General Program Description
The program has a 1+1 format. Students average 30 hours in class/lab/clinic per week. The PTA Program consists of two semesters of prerequisite courses and 3 semesters of technical physical therapy courses. Prerequisite courses consist of basic general education classes and may be taken part-time, full-time or transferred to NWACC. The technical part of the program is by admission only. Technical classes begin one time per year in June with graduation in August of the following year.
Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences are integrated into the technical part of the PTA Program. In the fall semester students spend 64 hours in a clinical setting. During the spring semester students spend 120 hours in a clinical setting. There are two 5-week, full-time internships during the second summer semester. Clinical facilities are located primarily in Arkansas with some sites located out of state.
Faculty
There are three full-time and two part-time faculty members. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:8.
Enrollment
Northwest Arkansas Community College is a comprehensive, public two-year college. ~6,000 students are enrolled at the college. The Physical Therapist Assistant Program accepts 14-18 students into the technical component of the PTA Program.
Admission
Applications for admission to the technical part of the PTA Program are due the first Monday in March. Acceptance into the program is made to the top ranked 14-18 applicants after receiving the spring final grades for the pre-requisite courses based on the selection criteria. The top 14-18 applicants are offered a position into the technical phase of the PTA Program which begins in June every year. Selection criteria for the technical phase of the physical therapist assistant program is based on a point system. The point system is as follows: 22.9% of the points come from course grades in the non science general education courses: courses: ENGL Composition I, ENGL Composition II or Technical Writing, General Psychology, Intro to Computers, College Algebra or Math for AAS; 27.5% of the points come from course grades in the science related courses Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, and Medical Terminology; 38.2% of the points for selection come from the final percentile course in the PHTA course Clinical Kinesiology in Physical Therapy; 9.5% are from an observation/interview process; There are 9 hours of observation required with 3 hours from 3 different sites. In addition, students in which English is their second language must take the COMPASS ESL Listening Test and score a 4. Please see out website for more information and applications.
Outcomes
75% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 100% of the graduates passed the licensure exam (3-year average); 91 % of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed as a PTA within 6 months of graduation. (3-year average).
Tuition, fees and financial aid
Total Program tuition/fees for in-district residents is ~ $5115.00, out-of-district residents is ~ $7500.00. There are additional expenses of ~ $200 per year and a yearly malpractice fee of $25. The cost for books as ~$1,100 for the technical part of the program. Figures provided are based on fees effective spring semester 2014. Financial aid is available for qualifying students.
Student life
Information regarding facilities and activities for students is available through the Life Development Center.