Program Accreditation & Licensure
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association. This program was first granted accreditation status in 1973 and was most recently re-accredited in 2009.
Upon successfully completing all the requirements of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program, the student is awarded the Associate of Applied Science Degree. Graduates of the program are able to sit for the licensure test given by the Texas State Board of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners.
Graduation Rate (Data from Program Records)
Year
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012 |
# from original cohort that graduated on time
|
20 of 24 = 83.3%
|
21 of 25 = 84%
|
18 of 23 = 78%
|
21 of 24 = 87.5% |
# that took longer than 2 years to graduate
|
1 of 24 = 4.2%
|
3 of 25 = 12%
|
5 of 23 = 22%
|
|
| Total Graduation Rate |
87.5% |
96% |
100% |
|
State Board Exam Pass Rate (Data from ECPTOTE)
Year
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012 |
# passed 1st attempt
|
17 of 20 = 85%
|
18 of 22 = 82%
|
18 of 20 = 90%
|
22 of 26 - 84.6% |
# passed within 6 months
|
1 of 20 = 5%
|
4 of 22 = 18%
|
2 of 20 = 10%
|
3 of 26 = 11.5% |
Total Pass Rate
|
90%
|
100%
|
100%
|
96% |
Employment Rate (Data from Program Records)
Year
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012 |
Employed within 6 months of passing exam
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
96% |
Admission & Prerequisite Requirements
Students wishing to major in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program must meet all admission requirements for acceptance to St. Philip's College and the Allied Health Department. In addition, the student must apply to the program.
The PTA Program has made some changes in the curriculum. Students will no longer need to complete prerequisite courses to apply to the program. However, all applicants are strongly encouraged to complete any or all of the general education courses within the curriculum. This will allow the student more time to focus on the PTA courses once in the program. The general education courses include the following:
- ENGL 1301 Composition I
- BIOL 2401 Human Anatomy & Physiology I
- BIOL 2402 Human Anatomy & Physiology I I
- MATH 1314 College Algebra
- PSYC 2301 General or Introduction Psychology
- Select one course from Humanities (40) core OR from Visual and Performing Art (50) core
Students wishing to major in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program must meet all admission requirements for acceptance to St. Philip's College and the Allied Health Department.
Application & Selection Process
Applications for admission to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program are accepted during the Spring semester. The deadline for submitting an application and all supporting documents is March 31. Applications are reviewed and processed at the end of the Spring semester for consideration for the next available beginning class.
In addition to completing requirements for St. Philip's College, the student must:
- Submit completed Allied Health Application Form and supporting documentation.
- Submit official college transcript(s).
- Submit College Entrance Exam Score if applicant has not successfully completed 12 or more college hours. (Accuplacer, SAT, ACT) Please see a college advisor for more information about the college entrance exam.
- Submit documentation of at least 40 hours of volunteer or work experience.
- Volunteer or work experience must be in a physical therapy clinic/department overseen by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.
- Each student selects his/her own site for volunteer experience.
- It must be documented and signed by PT/PTA on the provided form below.
- Click to download a copy of Applicant Volunteer or Employment Verification Form.
- Complete the Assessment Technology Institute (ATI) Allied Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test (HOBET V) standardized exam. The HOBET V is a web-based exam that helps identify students with the best chance of success in the allied health field. This test measures the three most basic, but important, education skill sets needed for an allied health occupation. The HOBET V exam is a multiple-choice assessment of basic academic knowledge in reading, mathematics, science and English and language usage. The objectives assessed on the HOBET V exam are those which allied health educators deemed most appropriate and relevant to measure entry level skills and abilities of allied health students.
- The cost of the exam is $65.00.
- Review materials are available from ATI Allied Health
- Click here to register for the HOBET V exam.
- Dates of the exam are provided in the HOBET V registration process.
- New testing dates have been added to the schedule.
Completion of the application criteria does not guarantee program selection or admission.
| Selection Criteria and Formula |
Maximum points |
| Completed application and essay |
10 |
| Standardized exam |
100 |
Bonus points will be given for the following items:
| Bonus Point Items |
Points for an A |
Points for a B |
Points for a C |
Other Points |
| BIOL 2401 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| BIOL 2402 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| ENGL 1301 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| Humanities or Visual and Performing Arts course |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| MATH 1314 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| PSYC 2301 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
| Completed bachelor degree |
|
|
|
5 |
| Completed associate degree |
|
|
|
3 |
| Physical Therapy work experience (1,000 hours or more) |
|
|
|
3 |
| Physical Therapy work experience (less than 1,000 hours) |
|
|
|
2 |
NOTE: Grade of C or higher for courses
Maximum total points (application, test, bonus) =142
The PTA Program will subsequently select the 24 highest ranked applicants. All qualified applicants will receive notification of acceptance or non-acceptance.
The College, the Allied Health Department and the PTA Program are not responsible for any misinterpretation of the above processes for admission and selection.
Before being fully accepted into any Allied Health program, students must pass a mandatory criminal background check and drug screen (at the student's expense). Additional information and required forms will be given to students accepted into the PTA program.
Before beginning the clinical rotations, students must complete mandatory immunizations and may be required to carry health insurance during those semesters. A list of required immunizations can be found on the Allied Health Department second page of the Quick Reference Sheet.
Enrollment into the Allied Health Programs by students with felony convictions may not be eligible for licensure or certification. These students would not be eligible for admission into the program until a declaratory order process is completed with the licensure and/or certification board. Proof of eligibility for licensure and/or certification must be provided for consideration for admission into the program. Students with concerns should contact the physical therapy chief investigator at the address below:
Executive Council of Physical Therapy Examiners
333 Guadalupe, Ste. 2-510
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-305-6900