Physical Therapist Assisting Technology 

Area of Study: Physical Therapist Assisting Technology 
Degree/Certificate: Associate of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assisting Technology  
Program Description

If you like to help people and enjoy working with body movement, Physical Therapist Assisting (PTA) may be a rewarding career for you. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, you’ll help people to recover from accidents, injuries, illness, stroke and other debilitating events.

Physical therapy helps to ease pain and improve function caused by injury, disease or other causes. Services include assisted movement, exercise treatment and heat/cold therapy.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program will prepare you for a professional health care career providing physical therapy treatments under the supervision of a Physical Therapist. Graduates are eligible to take an exam to qualify for licensure in any state.

Tri-C students get clinical experience with real patients at more than 75 clinical sites in northeast Ohio, including all of the major medical centers.

Job settings include:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Sports medicine clinics
  • Pediatric facilities
  • Outpatient clinics
  • Home health care
  • Corporate or industrial centers
  • Wellness centers
  • Sports medicine facilities
  • Schools systems

This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following program outcomes:
Physical Therapist Assisting Technology Degree Outcomes.pdf

Program Requirements

Suggested Semester Sequence

Summer Semester Credits

BIO 1100

Introduction to Biological Chemistry

3

BIO-2330

Anatomy and Physiology I

4

ENG 1010

College Composition I

3

MA-1020

Medical Terminology I

3

MATH-1200

Intermediate Algebra or higher (1)

4

Total

17

First Semester Credits

BIO-2340

Anatomy and Physiology II

4

PHYS-1210

College Physics I

4

PTAT-1100

Introduction to Physical Therapy Assisting

2

PTAT-1300

Functional Anatomy

4

PTAT-1310

Fundamentals of Physical Therapy

3

Total

17

Second Semester Credits

ENG-1020

College Composition II

3

PSY-1010

General Psychology (2)

3

PTAT-1400

Clinical Pathophysiology

3

PTAT-1410

Physical Therapy Procedures

5

PTAT-1420

Therapeutic Exercise

3

PTAT-2940

Field Experience I

1

Total

18

Third Semester Credits

HTEC-1610

Introduction to Pharmacology

2

PSY-2010

Child Growth and Development (2)

3

PTAT-2301

Long-term Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Procedures

4

PTAT-2310

Pediatric Physical Therapy

2

Arts & Hum/Soc & Beh Sci.

See Catalog for AAS Degree requirements (2)

2

Total

13

Fourth Semester Credits

PTAT-2330

Geriatric Physical Therapy

2

PTAT-2340

Psychosocial Issues in Physical Therapy

1

PTAT-2840

Clinical Practicum I (C)

2

PTAT-2850

Clinical Practicum II (C)

2

PTAT-2970

Practicum seminar

1

Total

8

Program Total Credits

73

Notes

(1) MATH-1800-1819/2800-2819 & 1820/2820 may not be used to meet this requirement.

(2) Minimum 8 semester credits—must include PSY-1010 & 2010.

C = Capstone course

Program Outcome