described above by the deadline may result in reversal of acceptance or dismissal from the program.

Expenses

Enrollment fees, lab fees, physical exam/immunizations, background check, books, and supplies will cost approximately $4,650 over the four-semester program. Students are responsible for their own living accommodations, any additional on-boarding fees for clinical experiences, uniforms, and transportation to selected hospitals and clinics.

Attendance and Scholarship

All students are expected to comply with the attendance requirements of the College and of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. To remain in the program, students must maintain a “C” or higher in all courses.

Program Progression / Completion

Successful completion of all program coursework is required for graduation from the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in each required course or a grade of Pass in courses designated as Pass/No Pass. Upon successful completion of all program requirements, students are eligible to receive a Physical Therapist Assistant Associate of Science degree.

Licensure

Successful completion of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program and Associate of Science Degree qualifies the graduate to take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for Physical Therapist Assistants and the California Jurisprudence for Exam for Physical Therapist Assistant licensure. The Physical Therapy Board of California requires all licensure applicants to provide a valid U.S. Social Security number. Additional information regarding licensure requirements, fees, etc. can be found on the PT Board of CA website.

ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The following prerequisite courses must be completed before applying to the PTA Program:

*Note: A combined 5-unit A&P course is acceptable to meet the A&P 150 and A&P 151 prerequisite requirements

Course Number	Course Name	Units
A&P 150	Human Anatomy	4
A&P 151	Human Physiology	4
ENGL C1000 or ENG C1001	Academic Reading and Writing Critical Thinking and Writing	4
MATH	See Admission Requirements (Prerequisite) Above	3
MA 161	Medical Terminology	3

The following courses must be completed to earn the PTA A.S. degree:
*Note: These courses can be completed before applying to the PTA Program or concurrently while taking courses within the PTA Program

Course Number	Course Name	Units
PSYC C1000	Introduction to Psychology	3
COMM C1000 or COMM C1004	Introduction to Public Speaking Interpersonal Communication	3
	Arts & Humanities	3
	Ethnic Studies	3

The following are required courses to be taken once accepted to the PTA Program to complete the A.S. Degree:

FIRST YEAR

Fall Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Units
PTA 110	Introduction to Physical Therapy	4
PTA 120	Kinesiology	4

Spring Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Units
PTA 125	Pathology	3
PTA 126	Clinical Practicum I	4
PTA 128	Physical Therapy Aspects of Growth and Development	3
PTA 130	Soft Tissue Interventions	1
PTA 235	Neurology	3

SECOND YEAR

Fall Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Units
PTA 230	Therapeutic Exercise	4
PTA 233	Prosthetics and Orthotics for Applied Health Professionals	2
PTA 236	Clinical Practicum II	4
PTA 129	Physical Therapy Aspects of Aging & Integumentary Management	1.5

Spring Semester

Course Number	Course Name	Units
PTA 240	Activities of Daily Living	2
PTA 245	Advanced Modalities	3
PTA 246	Clinical Affiliation	4
PTA 250	Licensing Exam Review	1.5

All career technical education (CTE) opportunities will be offered regardless of race, color, national origin, religious creed, sex, or disability.

Compliance is the responsibility of:

Director, Diversity, Compliance, Title IX Coordinator/Section 504/Title II Coordinator
Human Resources, Suite MP 100
Phone: (562) 860-2451, ext. 2280
Send an Email
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.