Programs
Associate of Applied Science
Physical Therapist Assistant
As a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), you work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist, providing treatment that helps patients improve mobility, relieve pain, or prevent or reduce physical disabilities.
In this program, you will:
- Learn and develop the knowledge, skills, and techniques essential to the practice of physical therapy through class work and active, participatory learning.
- Gain clinical experience.
- Prepare to work in any one of several typical settings — hospital, rehabilitation clinic, private practice, geriatric care facility, sport medicine center, school system, or industrial site.
Graduates will be eligible for licensure or certification examinations in any state, although licensure for PTAs is not currently required in Michigan.
For information about the licensure examination visit www.fsbpt.org.
Accreditation/Approval/Certification Status
The Physical Therapist Assistant Programs at Allen Park, Flint, and Muskegon are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone:703-706-3245; Web address: www.capteonline.org or via e-mail: .
Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by CAPTE is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Baker College of Auburn Hills is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. The program will submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in the professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
This program is part of the Baker College Smart Degree Option.
Career Facts
- The average annual wage for Physical Therapist Assistants is $48,590.
- Employment growth will be much faster than the average because of increasing demand for physical therapy services. From 2008 through 2018, employment is expected to grow by 35 percent.
- Physical Therapist Assistants work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, private practice, geriatric care facilities, sports medicine centers, and schools.
- Work schedules vary with the facility. About 28 percent of all physical therapist assistants and aides work part-time. Many facilities have evening and weekend hours to accommodate patient schedules.