General Program Description

Clinical Experiences
Most students complete their initial part-time internship of 80 hours in the second year of the program. Assignments are made by the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. All students complete two 8-week, (280 hours each) full-time clinical experiences following completion of all classroom courses. Therefore, working students may be required to take a leave of absence or quit their jobs in order to complete the program.

Faculty
There are three full-time faculty members and three adjunct faculty members. In addition, the PTA Program has a full-time college laboratory technician who is a New York State Certified PTA. All three full time faculty members have completed their DPT degrees and are engaged in clinical practice (cardio-pulmonary, home care and ergonomics). The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:20 and in the laboratory 2:20.

Enrollment
The college has a multi-cultural student body of approximately 17,000 students consisting of people of all ages from around the world. The physical therapist assistant program has an enrollment of approximately 250 students, with about 200 in the pre-clinical phase of the program taking basic skills or prerequisite courses, and 50 in the clinical phase taking physical therapist assistant courses.

Admission
The college operates on an open admissions basis with a rolling admissions policy. Notification is made upon admittance, and students begin the pre-clinical phase of the program in September and March of each year. Students must file for PTA candidacy in order to progress to the clinical phase of the program, where the PTA courses and clinical experiences are offered. The selection process is competitive. Acceptance into the clinical phase is based on the submission of the TEAS-V exam score at “proficient” or higher level and students’ grades in specific courses, including the required prerequisite courses in English composition, psychology, anatomy and physiology, and community health. A minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses is required in order to file for candidacy, but since the number of students permitted to progress each semester is limited to a maximum of 20, this GPA does not guarantee that a student will be selected for progression. Students may file for candidacy only twice, and if unsuccessful on their second attempt, they must change to another major in the college or transfer to another school. The college operates on an enhanced semester system, each semester consisting of a 12-week session followed by a 6-week session. Pre- Clinical courses are offered in day and evening sessions and Clinical courses are offered in the day session only. All students follow an individualized plan of study and students are encouraged to attend full time to complete the program in the required two years and three months. Clinical experiences must be completed during the day and are accompanied by an evening seminar class. Students may graduate at one of two times during the year, at the end of the 12-week sessions in June or December, but formal commencement ceremonies are held only once each year in June. A revised curriculum has been implemented with a total of 68 credits required to complete the program. Due to an increased number of qualified applicants, about 50-60% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
Approximately 64% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); approximately 100% of graduates surveyed were employed in the first six months following graduation (3- year average); and approximately 90% of the graduates passed the licensure exam (3- year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
As of Spring 2012, New York City and New York State residents paid approximately $195 per tuition unit if attending part-time or $2,250 per semester if attending full-time (12 or more tuition units). All figures are subject to increase. Over sixty three percent of the students receive financial aid. A work-study program is available, along with federal and state funding.

Student life
LaGuardia is a commuter college, primarily for residents of New York City, therefore student housing is not available on campus. The PTA Club is available to students, along with other campus clubs. LaGuardia is part of the City University of New York and is located in the borough of Queens. The campus consists of four buildings spread out over five city blocks. The PTA program is located in the E building, opened in 1991. Most students travel to school by New York City subway or bus lines. Parking is available at reasonable rates.