General Program Description

The physical therapist assistant program includes related and professional courses sequenced throughout the 5 semester curriculum. The faculty consists of two full-time and one part-time faculty members with over 55 years of combined physical therapy clinical experience. One member is NDT certifiied. The program has a consortium arrangement with three other community colleges in southeastern North Carolina.

Clinical Experiences
A total of 624 hours in clinical rotations are scheduled throughout the 2 years. Two 6-week, full-time clinical experiences are included in the last semester of the program. Students rotate through general hospital, outpatient, rehab, and other settings. Most settings are located within a 90-minute drive of Fayetteville.

Faculty
There are two full-time and one part-time faculty members. Both of the full-time members have their Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and the part-time faculty member is a Physical Therapist Assistant. Two members are engaged in clinical practice. The full-time faculty to student ratio is 1:18. Most laboratory sessions have a ratio of faculty to student ratio of 1:9.

Enrollment
Total curriculum enrollment for Fayetteville Technical Community College is approximately 17,625. Total continuing education enrollment for Fayetteville Technical Community College is approximately 26,064. The physical therapist assistant program accepts 18 students each fall.

Admission
The deadline for completed applications is January 30. Applicants must be graduates of an accredited secondary school or have a GED. Prerequisites include biology (1 year of high school), chemistry (1 year of high school), math (through algebra II), minimum 2.5 grade point average (GPA) in related courses. Prerequisite courses may be taken in high school or college. A competetive process is used to select the 18 students for the program each year using quality points accumulated from related courses completed prior to admission. The ACCUPLACER Computerized Placement Tests may be required. An information session and completed medical exam are also required. Individuals who meet the requirements for admissions also obtain at least 40 hours of observation in physical therapy settings. 28.75% of qualified applicants were admitted to the program (2-year average).

Outcomes
76% of admitted students graduate from the program (2012-2014). 89% passed the licensure exam on first attempt (2011-2013), 96% are employed within 6 months of graduation and licensure (2011-2013).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The average cost for fees, tuition, and books for1st year students the 2014-2015 academic year is approximately $6,382.00 for in-state students and $15,214 for out-of-state students. The average cost for fees, tuition, and books for 2nd year students in the 2014-2015 academic year is approximately $3,808.00 for in-state students and $9,568.00 for out-of-state students. The college operates with the assumption that no student should be denied a college education due to lack of financial resources. The college administers Title IV financial aid programs and numerous college scholarships. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information. http://www.faytechcc.edu/StuServ/finaid/

Student life
Fayetteville Technical Community College is the fourth largest college in the North Carolina Community College System servicing over 17,000 curriculum and 26,000 continuing eucation students a year with over 116 majors or concentrations. It is located on a 150-acre campus that includes the Fayetteville Rose Garden. The college includes state-of-the-art technology and innovative teaching and learning opportunities including internet courses, distance learning classes, and NC Information Highway classes. The PTA program is one of 14 health programs on campus that are housed in a beautiful health technology center. Intramural sports and a campus fitness center are available to the students, as are the PTA Club, Student Government Association (SGA), Phi Theta Kappa, and the Ambassador Program.