Physical Therapy is a field of healthcare that utilizes the application of physical agents, therapeutic exercise and activities in the treatment and restoration of human bodily function. The Physical Therapist Assistant program prepares students to provide direct patient care, utilizing physical therapy treatments in a variety of departmental settings under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the national licensure examination. PTA students can be accepted into the College in the Fall (August), Spring (January) or Summer (May) semesters. PTA course sequencing begins only in August for the full-time course sequence (day classes) and January for the part-time course sequence (evening classes).
Application Requirements:
Admission Application Review Guidelines>>
Program Requirements:
Application Deadlines The priority deadline for the PTA full-time program is March 15. The priority deadline for the PTA part-time evening program is October 15. Apply now>>
PTA Program Outcomes
Essential Functions for the PTA Program
For students to be successful in the PTA Program, they must possess the following qualities:
Cognitive Domain: The student must demonstrate the ability to:
Psychomotor Domain The student must demonstrate:
Affective Domain The student must demonstrate:
Clinical Experiences
All PTA students will participate in clinical observations prior to the start of their affiliations. This will introduce the PTA students to the exploration of physical therapy practice and the integration of professional behaviors in a structured healthcare facility. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the facility(ies).
Students participate in three clinical affiliations which are assigned by the Clinical Coordinator of Education, as follows: PTA 150 for four weeks at the end of the junior year and PTA 250 and 251 for seven weeks, each at the end of the senior year. Grading for all clinical affiliations is on a pass/fail basis. Clinical affiliations PTA 250 and 251 must be completed within 18 months of completion of the didactic coursework.
The clinical sites include acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, sports medicine facilities, and other medical facilities. A clinical instructor from the clinical site's physical therapy staff supervises all clinical affiliations. The travel distance for the student for each clinical affiliation will be dependent on the location of each clinical site assigned. The PTA program does not guarantee any minimum or maximum travel distances. The clinical affiliations are full-time (40 hours per week) and follow the facilities' business hours. The clinical affiliations are full-time, typically during the day, including those affiliations for the students completing the coursework in the part-time/evening division. Students must successfully complete each affiliation prior to continuation in the PTA program.
PTA Program Additional Costs (these are in addition to college tuition and per-semester fees) These costs include (but may not be limited to): Annual APTA/PPTA membership, Lab Kit, all program required textbooks, PTA program student polo shirt, and all transportation costs associated with clinical and site visits. There is a cost to register for the NPTE (national PTA licensure exam), and students register in the final semester of the program. This list is subject to change at the discretion of the PTA program. These program specific items are estimated to cost $2,000 (including registration for NPTE).
For information regarding PTA licensure exam fees, visit https://www.fsbpt.org/OurServices/CandidateServices/ExamRegistrationPayment.aspx
For current information about college tuition and fees, visit harcum.edu/tuition.
For information about financial aid, visit harcum.edu/financialaid. Program Accreditation and Outcomes The PTA Program at Harcum College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Gemma Longfellow at 610-526-6059 or email glongfellow@harcum.edu. Although many of these courses may be transferred for college credit, the Physical Therapist Assistant program is not intended to prepare students to enter a masters-level or doctorate-level physical therapy program. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national board examination for the physical therapist assistant. Students can review the outcomes results for the PTA Program at www.fsbpt.org or www.apta.org.
The program has determined that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in all states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands secondary to its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, based on the following: CAPTE accreditation of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program satisfies state educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus, students graduating from CAPTE-accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at www.fsbpt.org.
Acceptance into the PTA Program
Number of Seats
Number of Applicants
Average GPA of accepted student
PTA Program Applicants Fall 2019
36
137
3.02
PTA Program Applicants Spring 2019
16
58
2.93
PTA Program Applicants Fall 2018
132
3.14
PTA Program Applicants Spring 2018
47
3.03
PTA Program Applicants Fall 2017
80
3.08
PTA Program Applicants Spring 2017
22
3.21
Application to the PTA program and meeting the minimum qualifications for application does not guarantee acceptance. Admission into the PTA program is competitive. The PTA program admission process includes careful review of an applicant’s overall academic performance history, prior academic success (especially in Math/Science courses), the strength of the applicant’s reference letter, the quality of the applicant’s essay, and an indication of volunteer or observational hours completed in a physical therapy setting. The PA State Board of Physical Therapy may refuse, suspend or revoke the Physical Therapist Assistant certification of a person who has: attempted to obtain or obtained registration by fraud or misrepresentation; been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor which relates to the person’s suitability for registration as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a Federal, state, territorial, or foreign court of competent jurisdiction; become addicted to alcohol or hallucinogenic, narcotic, or other drugs which tend to impair judgment or coordination. Conviction as used in this paragraph includes a finding, or verdict of guilt, an admission of guilt, or a plea of nolo contendere). For a complete list of reasons that the PA State Board of Physical Therapy may refuse, suspend, or revoke the Physical Therapist Assistant certification of a person, refer to the Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 40. State Board of Physical Therapy, Sub Chapter C. Physical Therapist Assistants §40.181. Refusal, suspension or revocation of certification.
Gemma Longfellow Program Director 610-526-6059 glongfellow@harcum.edu
The PTA program at Harcum College 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: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Gemma Longfellow at 610-526-6059 or email glongfellow@harcum.edu.