General Program Description

The PTA Program follows an integrated curriculum plan that consists of 24 credit hours of general education course work and 50 credit hours of physical therapist assistant courses. The first term of the program begins each year in May. It is a 2-year curriculum consisting of 5 full semesters. Degrees are conferred in May. Broward College has an expansion program offered at Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida. The program is delivered to students at Edison State College (ESC) via distance learning technology. There is 2-way audio and video interaction with a remote site located in Fort Myers, Florida, at a classroom on the ESC campus. Students take classes together in real time as an instructor broadcasts the lecture material. Classes at both sites participate in all lecture classes together. Laboratory sessions are managed by the individual sites with a site coordinator at ESC serving as a liaison between the two sites.

Clinical Experiences
The clinical education component of the program consist of 13 credits with a total of 720 hours of supervised clinical learning experiences which are progressive in nature from novice to entry-level expectations. Clinical affiliates exists in a variety of settings including acute care hospitals, wellness and fitness centers, out-patient centers, private practices, skilled nursing homes, etc. First-year students complete a 6-week clinical practicum consisting of 20 hours per week during the second term of the program. Second-year students attend a clinical practicum 3 days a week during the fall semester, and a full-time, 40-hour per week clinical practicum during the second half of the spring semester. Clinical practicums are arranged by the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education who serves both sites.

Faculty
There are four full-time faculty members. The faculty to student ratio is 1:16.

Enrollment
The physical therapist assistant program has an average enrollment of 52 students for the first year and 37 students for the second year.

Admission
Admission to the program is limited and separate from admission to the college. Students must have a grade point average of 2.5 or better. Completion of a physical examination, a background check and drug testing are also required as part of the admissions criteria. 90% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
76% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average), 93% of the graduates passed the licensure exam (3 year average) and 98% of program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The estimated average yearly cost of tuition and other fees (books, uniforms, etc.) for the 2010-11 academic year was $8,934.72 for in-state students and $25,177.22 for out-of-state students. The Student Financial Services Offices at both sites provide financial counseling to students and publish monthly reports on available funding sources. Sponsorship opportunities, in which a local hospital pays tuition and fees in return for service after graduation, are offered.

Student life
Services include entertainment, leisure activities, special events, intramurals, dances, leadership retreats, and student government. The PTA Club is open for membership to all students enrolled in the program. No on-campus housing is available; however, there are many rental communities within walking and driving distance to the college. The Health Sciences building is located on the North Campus of BC which is adjacent to the Florida Turnpike at Exit 67. The Fort Myers site of ESC is located between College Parkway and Cypress Lake Drive in South Lee County.