Physical Therapist Assistant

The two-year program is designed to prepare the student with the philosophical, theoretical, and clinical knowledge to become a trained technical health care worker who can assist the physical therapist in meeting the physical therapy needs of the public. These needs include, but are not limited to, improving patient mobility, relieving pain, lessening the functional limitations that occur as a result of physical disability. The profession of physical therapy also includes health and wellness promotion, public education, and injury and disability prevention.

Graduates work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist to provide such interventions as exercises, massage, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction, or ultrasound. They also record the patient’s response to treatment and report this to the supervising physical therapist.

Employment settings include: outpatient clinics, acute care hospitals, long-term care and skilled care facilities, rehabilitation centers, home health care agencies, contracting agencies and corporations, and school systems. Patients range in age from newborn to the elderly, with age- and developmental stage-specific concerns.

For more in-depth information including job outlooks and prospects as well as average salaries, please consult the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2021 Edition at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm