Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS

• Associate of Applied Science Degree: (PTA-AAS)

About the Program

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Associate of Applied Science Degree is designed to prepare students to become licensed physical therapist assistants who competently work under the supervision of physical therapists, in a variety of settings, by providing them with a broad background from which they may later choose to develop expertise as specialists. Students will find employment opportunities in a wide variety of settings including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation facilities, specialty centers, and home care. Students will learn valuable practical skills, including, but not limited to, skills in manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, gait training, goniometry, strength assessment, and neurological rehabilitation. In addition, students gain an appreciation for lifelong professional development and serve as resources and advocates to meet the health needs of their communities.  

This Program Offers

• Associate of Applied Science: 72 credit hours  

Program Goals:

1. To graduate highly skilled clinicians who are prepared to enter the workforce as safe, legal,  ethical, culturally competent, and effective entry-level physical therapist assistants.
2. To create an environment of academic excellence rooted in innovative, forward-thinking, and learner-centered instruction while remaining aligned with industry needs, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) standards, and  American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) best practices.
3. To connect education to practice by inspiring a desire for lifelong learning and supporting opportunities for professional development, advocacy, and community outreach/service for students, faculty, and clinical partners.

Program Outcomes

• Prioritize and manage physical therapy interventions in a safe, effective, and patient-centered manner under the supervision and within the plan of care of a physical therapist.
• Analyze patient response to interventions and appropriately progress, modify, or regress interventions while competently implementing the plan of care as directed by the physical therapist.
• Illustrate professional behaviors and attributes (e.g., professionalism, accountability, and resource management) in adherence with the practice standards established by the American Physical Therapy Association.
• Document interventions accurately, promptly, and effectively to communicate the need and rationale for physical therapy interventions using appropriate medical terminology.
• Demonstrate commitment to self-assessment and lifelong learning.
• Utilize effective interpersonal communication skills to suit all situations and commensurate with the needs of the learner.
• Demonstrate cultural competence when providing care to individuals from a variety of lifestyles, cultures, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities.
• Exceed CAPTE standards for graduation rates, license pass rates, and employment rates.  

Admission Requirements

The PTA program is a highly selective program with limited enrollment, admitting only the top 24 qualified students per cohort. While students may declare the PTA major upon admission to the college, they must compete for a seat in the technical phase of the program which includes a secondary application process.

Students must complete all prerequisite courses and all application criteria in order to compete for a seat in the technical phase. Selection is based on earning points for prerequisite requirements, GPA, and entrance exam scores. The technical track phase consists of 50 semester hours of physical therapy coursework and 624 hours of unpaid clinical experience. The application deadline is May 15 of each academic year. After the application deadline, any students not accepted to the program must reapply to the following cohort.

Students are required to do the following:

• Fulfill all WCCCD admission requirements
• Successfully complete a minimum of 12 college credits with a “C” or better and/or ACCUPLACER® scores that fulfill program requirements
• Earned a “B” or better in PTT 101, BIO 240, and BIO 250.
• Declare intent to enter the Physical Therapist Assistant program on the WCCCD Application for Admission
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must complete physical exam and other health requirements
• Complete and pass a background check and drug screen
• Complete the Health Science application and indicate the Physical Therapist Assistant program as the program choice
• Complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) with a 60% or higher
• Obtain a minimum of eight (8) clinical observation hours
• Attend a mandatory PTA program meeting
• Submit two professional letters of recommendation

Based upon Michigan Law

The Wayne County Community College District’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program has adopted the waiting periods specified in the State of Michigan Mental Health Code MCL 330.1134a.  

Wayne County Community College District’s partners may not accept students who have been convicted of certain crimes or test positive for certain drugs into a clinical learning environment. Therefore, students must undergo a Criminal Background Check at their own expense through CastleBranch.com to be considered for admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant program.

Students are required to disclose any and all federal, state (including states other than Michigan), or local crimes for which the student has been convicted to the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Dean.

Convictions occurring before admission to the PTA program must be reported to the PTA Dean prior to acceptance into the program. Convictions occurring after acceptance into the program must be reported to the PTA Dean immediately.  

A student is not eligible for admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant program for a period of years following completion of all terms and conditions of sentencing for conviction of certain crimes. The precise number of years a student must wait following sentencing depends upon the nature of the offense. Generally speaking, the more serious the offense, the longer the student must wait before eligibility is restored.  

The following convictions will result in a LIFETIME ban from the PTA program:

• Felonies related to neglect or abuse of a patient in connection with the delivery of health care
• Felonies relating to health-care fraud
• Felonies related to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, prescription, or dispensing of a controlled substance if the conviction was entered on or after August 21, 1996
• Adulteration of drugs or medicine injurious to health
• Selling, distributing, delivering, or furnishing product containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine  

Accreditation Status

Effective April 30, 2024, Wayne County Community College District has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706- 3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (313) 496-2818 or email ssagger1@wcccd.edu.

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.