Physical Therapist Assistant

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Want to help people enjoy a better quality of life? Enroll in our physical therapist assistant program.

$35.34

Median Hourly Earnings

Physical Therapist Assistant
248 Annual Job Openings projected through 2028

All wage and employment data is specific to the and
taken from Lightcast July 2024. Your starting salary may vary.

Degree Program

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Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist (PT). PTAs help people of all ages to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives, in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, school systems and sports facilities. A technical education and core principles, including self-responsibility and professionalism, allow our graduates to work in physical therapy practice, administration or education.

The curriculum is built upon the minimum required skills of physical therapist assistant graduates at entry-level, the normative model of physical therapist assistant education and documents on professionalism and ethical behavior of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), as well as the CAPTE requirements for physical therapist assistant program accreditation. The program integrates general education courses, technical courses and clinical education experiences. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam for PTAs, which is a requirement for state licensure.

Due to the limited number of spaces available in this program, selection is on a competitive basis. In order to be considered for admission into the program that begins in the fall, prospective students must complete the admission requirements by the second Friday in July.

Prospective student meetings are MANDATORY for admission into the physical therapist assistant program. Below you will find a list of dates and times for the upcoming semester. Meetings are virtual. Please email with questions about the meetings.

Prospective Student Meetings:
Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m.
Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.
Dec. 10 at 9 a.m.
Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 10 at 10:30 a.m.
March 18 at 4 p.m.
April 14 at 10:30 a.m.
May 22 at 4 p.m.
June 2 at 10:30 a.m.
July 7 at 10:30 a.m.

Bring your questions! Reserve your seat by email at wbails@worwic.edu or call 410-334-6766 and indicate which meeting you would like to attend. A link to the meeting will be provided at that time.

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Admission to the PTA program is limited and competitive. Prior to applying for admission, students must:

complete a group of prerequisite classes; and
attend a prospective student meeting, whose purpose is to provide information about the physical therapy profession, the role of the physical therapist assistant, the program curriculum and what will be expected of the student in order to be successful.
Meetings are scheduled in the late spring prior to the PTA program admission deadline.

There is an additional requirement for a total of eight hours of physical therapist or physical therapist assistant observation:

four hours in an inpatient setting; and
four hours in an outpatient setting.

Students must complete a PTA Observation Verification Form at each setting and email the documents to ngonzalez@worwic.edu. Please refer to the PTA Observation Hours: Contact Information sheet for a few observation location options. Observations can be completed at any facility that offers inpatient or outpatient physical therapy.

To assist prospective students with preparation for future application to the PTA program, admission guidelines can be found in the PTA admission information packet.

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The physical therapist assistant program at Wor-Wic Community College 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; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Dr. William Bails at 410-334-6766 or email wbails@worwic.edu.

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Physical Therapist Assistant A.A.S. Provides you with a foundation of knowledge and clinical skills required to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination, work as an entry-level physical therapist assistant under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, function as an integral part of the health care team, promote health and wellness in the community and advance the profession of physical therapy.

Program Comments

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We welcome input from the community in our effort to enhance Wor-Wic's physical therapist assistant (PTA) program. As such, any community member can comment or critique Wor-Wic's PTA program and the program's students and graduates without fear of retaliation. Those who are not Wor-Wic students, faculty or clinical educators should utilize the following procedures.

Comments/critiques received from sources outside of the college can be submitted in writing and must be signed by the author. Anonymous submissions, or written comments provided on behalf of an anonymous source, are not acknowledged. Comments/critiques must include the nature of the comment/critique, the name, organization (if applicable), contact address, phone number and signature of the person initiating the comment/critique. Comments should be submitted to:

PTA Program Department Head
Wor-Wic Community College
32000 Campus Dr.
Salisbury, MD 21804

The department head will respond to any comments/critiques from sources outside of the college within 14 days of receipt. Any appropriate action or response will be made in consultation with the dean of health professions and/or the vice president for academic affairs. Records of outside comments/critiques and responses are kept on file in the PTA department for two years.

Contact Us

Admissions 410-334-2895 admissions@worwic.edu

Dr. William J. Bails Department Head 410-334-6766 wbails@worwic.edu

Program Advisory Committee Physical Therapist Assistant

Wor-Wic Community College and/or the Health Profession Division reserves the right to revise requirements for admission into the Health Profession programs, the selection criteria and procedures, and the required courses for programs of study as deemed necessary without prior notification.