General Program Description

The PTA program is primarily an evening program designed to accommodate the working student. Two full time and two part-time faculty teach in their specialized area of practice. The program is four semesters in length, beginning in August and graduating in May of the second year. Students are in class approximately 12 hours per week in addition to clinical experiences.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences begin in the second semester with a 6-week, full-time assignment. The third and fourth semesters each have a 6-week, full-time clinical experience. The clinical experience sites vary and represent all aspects of physical therapy.

Faculty
There are two full-time and two part-time faculty members. All are engaged in clinical practice. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:32 in lecture and 1:16 for lab courses.

Enrollment
The college has an approximate enrollment of 23,000 students equally divided between men and women. The physical therapist assistant program receives approximately 350 applications and selects 32 students. Transfer students are accepted, and no preference is given to in-state residents.

Admission
Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and a C average or above in each required class. The following prerequisite course work is also required: passing prescribed tests in English, reading, math or completing remedial classes; and passing grade in five or more units of anatomy and physiology. Selection is made on a point system with bonus points assigned for work experience, additional related classwork beyond required pre-requisites, and grades earned in additional coursework. Applications are accepted through April 15 for admission to the program for August start date. Because of the recent trend of progressively larger application pools, the percentage of qualified applicants admitted to the program has declined steadily from approximately 30% to approximately 10% over the last 3 years.

Outcomes
90% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). The licensure examination pass rate has varied between 89% and 100% for graduation years 2011-2013, and the hire rate has been 100% of graduates who responded to surveys, in the same reporting period, 2011-2013.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Resident tuition for the 2013-2014 academic year is $46 per unit. Non-resident tuition is $266 per unit. The average cost for books is $1000 for the four-semester program. For information on grants, loans, and scholarships, contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Student life
Dormitories are not available on campus. Off-campus rentals are adequate, and the average rent is approximately $800 per month. Cerritos College is located on a large multi-cultural campus close to recreational areas and located near several freeways.