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General Program Description
The PTA program is a 5 semester integrated program, providing students with the opportunity to complete general education requirements while completing professional courses. Prerequisites must be completed prior to applying into the program. Class time in the professional courses averages 24 hours per week per semester. One of the unique experiences that students participate in is the opportunity to dissect and study gross musculoskeletal anatomy on human cadavers during the first semester of the technical program.
Clinical Experiences
The students participate in 16 weeks of full-time clinical experience during their enrollment in the program as well as integrated experiences. The full-time clinical experiences immediately follow students’ preparatory course work and are completed: at the end of the fall semester of the second year (8 weeks of orthopedic rehabilitation); and at the end of the spring semester of the second year (8 weeks of neuromuscular rehabilitation).
Faculty
There are two full-time and five part-time faculty members. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:12.
Enrollment
Total enrollment in the multi-campus college that serves the southern half of Nevada is approximately 40,000. The physical therapist assistant program has enrollment space for 12 first-year students and 12 second-year students.
Admission
The college has an open door admission policy. The college accepts all potential students who wish to attend regardless of their previous educational background. However, the PTA program is a “limited entry” program with specific admission prerequisites. Each new PTA class of 12 students begins their professional education at the start of the fall semester. Degrees are conferred at the end of the spring semester of the second year. The application deadline is June 1, every year. Admission of the 12 selected students is based on several criteria. The Limited Entry Office is responsible for managing the application process. A selection committee does the selection of students. Selection criteria include: three Letters of Recommendation, the cumulative GPA of all prerequisite courses, completion of other required general education courses, and the number of hours of observation or related work or volunteer experience in a variety of physical therapy settings, completion of the Work Keys test and volunteer hours with a humanitarian service organization. Program prerequisite courses include: Introduction to the Human Body lecture and Introduction to the Human Body – Computer Lab or equivalent, College Algebra or an approved advanced math course, English Composition and Rhetoric and Introduction to Physical Therapy. The program curriculum is composed of 72 credits including 24 general education and 48 professional education credits.
Outcomes
71% of admitted students graduated from the program (3 year average 2011-2013); 89% of the graduates passed the license examination (3 year average 2011-2013); and 92% of those program graduates who passed the licensure exam were employed within 6 months (3 year average 2011-2013).
Tuition, fees and financial aid
The estimated 2014-2015 average semester cost (5 semesters) for in-state students will be approximately $2300. The Financial Aid and Veteran’s Affairs Office provide financial counseling to the students. The office publicizes scholarships monthly, which include general college, departmental, and outside agency scholarships. Work-study, tutoring, and other programs are available for qualified students.
Student life
College special events and activities include art exhibits, the Cultural Issues Forum, concerts, theater productions, clubs and organizations, and the fitness center with intramurals. The college also has a planetarium that is widely used for student and community performances. The health sciences programs are located on the West Charleston Campus which also houses a Mental Health Complex, Smoking Cessation Program, Dental Hygiene Clinic, Dental Practice, and large lecture and laboratory classroom buildings. A state-of-the-art Library building and traumatic brain injury clinic are also located on the West Charleston Campus. Snow and water-sports, hiking, and mountain climbing are all within 45 minutes of the campus.
1 Review on “College of Southern Nevada”
Director is a condescending stick in the mud. Most the students are miserable as she seems to prefer to maintain a high stress and hostile environment. She mistakes the high vitriolic atmosphere for quality. On top of that she is not very knowledgeable. For example she believes that the heart uses 75% of the bodies oxygen and does not know that that food calories are really in fact Kcals. The list of incorrect things this woman says is atrocious, the sickening part is that she’s beyond reproach. Ego-maniac who is highly unprofessional. This lady embodies the saying, “people who can do, people who can’t direct the PTA program at CSN” The books they use are from the 1990’s yes I said that. At least one of the books(Lippert) is so filled with mistakes it can’t be called reliable in the least. When you point out the very obvious mistakes, easily verifiable mistakes, she gets defensive and will harass the messenger. Biggest idiot I’ve ever met in the educational field. If you ask a question or have a problem expect to be scolded. Students are often crying, it’s an extremely negative environment. School does not have to be like that to be good. The program is cheap though.