Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) are skilled healthcare providers who work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Duties of the PTA include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs, teaching clients exercises and activities of daily living, performing treatments, and reporting client responses to the physical therapist. In addition to direct patient care, the physical therapist assistant also performs functions such as patient transport, preparation for treatment, and maintenance of equipment.
Physical therapist assistants work in a variety of settings including acute and rehabilitation hospitals, private physical therapy offices, community health centers, outpatient and sports facilities, corporate or industrial health centers, research institutions, extended care facilities, home health agencies, pediatric centers, schools, colleges, and universities.
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota 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: www.capteonline.org
PTA Applications for Fall 2024
will be accepted from March 1, 2024
through June 1, 2024.
A PTA Open House will be in April, 2024 with date TBD.
Please contact the program/institution directly at (941) 752-5346 or email Barberj@scf.edu if you have any questions regarding the Program or applying to the Program.
Program Director: Bruce Wassung, PTA, MSPH
**Special Announcement General Education Requirement Change**
Effective with the Physical Therapist Assistant Class Starting in September 2023
On March 30, 2022, the State Board of Education approved revisions to Rule 6A-10.02413, Florida Administrative Code, Civic Literacy Competency. The amendment adds the civic literacy competency requirement as a condition of graduation for Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science (A.S./A.A.S.) degree programs.
With the rule amendment, all degree-seeking students will have to meet the civic literacy competency requirement, consistent with the new general education core requirements from House Bill 1507, which passed during the 2021 legislative session. Once effective, students entering A.S./A.A.S. degree programs in 2022-23 and thereafter will be required to demonstrate postsecondary civic literacy competency prior to graduation.
Based on this legislation, effective with the Physical Therapist Assistant Class starting in May, 2023, students will be required to take either POS 1041 “American Government” or AMH 1020 “U.S. History 1877 to Present” in order to fulfill the new civic literacy competency requirement.
These courses replace the previously required general education courses, ENC1102 "Written Communication II" or SPC 1608 "Fundamentals of Speech" which no longer meet requirements for the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Therefore, prospective students who have previously completed either of these courses as part of the general education requirements, will now need to successfully pass either POS 1041 or AMH 1020 to meet the new State civic literacy competency and the revised OTA Program requirements.
Information for Prospective Students & PTA Applicants
To learn about the program please review the information on this website and watch our "virtual information session" posted below. If you still have questions please contact, Judy Barber, the Academic Department Secretary.
Academic Department Secretary
Judy Barber
BarberJ@SCF.edu
941-752-5346
About the Degree Offered:
About the PTA Program
- PTA Program Frequently Asked Questions
- PTA Curriculum Plan
- Click here for information about the Physical Therapy profession
- Click here to view the Admissions Requirements for the PTA Program
- Click here to view the Estimated Tuition Cost 2023-2024
PTA "Virtual Information Session"
A link to a "virtual information session" is provided below. Although not required, prospective students are encouraged to view the virtual session to learn more about the program. The virtual session will provide information about the profession, the student experience while in the program, information on how to apply to the program, and answer frequently asked questions.
How to Apply to the PTA Program
The next application period will from 3/1/2023 - 6/1/2023 for the graduating class of 2025. Students will not be able to access, view, or complete the program application until the application period opens on March 1st, 2023. Students who are accepted will begin in the Fall of 2023 and will graduate Spring of 2025.
It is the responsibility of the Applicant to follow the application instructions for the year to which they are applying.
Failure to follow all of the instructions will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for acceptance. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all application directions are followed.
The program does not utilize a wait-list. Students must apply every year. The PTA
program is a limited enrollment program. Completion of all or part of the application
requirements does not guarantee acceptance.
Instructions to apply to the PTA Program
Information for Current PTA Students
State College of Florida PTA Program Student Handbook
Information for Clinical Education Sites, CCCEs and CIs
Below is the link to the PTA Clinical Educator’s Handbook. Information regarding the clinical education program, course objectives, grading criteria, and CI expectations can be found in this handbook.
Program Enrollment, Graduation, and Outcome Data
| Class of 2022 | Class of 2021 | Class of 2020 | Class of 2019 | |
| Total Applicants | 67 | 91 | 100 | 131 |
| Class Start Size | 22 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
| Total Graduates | 17 | 22 | 15 | 15 |
| Graduation Rate* | 77.3% | 88% | 75% | 93.8% |
| NPTAE Pass Rate | 95.5% | 90.9% | 100% | 100% |
| Employment Rate*** | TBD | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Two-Year Graduation Rate* (2021-2022): 83%
Two-Year Ultimate NPTAE Pass Rate** (2020-2021): 94.6%
Two-Year Employment Rate*** (2020-2021): 100%
*Graduation Rate is calculated utilizing CAPTE Annual Accreditation Report data and
formula
**Pass rate data as reported on FSBPT Basic Pass Rate Report available at www.fsbpt.org
***Employment Rate is calculated by data obtained via Graduate Surveys and represents
% of graduates who indicated they sought employment and were employed as PTAs within
6 months of becoming licensed as a PTA.
Information current as of December 2022
Notification on Professional Licensure (USDOE Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v) and National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity (NC- SARA) : Current and prospective students for certain programs at State College of Florida (SCF) that lead to professional licensure and/or credential are hereby notified that SCF programs fulfill education requirements for specific professional licensure and/or certification required for employment in the intended occupation of the academic program, in the state of Florida. SCF has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional requirements. Since the professional licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state and are subject to change, current and prospective students are strongly advised to determine whether courses and programs will meet the professional licensure requirements in states where they are located by contacting the appropriate licensing authority.
