General Program Description
The PTA program consists of 30 credit hours of general education course work and 40 credit hours of PTA 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 kinesiology, patient care skills, clinical orthopedics, therapeutic modalities, clinical neurology and advanced therapeutic exercises. Courses include lecture and laboratory components. Upon completion of the didactic and clinical components of the program, students must take a state licensure exam. Students are expected to follow the guidelines established by the state’s Department of Professional Regulation to obtain licensure as a physical therapist assistant.
Clinical Experiences
Three part-time mentorship experiences and two full-time clinical experiences of 5 weeks duration each are integrated with the theoretical course work. Students are required to complete a variety of clinical experiences in diverse sites including hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, private practices, and skilled nursing facilities.
Faculty
There are two full-time and one part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty 50% hold post-professional doctoral degrees. The faculty to student ratio is 1:19.
Enrollment
The college has a total enrollment of 525 students. The physical therapist assistant program can admit a maximum of 34 students. From 2010-2013 an average of 30 students were accepted into the program.
Admission
Information packets are available upon request. To qualify for admission, individuals must hold a high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma (GED) with a minimum score of 225, or be eligible for a twenty-four credit hour program; complete the VMC Application for Admission; have an official high school transcript or a copy of the GED transcript sent to the Admissions Office; participate in the VMC Assessment and Advisement Program (Placement Assessment); the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) is encouraged but not required. Courses completed at other institutions with a grade of C or above are accepted for credit if applicable to the chosen program of study. To maintain educational standards required by external accreditation and regulatory agencies and organizations, students must complete specific program requirements defined by the current program planner. When students “stop-out” or allow a leave of absence to expire, they interrupt the sequential structure of the program. If the program planner has been significantly altered due to mandated curriculum changes, re-entry students must use the current program planner. Significant changes are defined as those required by external accreditation and regulatory agencies and organizations. Re-entry students must meet with the PTA Program Coordinator prior to admission to the PTA program for advisement.
Outcomes
The graduation rate for the past three years (2008-2010) is 77%. The Ultimate Passing rate for the time period 2008-2010 is 95%. One hundred percent 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 are $8,820 per semester and $588 per credit hour, part-time. The registration fee is $250 per semester for full-time students and $95 per semester for part-time students. There is a one-time freshman orientation fee of $50. The student activity fee is $75 per semester for full-time students and $15 per credit hour for part-time students. Financial assistance is available to students who without such aid would be unable to attend college. A comprehensive program of employment, grants, and scholarships is available through federal, state and institutional funds. This information is available upon request from the Office of Financial Aid.
Student life
Student life at VMC is an integral part of the total educational experience. Many student interest groups and campus-wide events are available to students as curricular educational experiences. The groups are divided into areas of academic/social, cultural and wellness. The academic/social clubs are the Business Club, Health Care Professionals, Phi Theta Kappa, PTA Club, Villa Ambassadors. The cultural clubs are the Multicultural Club, The Viking, and WVMC, an on-campus radio station. The wellness organizations are aerobics, basketball, bowling, skiing, volleyball, water aerobics, yoga and theatre trips. Other wellness clubs include Helping Adults New Dreams Succeed, Students Actively Striving for Success, Students against Destructive Decision making, and Values in Action.