General Program Description

The program is composed of 2 years including one summer and is semester-based. There are 4 full-time faculty, 1 clinical instructor and 4 part-time faculty who are physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Unique qualities of the program include: field trips to a variety of locations, faculty directed practice labs, faculty directed primary clinical experience, close faculty monitoring of primary and secondary clinical experiences, proficiency check lists for skills acquisition, and required APTA meeting attendance. Students attend class from 18 to 40 hours per week depending upon the semester.

Clinical Experiences
In the first spring semester, approximately six students spend 3 hours per week in the clinic with a Nassau Community College faculty member. In the second fall semester, the student affiliates 1 day per week in the clinic. In the second spring semester, beginning in March, the student is scheduled for two full-time, 6-week clinical experiences. The program affiliates with more than 80 clinical education sites in Nassau and Suffolk Counties of New York State, New York City, upstate New York, and New Jersey. These affiliates include outpatient facilities, geriatric facilities, general hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and pediatric sites.

Faculty
There are 4 full-time, 1 clinical instructor and 4 part-time faculty members. The faculty to student ratio is 1:32 in lectures. 1:12 in labs. 1:6 in primary clinics. In addition each student is visited and observed treating patients at least twice during each clinical rotation.

Enrollment
There is a total enrollment of 22,000 students of diverse cultures, genders, and ages. The physical therapist assistant program is composed of approximately 64 students, 32 students in each class.

Admission
All applicants must have 10 hours of observation in a physical therapy department documented by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant; and complete an interview (the top applicants [overall grades, science and math grades, and observation considered] will be invited to an interview. The class will be selected from those interviewed). Students applying directly from high school must be in the top 50% of the graduating class and have completed biology and chemistry with a 75 average or better (Regents courses recommended), and two years of mathematics with a 75 average or better (Regents courses recommended). Students who are currently or have previously attended Nassau Community College (NCC) may apply through the Department of Allied Health Sciences and must have completed AHS 131 (anatomy and physiology) and have enrolled in AHS 132. Grades of C+ or better are necessary to apply. Science majors’ courses of biology, chemistry, or physics may be substituted as an entrance requirement. An index of 2.5 or better in courses required in the PTA program is necessary. Transfer students from another college must meet all the requirements of new high school graduate applicants or all of the requirements for students who are currently or have previously been enrolled in Nassau Community College. Applications for admission the following academic year are accepted until the last Friday in February). English and humanities electives should be completed in the summer session prior to September admission. 90% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
100% have passed the licensing examination (3 year average)

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and fees are approximately $2,245 per semester. Summer session tuition and fees are approximately $455 per session. Books are approximately $700 for the 2-year program. Uniforms and transportation to clinical experiences vary in cost. Transportation is the student’s responsibility. Financial aid including loans and scholarships are available for those who qualify. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office. There are also three scholarships available to second year students.

Student life
Nassau Community College is a commuter school. There are a variety of clubs that meet on campus in which students may participate including the Physical Therapist Assistant Club. There are also a variety of intramural sports and activities. Nassau Community College has a 225-acre campus that is located in central Nassau County. It is easily reached by bus or by car from Meadowbrook Parkway or from entrances on Stewart Avenue and the Hempstead Turnpike.