On-Campus
OnlinePhysical therapy is a vital fact of life for millions of Americans these days. Without the care and assistance of physical therapists, many people would be unable to live like they used to before an accident or injury. Even physical therapists need help sometimes, and this is where physical therapy assistants come in. This is a limited enrollment program.
Enrollment in the Physical Therapy Assistant program is limited, and admission is highly competitive. High-performing incoming freshmen may qualify for guaranteed enrollment and a $6,000-per-year scholarship through our direct admission program.
The physical therapist assistant (PTA) is a technical healthcare worker who performs patient care under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Typical settings include hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, private practices, geriatric care facilities, sport medicine centers, school systems and industrial sites.
The Baker College Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapy Assistant degree program is a two-year, CAPTE-accredited program consisting of 78 credit hours (28 hours of prerequisites and 50 hours of major requirements). Our curriculum includes functional mobility, clinical experiences and a PTA seminar.
Baker made me a smarter clinician. The instructors had experience that other professors might not have from other colleges.
Physical therapy assistants (PTAs) work as part of a team to provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. PTAs implement selected components of patient/client interventions (treatment), obtain data related to the interventions provided and make modifications in selected interventions, either to progress the patient/client as directed by the physical therapist or to ensure patient/client safety and comfort.
PTAs assist physical therapists in the treatment of individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.
Physical therapists are responsible for the services provided by the PTA. Physical therapists (PTs) are healthcare professionals who examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function and prevent disability. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.
PTAs provide care for people in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings and nursing homes. PTAs must graduate from a CAPTE-accredited PTA program and licensure or certification is required in most states in which a PTA works.
Physical therapy is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base and widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance and promotion of optimal physical function. For more than 750,000 people every day in the United States, physical therapists:
The terms "physical therapy" and "physiotherapy," and the terms "physical therapist" and "physiotherapist," are synonymous. The terms "physical therapist assistant" and "physical therapy aide or technician" are not synonymous. PTAs complete an intensive education culminating in an associate degree. Aides and technicians are on-the-job trained and not eligible to provide physical therapy by many payers, including Medicare.
Sources: Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, 2nd Edition (2003);
A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Assistant Education: Version 2007
After completion of the program, you’ll be prepared to take the National Physical Therapy Assistants Examination (NPTAE) licensure exam and start your promising career as a physical therapist assistant.
For information about the licensure examination, see www.fsbpt.org/ExamCandidates.
Our mission for the physical therapist assistant degree program is to graduate students who have obtained the knowledge and skills to become employed as licensed physical therapist assistants and become contributing members of the physical therapy profession and healthcare team in diverse settings.
If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call or email:
Allen Park Campus
Program Director: Sherry Saggers
Phone: 313-425-3759
Email: [email protected]
Auburn Hills Campus
Program Director: Dr. Susan Tomica
Phone: 248-276-6628
Email: [email protected]
Owosso Campus
Program Director: Erin Smith
Phone: 810-766-4180
Email: [email protected]
Muskegon Campus
Program Director: Scott Henderson
Phone: 231-777-5276
Email: [email protected]
For information about the licensure exam see: https://www.fsbpt.org/ExamCandidates.aspx.
The Baker College physical therapist assistant degree program at Auburn Hills, Muskegon, and Owosso is 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 email: [email protected]
.svg)
This program is offered in-person on our campuses in Auburn Hills, Muskegon, and Owosso. In Michigan our students come from Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Cadillac, Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Owosso, Traverse City, and many other locations. Beyond Michigan, our online graduates hail from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other states.
Contact us today to speak with a
Baker admissions expert.
