General Program Description
The PTA program begins in August and runs for two semesters until May. There is a five-week clinical affiliation during the summer. The second term runs in the same manner. Lectures are conducted in Spanish. Degree requirements are completed by the summer of the second year and the graduation ceremony is in June. The physical therapist assistant program prepares graduates to work as physical therapist assistants in hospitals, home care services programs, rehabilitation centers and other areas. After completion of all courses and fieldwork requirements, students take the licensure examination offered by Puerto Rico Physical Therapy Examination Board. Once the examination is passed, the graduate obtains a license to practice as a physical therapist assistant.
Clinical Experiences
There are three clinical experiences. The first-year students will have an introductory clinical practice experience, which consists of eight hours per week per semester. This is a supervised clinical experience in which the students will assist to an institution providing physical therapy services. There are two full-time experiences of 40 hours per week for five weeks. Clinical Practice I is offered during the months of July through August, and Clinical Practice II is offered during the months of May through June. The clinical experiences are offered in various settings: general hospital, rehabilitation, private practice clinics, home care, etc.
Faculty
There are six full-time faculty members. There are two doctoral candidate in our full-time faculty. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:12.
Enrollment
UPRH has a total enrollment of 4,735 students. The physical therapy program has an enrollment of 79students. The expected class size is 38 students. The pool of applicants this year was 263.
Admission
Requirements for new student admissions include a high school diploma or its equivalent and a standardized exam in Spanish prepared by the College Entrance Examination Board of Puerto Rico or the SAT I and SAT II. Students must complete a unique application for the University of Puerto Rico system. The IGS will be the standard for admission and is established by the Administrative Board and published for each academic year. Applications must be submitted no later than November 15. The Program also admits students from within the system of the University of Puerto Rico such as reclassification, in-transfers, and readmission. Students from other public and private universities are admitted through transfer process. The admission criteria is a 2.50 academic average, 24 approved credits and an orientation interview. Applications must be submitted no later than February14. No admissions are considered for the spring semester. 88% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average).
Outcomes
88% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average).
Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and fees for the 2008-09 academic year estimated costs for Puerto Rico residents $49 per credit for associate’s degree courses: total annual fees are $7,064 (including summer session, and other fees). Students from the United States are to be charged as indicated on the table of tuition fees and in accordance with the state’s university of residence. International students are charged $3,596 annually for tuition fees. Non-residents students also pay a construction fee of $49, a laboratory fee of $33, technology fee of $25, an ID card for $6 and $716 for basic medical insurance for the first semester and $2048 for the second. Seventy-three percent of all full-time students receive financial aid. Seventy-three percent of enrolled students receive Pell grants; 72% receive institutional funds. For specific information, contact the Office of Financial Aid, UPRH, CUH Postal Station, Humacao, PR 00791, (787) 850-9342.
Student life
Other accredited programs at UPRH include Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work. Intercollegiate athletics include: baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, track, and wrestling. UPRH was established in 1962. It is one of 11 university campus within the University of Puerto Rico system. It is a 62-acre campus located at the east end of the island, 30 miles from San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.