Find Accredited PTA Programs
Welcome to PTASchools.com, the top resource for finding schools with physical therapy assistant programs. We have researched the web to bring you the best assessment, information, and selection of schools as possible to help you make your decision. On our website, you will find detailed information on accredited PTA schools and programs, schools listed by state, salary and career information to help you decide if this is the right career for you, and search and comparison tools to help you find the right program for you.
In the US, there are over 200 accredited programs offering PT assistant degrees that we have in our database. In addition to the accredited PTA programs, we also have related programs, including occupational therapy assisting and physical therapy degrees, among others. In all, we have over 300 schools in our database with over 330 PTA/PT/OCC/related programs.
To quickly get matched to a healthcare program, check out some featured programs. To learn more about PTA programs, read on.
Before you find a school and program, it is important to understand the past trend of the job you are looking at to predict future outlook. We gathered data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the past 5 years to understand the growth patterns.
The PTA program in general tends to be popular mainly due to healthcare demand, as well as demand for physical therapy assistants (as with healthcare in general), has been increasing over the past decade. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Outlook Handbook is projecting physical therapy assisting to be one of the top growing careers.
The accredited programs lead to an associates degree and typically take 2 years to complete. The curriculum includes a wide range of fundamental and specialization subjects. There are more general-education courses, such as English, mathematics, anatomy and physiology, and psychology. However, (and more importantly), hands-on clinical training is part of every accredited program to help students get real-life experience in an actual clinical setting.
Holders of PTA degrees require a license to practice in most states. There are two requirements for obtaining a license. You must have completed successfully an accredited program and you must have passed a specifically designed examination. Most states require passing of the National Physical Therapy Exam for licensure.
There are a wide range of PT assistant schools, and you should pick a program that will give you all the knowledge and skills which you need to do well on the job. At the same time, you have to be happy with the school, the class schedule and the place where you will live and study. After hours of research, we have the following recommendations:
You need a high school diploma in order to get accepted into one of the accredited physical therapy assistant schools. Some of the programs are more difficult to get into as the competition is greater so it is a good idea to apply to a number of schools. In order to be competitive, you need to have taken math and science subjects in high school. Grades count as well.
There are some practical aspects to consider such as location and tuition fees. The schools offering PTA programs are many and different. You can select between state and private educational institutions. You can choose to study in a large city or in a small town. There are also part-time and distance-learning programs that allow you to study while working or looking after your children.
You should evaluate each program which you are considering on its own merits. One of the main factors indicating the quality of education at the respective school is the performance of graduates on the national exam. You may want to inquire about the graduate employment and the salaries graduates earn. Find out more about the training and experience of faculty and take into account the student to faculty ratio. The schools facilities are also important. Consider going for a program that offers more clinical training.
There are multiple opportunities to advance from your PTA position, but most involve also furthering your education. The most common progression is for physical therapy assistants to enroll into a physical therapy program and study while also working full-time as PTA. There are other opportunities for those not interesting in a PTA position: there tend to be administrative and managerial positions and positions in education for PTAs.
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