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Physical Therapist Assistant (A.A.S.) - The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) works under the supervision of a physical therapist in sports medicine facilities, outpatient clinics, schools, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, hospitals, home care, athletic teams and other health service agencies. Employing the knowledge of the patient’s condition, the physical therapist assistant performs hands-on treatments for people who have temporary or more permanent physical disabilities such as inability to walk, inability to move a body part or painful conditions. The PTA uses therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and pain relieving electrical and other modalities. The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Upon successful completion, the student will receive the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S) degree, and will be eligible to take the licensing exam for certification by the State of New York as a Physical Therapist Assistant. When applying for certification as a PTA, the graduate will required to show evidence of his or her current name and any previous names used, any criminal records and citizenship pr legal status in the United States. The program is affiliated with more than eighty clinical education sites in Nassau and Suffolk, the five boroughs, and upstate New York. The campus has two laboratories fully equipped with machinery and accessories found in a variety of physical therapy settings. The PTA courses are offered during the day only. Students are admitted in the fall only and must be available for full-time study in the last semester. The P.T.A. Program has been designed as a career program leading to employment at the end of two years of study. However, after completing additional credits and a bachelor’s degree, students will be eligible to apply for competitive transfer into a doctoral level physical therapy program.

Course Descriptions: Online or PDF

Physical Therapist Assistant
A.A.S. Program
Total Credits: 66-67

Summer Session Credits
(Prior to First Semester - 16 hr/wk)  
AHS 131 Anatomy and Physiology I 4
Humanities Elective 3
Total Semester Credits 7
   
Fall Semester Credits
(1st Year - 27 hr/wk)  
AHS 101 Introduction to Allied Health Science 3
AHS 151 Physical Therapist Assistant I 4
AHS 234 Kinesiology 4
ENG 101 Composition I 3
Total Semester Credits 14
   
Spring Semester Credits
(1st Year - 26 hr/wk)  
AHS 132 Anatomy and Physiology II 4
AHS 152 Physical Therapist Assistant II 7
PSY 203 General Psychology I 3
PED Activity Course (s) 1
Total Semester Credits 15
   
Summer Session Credits
(16 hr/wk)  
AHS 154 Physical Therapist Assistant IV 3
   
Fall Semester Credits
(2nd Year - 31-32 hr/wk)  
AHS 153 Physical Therapist Assistant III 3
AHS 155 Physical Therapist Assistant V 4
ENG 102 Composition II 3
Mathematics (as advised) 3-4
PED Activity Course (s) 1
Total Semester Credits 14-15
   
Spring Semester Credits
(2nd Yr., 1st Half - 26 hr/wk)  
AHS 156 Physical Therapist Assistant VI 4
SPS 201 Perspectives on People with Disabilities 3
Total Semester Credits 7
   
Spring Semester Credits
(2nd Yr., 2nd Half =12 weeks - 40 hr/wk)  
AHS 157 Physical Therapist Assistant VII 3
AHS 158 Physical Therapist Assistant VIII 3
Total Semester Credits 6

NOTE:
Either PED 292 (Safety and First Aid, 3 credits) and AHS 100 (CPR and Basic Cardiac Life Support, 1 credit) or First Aid and Safety offered by the American Red Cross and CPR for Allied Health Professionals offered by the American Heart Association must be completed as part of this program.