2020-2021 Titusville Campus Catalog [Archived Catalog]
Physical Therapist Assistant, AS
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Return to: Physical Therapist Assistant The Physical Therapist Assistant, AS is being discontinued. New students are not being accepted into the program. This will not impact students graduating in May 2021. The University is committed to providing a high quality program to those students as they complete the requirements for their degree. Students currently enrolled in the program must complete their degree by August 14, 2021.
Program Overview
The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville’s (Pitt-Titusville) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program is a well-established academic based program. The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). * The program is accredited through the year 2021. The faculty are members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Upon completion of the two-year Physical Therapist Assistant Program, students will earn an Associate of Science Degree for the Physical Therapist Assistant from the University of Pittsburgh, and will be eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Licensure Examination (NPTE).
The PTA Program is a five semester, two-year program. Our faculty will work with you to suggest a curriculum to fit your previous college credits or for students that cannot attend school full time. Our small class size and knowledgeable faculty give you interactive/hands-on learning and personalized attention in a comfortable atmosphere.
As a branch of the main Pitt campus, you will have access to the medical and research resources for which the University of Pittsburgh is respected worldwide.
Accreditation and Licensure
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at the University of Pittsburgh-Titusville is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. The program’s current status is probationary accrediation: for more information see http://www.capteonline.org/WhatWeDo/RecentActions/PublicDisclosureNotices/. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (814-827-4426) or email pmcclain@pitt.edu).
After matriculating with an A.S. degree in physical therapist assistant (PTA), program graduates must successfully pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) administered by each state to achieve certification/licensure which is required for clinical practice. The Pitt-Titusville PTA Program assists students in the preparation of the NPTE with the Professional Issues Seminar course, several mock board examinations, a new NPTAE review course, and a professional on-campus review course.
In addition to a PTA certification/licensure, many state licensing boards require a criminal background check, fingerprinting, child abuse clearance and Mandated Reporter Training (Act 31). To maintain acceptance in the program, students must successfully pass drug screening. Further, prior to beginning the clinical education courses, students must meet all of these common requirements of the respective facilities/companies, which may include some or all of the following: fingerprinting, TB testing, CPR, drug screening, and Act 31, Act 34 and Act 151 clearances. Students with criminal records should contact the physical therapy licensing board for the state they plan to practice in prior to applying for admission to the PTA Program to inquire about potential restrictions for licensure.
Advisors
Patricia McClain, RN, BSN, MSN Interim Program Director
Physical Therapist
Ms. Joyce Carbaugh, Academic Coordinator Clinical Education
Physical Therapist Assistant
Affiliations
While we have numerous affiliation sites within a 50 mile radius of our campus, we encourage our students to travel to other cities/states to experience the diversity of the physical therapy practice throughout the United States. If a location is chosen in which we do not already have a clinical site, every effort is made to acquire a site of the student’s choice. Ultimately, the academic needs of the student are our priority for clinical placement.
All expenses, including transportation and housing are the student’s responsibility. However, many of our students choose clinical sites near friends or relatives to help offset some of their expenses.
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