General Program Description

Kent State University offers three opportunities for students to earn the Associate of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant Technology (PTST).

East Liverpool Campus:
This is an integrated two year day-time, full time educational experience. This program continues its 25 year history with accreditation as an expansion of the Ashtabula program. Applications for the selective admissions process are due annually on May 1st to begin core PTST courses in the Fall Semester.

Ashtabula Campus: This is an integrated two year, day-time, full time educational experience. Ashtabula began as an expansion of East Liverpool with initial accreditation in 1996. Applications for the selective admissions process are due annually on September 15th to begin core PTST courses in the Spring Semester.

Athletic Trainers Transitions (PTST-ATT):This is a 15 month hybrid curriculum specifically designed for students who are already board certified athletic trainers. This unique concentration was initially accredited in 2009 and was recently approved to accept up to 56 students annually. Most coursework is online with students attending six 3-day lab weekends on the Ashtabula campus. Applications are due February 1st, but will be accepted after this date if seats remain available. Students begin coursework in May with graduation the following August.

Curriculum: degree in Physical Therapist Assistant Technology requires the completion of 32 credit hours of general studies and open enrollment courses that can be completed prior to applying to the program. Once accepted to the program, students complete any remaining open enrollment courses along with 24 credit hours of core PTST courses and 5 credit hours (17 weeks) of clinical practicums.

Kent State University is an affiliate of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. There are eight campuses in northeast Ohio, with the Ashtabula campus located on the shore of Lake Erie, and the East Liverpool campus 100 miles south, overlooking the Ohio River.

Clinical Experiences

All students participate in three full-time clinical practicums that provide a variety of experiences, including both inpatient and outpatient practice settings, with patients throughout the lifespan who require services in various practice patterns, including neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and cardiopulmonary.

The program maintains contracts with over 350 clinic sites, within a 60-mile radius of the two campuses and throughout the United States. This radius includes Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Kent, Steubenville, Warren, and Youngstown in Ohio; as well as Erie, New Castle and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania; and Weirton and Wheeling in West Virginia. Clinical education sites are recruited and developed throughout the country to provide the appropriate mix of clinical experiences for students near their hometown.

Faculty

Six faculty and three administrators work full time to provide an excellent education for PTST students at KSU. This group of dedicated professionals includes five licensed PTAs and four physical therapists with a combined 61 years of experience in the PTST degree at Kent State.

The faculty guide, direct and facilitate the learning process by providing current resources, designed learning activities, and regular feedback so that all students have every possible opportunity to achieve the desired outcomes and earn a degree. The faculty are not only educators, but licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, with a duty to assure that all graduates meet or exceed the physical therapy community’s minimum expectations of a PTA. Faculty use their professional judgment to assess the student’s ability to critically think, retain and apply knowledge, perform technical skills, and demonstrate the behaviors necessary to progress in the PTA Program.

Enrollment
Kent State University has more than 22,000 undergraduate students, with approximately 2400 of those on the Ashtabula campus, and 1000 on the East Liverpool campus. Students often enroll at Kent State to complete open enrollment courses in preparation to apply to the PTST major. A selective admissions process admits twenty eight students annually to the PTST major on the East Liverpool campus and twenty eight to the Ashtabula campus. Up to 56 students are accepted annually to the PTST-ATT concentration.
Admission

Admission to the PTST major is selective and based on specific admission criteria. To be considered for admission, students must meet the following minimum requirements:
Accepted as a KSU student;
Completion of high school or college level courses in algebra, biology and physics with a minimum of “C” or better;
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 at the most recent academic experience of 12 credit hours or more;
Minimum of 40 hours observation experience, 20 hours in an inpatient physical therapy setting and 20 hours in an outpatient setting.

Applications are accepted any time within 6 weeks of the deadline: East Liverpool, May 1st; Ashtabula, September 15th; Athletic Trainers, February 1st. Applications will be accepted after these dates if seats remain available.

Historically, the PTA programs receive more applications than can be accepted into each class, therefore students are selected based on a point system that considers GPA, courses taken toward the degree, recommendations of a PT or PTA, and a graded essay. Details of the admission & selection process are available online or upon request from the program.

Outcomes
Students accepted to the PTST major have an 85% chance of graduating from either the East Liverpool or Ashtabula campus, while students in the PTST-ATT concentration have a 95% chance of graduating. Ultimate pass rates on the NPTE are near 100%. All current data is available on the Kent State University website.
Tuition, fees and financial aid

*Tuition at Kent State University for undergraduate coursework at a Regional Campus in academic year 2013-14, is $253 per credit hour or $2,777 for 11 credit hours or more per semester for Ohio residents. Non-Ohio residents pay $615 per credit hour or $6,757 for 11 credit hours or more per semester. There are also $12 per credit hour course fees on selected PTST courses, and $25 per credit hour online fees for all fully online undergraduate courses.

Total costs per semester will vary, depending on academic load, courses taken and delivery method. Course fees cover the expense for lab supplies, clinical education expenses, cumulative program assessment exam, one (1) civilian background check (PTST only), licensure exam preparation course (PTST only). Please note that tuition and fees are subject to change from one academic year to the next.

Other Expenses often incurred include: Textbooks (Approximately $400 per semester), Physical examination and current immunizations (cost varies by provider), CPR certification (Approximately $35), Clinical education expenses, including travel, uniform, and meals, drug test, additional background checks, Licensure Fees (Approximately $650), PTST-ATT students also incur travel, lodging and meal expenses to attend the six (6) required on-campus lab weekends each year.

Student life
The Ashtabula campus has four buildings on 16 acres near the shore of Lake Erie in northeast Ohio. The East Liverpool campus is housed in two downtown buildings that overlook the Ohio river on the eastern border with West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Both campuses are non-residential schools with a significant population of non-traditional students. The PTA Student club on both campuses is very active in service to the campus and community, and fundraising to support activities for personal and professional development.