General Program Description

The PTA program consists of 33 semester hours of academic courses and an additional 44 hours of physical therapy course work for a total of 77 semester hours in the program.

Clinical Experiences
Seventeen weeks of clinical education are provided in four clinical facilities chosen from approximately 70 different clinical sites located within a several-hour radius from the college campus. These four experiences are divided into two 6-week clinical experiences, one 3-week clinical experience, and one 2-week clinical experience. The variety of clinical experience settings includes hospital inpatient and outpatient departments, rehabilitation centers, private practices, long term care and sports rehabilitation facilities.

Faculty
The two full-time (11 month) PTA Program faculty members include a Program Director/Instructor – Tom Hester, PT, DPT – and an Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education/Instructor – Cheryl Ware, PT, DPT. The program also benefits from approximately 30 adjunct faculty members (guest lecturers) who speak from one to nine hours each on such topics as aquatic therapy, wound care, neuro-exercise approaches to rehabilitation, back care, arthritis, hippotherapy, adaptive equipment, soft tissue mobilization, orthotics and prosthetics, pediatric physical therapy, medicare documentation, interdisciplinary care, chest physiotherapy, lymphedema treatment, cardiology, OB/GYN related treatment, psychiatric disorders, endocrine disorders, diagnostic imaging, and treatment of oncology patients.

Enrollment
The physical therapist assistant program admits 14 students each Fall semester.

Admission
Admission to the PTA program is limited to students chosen by the Admissions Committee. One class per year is chosen. Minimum requirements for consideration are as follows: students must have taken the ACT, and must attain a grade point average of 2.5 or better on 14 semester hours of prerequisite course work (four courses) with a grade of at least a C for each course. Prerequisites include 1 semester of each: college algebra and english composition; and 2 semesters in anatomy and physiology. Students must submit transcripts of all previous college course work and a written plan for completion of any remaining prerequisite course(s), at least two reference forms, and a record of at least 8 hours of observation or work experience in physical therapy. An on-line application supplemented by submission of additional forms and information as described in the previous sentence, and also including written statements of career goals and general biographical information must be submitted. A personal interview with the Admissions Committee is also required. Each student must undergo a physical examination by a physician if accepted into the program. Applications must be submitted by April 1 of each year.

Outcomes
The three year average for placement of graduates (within 6 months after graduation) for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 graduating classes was 100%. The three-year average graduation rate for the classes graduating in 2010, 2011, and 2012 was 97%. The three-year average board examination pass rate for graduates in 2008, 2009 and 2010 was 97%.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The average cost for tuition and fees for the 2013-14 academic year is $3,200 for in-state students and $5,400 for out-of-state students. Financial aid is provided to students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend college. A majority of students at ICC receive some form of financial aid through grants, college work-study, loans, or scholarships.

Student life
Itawamba Community College consists of two campuses in Tupelo and Fulton, Mississippi. The PTA program is housed on the Tupelo campus. Tupelo is a cultural, shopping, and entertainment center for North Mississippi. Dormitory housing is available on the Fulton campus. A shuttle service between the two campuses is provided at no cost to students. Social, cultural, academic and professional organizations and activities are available on the two campuses. The college participates in seven collegiate sports programs supported by beautiful sports facilities. There are numerous opportunities for fishing, boating, and camping in the immediate area.