Physical Therapist Assistant

Graduates of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Associate’s Degree program know and can apply general education concepts and clinical technical skills in order to serve as a valuable member of a healthcare team. These individuals will demonstrate evidence-based care within the scope of practice of a PTA. Graduates will understand and value the therapeutic alliance between the patient/client and therapist, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, clinical decision-making, and diversity-awareness as these concepts relate to modern patient management.

• Physical Therapist Assistant

Graduation from a Physical Therapist Assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 22305-3085; 703-706-3245; [email protected] is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Rasmussen University – Hennepin/Anoka 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: [email protected] ; website: http://www.capteonline.org . To contact the program/institution directly, please call 763-496-6022 or email [email protected] .

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Rasmussen University - Ocala 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: [email protected] ; website: http://www.capteonline.org . To contact the program/institution directly, please call 352-291-8570 or email [email protected] .

The Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s Degree program is only offered at the Ocala campus in Florida and the Hennepin/Anoka campus in Minnesota.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s Degree contains both online and residential courses and is designed to lead to careers in Florida and Minnesota. While this program is only offered at selected campuses in those states, determinations regarding professional licensure or certification have been made for other states as displayed below. “Meets” means that the program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification, or that there is no license or certification. “Undetermined” means that Rasmussen makes no determination whether this program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure and prospective students located in these states cannot enroll in this program.

• Meets: MN, WI, ND, SD, IA, FL, GA, AL
• Undetermined: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WY, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands

1. Applicants pursuing admittance into the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program must meet one of the following requirements to be deemed eligible for Admission:
   1. Achieve a score on the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences Entrance Exam acceptable for admission per the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences Entrance Exam policy:
      1. HESI® Admission Assessment, a Cumulative Score of 75% or higher and an 80% or higher English Language Composite score. The Cumulative Score must include Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary & General Knowledge, Basic Math Skills, and Anatomy & Physiology exams, or
      2. TEAS Admission Assessment, a Total Score of 65% or higher.
   2. Conferred associate’s degree or higher in Exercise Science or Kinesiology from a United States (U.S.) accredited institution of higher learning as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher and awarded within five (5) calendar years of the date the student starts in the program.
   3. Conferred associate’s degree or higher in a health sciences-related program that includes a Human Anatomy and Physiology course series with labs that covers all body systems from an accredited United States (U.S.) institution of higher learning as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher and awarded within five (5) calendar years of the date the student starts in the program.
   4. Completion of at least 20 quarter credits of college-level coursework in the areas of Human Anatomy & Physiology, Algebra, Statistics, Physics, Medical Terminology, Kinesiology, or Exercise Science from a United States (U.S.) accredited institution of higher learning as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and completed within five (5) calendar years of the date the student starts in the program. A Psychology or Composition course may be substituted for one of the above courses. A grade of C+ or higher in each course is required.
   5. Completion of METC Physical Therapy Program that awards 63 or more credits into this program via the Military Block Transfer for Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s Degree Policy.
   The University must receive official transcripts proving completion of B, C, D or E as identified above no later than the sixth business day of the first quarter of enrollment or the student will be withdrawn.
2. Complete the following prior to being deemed eligible for consideration for admission:
   • Application and enrollment agreement
   • Background screening
   • Any additional program-specific requirements as specified at the time of enrollment

This program requires specific immunizations prior to professional practice experience, which are listed in the program handbook. A health physical may be required and completed within the six months prior to internship/practicum as specified by the clinical facility.

Current students in other programs wishing to transfer into a course of study requiring the admissions standards outlined above will be required to meet one of the acceptance requirements outlined in number one above plus any additional acceptance requirements.

Once the applicant file is complete, the University will schedule an interview between the applicant and Program Coordinator/Director.

Students accepted into their program will receive written communication from the University. The University may choose two additional applicants as alternates to join the program if another applicant is deemed ineligible or decides not to begin classes. These two alternates must complete all necessary steps for admission. Alternates will be guaranteed the opportunity for enrollment into the next cohort provided they remain eligible for admission. Students must attend programmatic orientation as well as general orientation or risk being removed from the cohort.

In addition to meeting all other admissions requirements, Florida campus applicants must successfully pass two background checks — one through Rasmussen University’s chosen third-party vendor and one meeting the Florida statutory definition of a Level 2 background check. In addition to meeting all other admissions requirements, Minnesota campus applicants must successfully pass two background checks — one through Rasmussen University’s chosen third-party vendor and one through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. An additional background check may also be required during active enrollment prior to practicum or clinical placement depending on site requirements. Any prospective student must also consider their history, lifestyle, and future actions before enrolling in this program, and carefully consider whether their actions may prevent them from attaining employment in the field they choose to pursue. Additional requirements, such as industry-specific training may be required to obtain employment in this field. Applicants for careers in this field may be subject to pre-employment screenings such as, but not limited to, criminal background checks, and drug/or alcohol testing. Employment decisions, including whether to require background checks and other tests, are made at the discretion of the employer.