General Program Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program consists of 23 credit hours of general education and 44 credit hours of physical therapist assistant courses. The general educational component of the degree is integrated with the PTA sequence. The PTA sequence consists of ten, 8 week terms, and begins in the Fall semester with English Composition, Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab, and Introduction to Physical Therapy followed by Introduction to Clinical Education, PTA Procedures I/Lab and Oral Communications. The third term includes Anatomy & Physiology II/Lab, Modalities/Lab followed by PTA Procedures II/Lab and Kinesiology/Lab. The summer clinical experience precedes the fall courses of Therapeutic Exercise/Lab, and Pathophysiological Conditions followed by Applied Neurology/Lab and Growth and Development. The program culminates in PTA Seminar I and II along with two final clinical experiences. Upon successful completion of the didactic and clinical components of the program, students are eligible to apply for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in the state in which they plan to be employed.

Clinical Experiences
Three clinical experiences are integrated into the PTA program. All three affiliations are full-time (40 hours per week) for a period of six weeks, for a total of 240 hours for each clinical experience. The first is during the summer between the first and second year of the program. The second and third clinical experiences follow sequentially during the last two terms of the program. Students complete clinical experiences in a variety of clinical settings in order to acquire a better understanding of the profession and the diverse nature of the PT and PTA’s professional areas of expertise.

Faculty
There are two full-time faculty members.

Enrollment
The college has a total enrollment of approximately 2,300 students. The PTA program plans to enroll 40 students annually in the fall.

Admission
An informative brochure is available upon request. Applicants are screened through the Admissions Department. High school transcripts and/or college credits must reflect a minimum of “C” level work in all courses to qualify for transfer credits. In addition, core PTA classes will transfer only if from a CAPTE accredited PT or PTA school and on a case by case basis. Qualified applicants who have completed their files are further assessed by the Program Director and/or PTA faculty members. A Screening Evaluation Form records the results of the departmental assessment and students are admitted on a competitive basis.

Outcomes
Per Annual Accreditation Report to CAPTE: The graduation rate data is as follows: 2008, 53.8%; 2009, 52.8%, 2010, 66.7% for a 3 year average of 57.8%, and most recently a two year graduation rate for 2011 of 76%. Licensure exam pass rate data reflected as the ultimate pass rate for the graduating cohorts 2008, 2009, 2010 is 94%. The percentage of graduates who were employed in physical therapy within six months of passing the licensure exam is as follows for the graduating cohorts of: 2008, 100%; 2009, 95%; 2010, 94% for a three year average of 94.7%.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The total cost (tuition and other program related expenses) of the PTA program for students who graduated in 2011 was estimated at $41,974.00. More specific financial information is available in the 2011 course catalog. Financial aid is available to students who otherwise could not attend college. A comprehensive program of employment, grants, loans, and scholarships are available through federal, state and institutional funds. Information on financial assistance is available through the Financial Aid Office.

Student life
The Physical Therapist Assistant program resides in the West Wing of the college. Faculty offices, professional labs, the fitness center, the library, the Academic Skills Center, and the Medical Assistant program, are also housed in the West Wing. The main campus of Mount Washington College is located at 3 Sundial Avenue in Manchester, NH, a city of approximately 100,000. The area presents easy access to outdoor activities in rural New England, yet is an hour’s drive from the diverse offerings of Boston, Massachusetts.