General Program Description

The PTA program consists of 26 credit hours of general education course work and 48 credit hours of physical therapist assistant courses. Upon acceptance to the PTA program, students enroll in courses directly associated with the practice and procedures of the physical therapy profession. Courses include anatomy//kinesiology, introduction to physical therapy and patient care, disabilities and physical therapy procedures I, II and III, trends in physical therapy and clinical experiences.

Clinical Experiences
Three full-time clinical experiences are integrated with theoretical course work. Students are required to complete a variety of clinical experiences including at least on in-patient and one out-patient rotation. Rotations can occur in hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, private practices and skilled nursing facilities, school based clinics and specialty settings.

Faculty
The program employs two full time core faculty members, and adjunct faculty members as needed. The faculty to student ratio is for all courses is at least 1:12 for labs and 1:24 for lecture.

Enrollment
The college serves approximately 11,000 students annually. The PTA program accepts 24 students each Fall into the professional curriculum.

Admission
Admission information is available at the SCF website: www.scf.edu/pta. In addition to the College’s admission requirements, students applying for admission to the PTA program must have a completed application for the PTA program; a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or better in all general education courses required by the program towards the degree and a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 to meet graduation requirements; prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better at the time of application; prerequisite courses for the PTA Program include Anatomy and Physiology I, Any Area II Mathematics, General Psychology, and Written Communications I; Students must also attend a PTA information session and pay a onetime $20 application fee. If there are more qualified applicants than seats available in the program, priority is given to applicants who have completed the most general education courses required for the degree at the time of application. If there are more qualified applicants with all general education requirements met than seats available in the program , GPA (grade point average) in those general education courses required by the program will be the determining criteria. Upon notification of admission, students are required to obtain a statement of satisfactory physical and mental health from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner and submit to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement background check. CPR certification must be completed and valid for two years prior to starting the program. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the most recent application. Contact the program directly for more detailed information. 27% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
73% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 100% of the graduates passed the licensure exam (3 –year average); and 100% of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and fees for the 2013-2014 academic year is $102.48 per credit hour for in-state students and $386.52 per credit hour for out-of-state students. SCF is a community college and has no dormitory system, nor does it supervise housing in any way. Other costs include special fees, uniforms, nametags and books. Financial assistance is coordinated through the Financial Aid Office. Information about available scholarships may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office

Student life
The Physical Therapist Assistant program is housed in a modern teaching facility with state-of-the-art equipment. On-campus services including counseling and tutoring services, and disabled student services are available to students. Students have many opportunities to become active citizens of the college and the community. There are many activities available both on and off campus. The state has many activities and special attractions that contribute to an attractive lifestyle.