Physical Therapist Assistant

Associate in Applied Science

Modes of Instruction

Click here to learn more about the modes of instruction offered at Kaskaskia College.

Physical Therapist Assistants help improve the function and overall health of each patient they care for by using exercise and pain-relieving agents. The PTA profession is a fulfilling and rewarding career that provides job security and potential career advancement.

The Kaskaskia College Physical Therapist Assistant program focuses on preparing students to meet the ever-changing demands in the health care field and takes a hands-on approach to learn in both the classroom and laboratory settings.

*Fully accredited program by Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

*State-of-the-art facility and equipment which simulates the workplace

*Multiple clinical affiliations, including specialized physical therapy settings

For more information on our Physical Therapist Assistant program, call us today at (618) 545-3040.

To apply to the College, please click the Apply button below. To apply to this program, scroll to the bottom of the page and under “Additional Information”, choose the Allied Health Applications link.

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Program Philosophy

The philosophy of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program addresses the need for the program to be built on a balance of course work in social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, which is appropriate in depth and breadth, to develop the ability in students to think independently, to weigh values, to understand fundamental theory, and to develop skills for clinical practice, including critical thinking and communication. With commitment to a strong competency-based foundation, continued education, and experience, the number of competencies should be adequate for entry-level and those existing competencies develop into proficiencies in a lifelong continuum.

The spirit of this criterion is to assure that students are well prepared in the scientific, technical, and behavioral aspects of physical therapy practice and in the foundational arts and sciences that allow practitioners to be critical thinkers and enlightened decision makers.

Program Mission

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program mission is committed to student learning in order to produce an entry-level physical therapist assistant for the labor market while fostering attitudes toward life long education and development of skills.

Program Details

PTAS_500_DEGR

Curriculum

First Semester
PTAS-119	Clinical A&P for PTA	5.00
ENGL-101	English Composition **	3.00
MEDT-104	Medical Terminology **	1.00
PTAS-160	Physical Modalities I	3.00
PTAS-150	Applied Physics for PTA	1.00
PTAS-152	PTA Data Collection and Manual Skills	2.00
PTAS-154	Patient Care Skills	1.00
PTAS-156	Introduction to Physical Therapy	1.00
		17.00

Second Semester
PTAS-158	Kinesiology for PTA	4.00
PTAS-162	Physical Modalities II	3.00
PTAS-164	Therapeutic Exercise for PTA	3.00
PTAS-166	Pathology for PTA	2.00
PTAS-167	Introduction to Clinical Internship	2.00
PTAS-168	Practicum I	1.00
PSYH-101	Psychology *	3.00
		18.00

Third Semester
COMM-103	Fundamentals of Speech Communication *	3.00
SOCO-101	Sociology *	3.00
PTAS-251	Clinical Internship I	5.00
ELECTIVE	Area D Elective	2.00
		13.00

Fourth Semester
PTAS-254	Orthopedic Principles and Procedures I	3.00
PTAS-258	Practicum II	2.00
PTAS-259	Clinical Internship II	5.00
PTAS-256	Neurologic Principles and Procedures I	3.00
		13.00

Fifth Semester
PTAS-255	Orthopedic Principle & Procedure II	2.00
PTAS-257	Neurologic Principle & Procedure II	3.00
PTAS-260	Clinical Internship III	6.00
PTAS-262	Clinical Seminar	1.00
		12.00

*Courses may be taken prior to admission to the program or during any semester of the program. ** Courses may be taken prior to admission to the program or during the first semester. If, in the opinion of the program coordinator and/or director, any student's work, conduct or health might have a detrimental effect on patients or personnel within a clinical agency, said student may be withdrawn from the clinical setting. Re-entry procedures apply to those students who are out of normal progression for any reason and wish to re-enter the Program at any semester level. An academic and clinical competency exam may be required for re-entry students. Students who fail or withdraw from any course two times will not be approved for re-entry unless extenuating circumstances exist. Students who receive approval to re-enter will be subject to policies, procedures, and curriculum that are current at the time of re-entry. Students are required to earn a grade point average of 2.0 or above in all courses with a PTAS and MEDT prefix (and approved substitutes) to be eligible to continue in the program. Students are required to earn a grade point average of 2.0 or above in all courses to be eligible for graduation.

Cost

First Semester
tuition (17 credit hours)	$2312.00
student services fee (17 credit hours)	$408.00
lab fee	$874.00
books	$940.00
liability/malpractice/accident Insurance	$45.00
	$4579.00

Second Semester
tuition (18 credit hours)	$2448.00
student services fee (18 credit hours)	$432.00
lab fee	$435.00
books	$606.00
	$3921.00

Third Semester
tuition (13 credit hours)	$1768.00
Student Services Fee (13 credit hours)	$312.00
lab fee	$118.00
books	$192.00
	$2390.00

Fourth Semester
tuition (13 credit hours)	$1768.00
student services fee (13 credit hours)	$312.00
lab fee	$416.00
books	$304.00
liability/malpractice/accident insurance	$34.00
	$2834.00

Fifth Semester
tuition (12 credit hours)	$1632.00
student services fee (12 credit hours)	$288.00
lab fee	$395.00
	$2315.00

The American Physical Therapy Association
(APTA) is a national professional organization representing more than 63,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.

A chapter of the APTA, the Illinois Physical Therapy Association
(IPTA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving 3000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students in Illinois.

The mission of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is to protect the public by providing service and leadership that promote safe and competent physical therapy practice.
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Kaskaskia College is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. (CAPTE)

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE),
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085
1-703-706-3245;
email: accreditation@apta.org
website: www.capteonline.org

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (618) 545-3242 or email awoltering@kaskaskia.edu

Kaskaskia College is an Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) participating Institution of the Higher Learning Commission

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
312-263-0456
800-621-7440
The Higher Learning Commission
Clinical Internships consist of one part-time clinical experience and three full-time clinical experiences: Introduction to Clinical Internship in the second semester includes clinical site visits supervised by faculty; Clinical Internship I is in the summer semester following the second semester and consists of a full-time six-week rotation; Clinical Internship II that takes place in the fall semester and consists of a six-week rotation. Clinical Internship III consists of a seven-week rotation in the fourth or spring semester.
The PTA Program at Kaskaskia College welcomes public comment, suggestions, and constructive criticism as part of our continuous assessment process. Community members who do not have formal affiliations with the college or program are welcome to provide feedback according to the following policy/guidelines:
- Comments must be submitted in writing and signed by the author. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted.
- The PTA Program Director shall respond to all comments/concerns within ten academic days.
- The PTA Program Director shall make the Dean of Health Sciences aware of all comments/concerns voiced by the public.
- Records of all correspondence will be kept on file for a period of five years.
Send Comments To:

Kaskaskia College
PTA Program Director
27210 College Rd.
Centralia, IL 62801
The Kaskaskia College Physical Therapy Assistant program meets licensure requirements in the state of Illinois.

Higher education institutions and the U.S. Department of Education share a common goal: to support students in educational programs that lead to state licensure, enabling them to fulfill the educational requirements necessary for employment in their chosen field. According to U.S. Department of Education regulations 34 CFR 668.14(b)(32), starting July 1, 2024, all institutions must disclose whether the curriculum for Title IV-eligible programs designed or advertised as leading to professional licensure or certification required for employment meets state educational requirements where a student is located. Disclosure is required regardless of a program's modality. Academic programs that provide a path to optional, national, or industry certifications do not require disclosure.

Kaskaskia College strives to ensure that information regarding educational requirements for licensure or certification is up to date; however, state requirements may change. Beyond educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants to complete professional examinations, background checks, years of professional experience, residency requirements, jurisprudence exams, and other training.

The new U.S. Department of Education regulations, 34 CFR 668.14(b)(32) require colleges to assign programs leading to licensure or certification to one of two categories; Yes, meets state requirements or No, does not meet state requirements.

Kaskaskia Colleges educational programs are designed to meet licensure requirements in the state of Illinois regardless of the modality of instruction. The programs listed below meet educational requirements for professional licensure or certification for that occupation in Illinois:

Associate Degree Nursing

Cosmetology

Dental Assisting

Emergency Medical Technician

Nail Technology

Paramedicine

Physical Therapy Assistant

Practical Nursing

Radiologic Technology

Respiratory Therapy

Sonography

Kaskaskia College cannot guarantee licensure or certification in other states. State laws, regulations, and policies governing professional licensure may change at any time. The decision to grant a license or certification is the purview of the state. Only state licensing agencies or boards can determine whether an academic program meets or partially meets educational

requirements for licensure. Kaskaskia College cannot guarantee an individual's attainment of any professional licensure or certification, in any field, in any state. At this time, per regulations, the College must assign, No, does not meet requirements in states other than Illinois.

Students are encouraged to contact the appropriate state licensing authority directly to determine if Kaskaskia Colleges program meets the educational requirements for licensure before beginning the program. Many Kaskaskia College licensure and certification program graduates have successfully transferred into careers and obtained licensure or certification in states other than Illinois.
2024 2023 2022

2 Year Graduation Rate 4/5 1/4 5/7

2 Year Employment Rate 4/4 1/1 5/5

2 Year Licensure Passage
Rate:

First Attempt 4/4 1/1 4/5

Ultimate Pass Rate - - 5/5

***Graduation Rate Denominator figured through original admission, after 10-day withdrawal period, and excluding any students that withdrew or were dismissed for non-academic reasons. The numerator is the graduating students remaining.

Total Cost

	2024	2023	2022
2 Year Graduation Rate	4/5	1/4	5/7
2 Year Employment Rate	4/4	1/1	5/5
2 Year Licensure Passage Rate:
First Attempt	4/4	1/1	4/5
Ultimate Pass Rate	-	-	5/5

Student Learning Outcomes

(Student and Graduate Goals)

Students will demonstrate competency in implementing complex and comprehensive treatment plans developed by a licensed physical therapist in a variety of settings. (Cognitive domain)
Students will administer and provide care under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist in an ethical, legal, safe, and effective manner. (Psychomotor domain)
Students will communicate professionally and effectively with patients, families, colleagues, and the public via verbal, written, and electronic means. (Affective domain)
Students will establish and maintain culturally-competent and age-appropriate communication with patients, families, their significant others, and/or caregivers. (Affective domain)
Students will demonstrate responsibility for professional self-development and continued life-long learning. (Cognitive domain)

Students completing this degree must also complete curriculum requirements aligned with General Education Student Learning Outcomes.

Faculty Goals

Core faculty will demonstrate and maintain contemporary skills practice and knowledge through continuing education and/or professional clinical experiences.
Core faculty will participate in collaboration with other health care professionals and educators to facilitate academic professional growth to maintain contemporary practice and instructional opportunities to program students.
Core faculty will attain tenure status and maintain high quality comprehensive educational standards meeting CAPTE and NPTE expectations.
Core faculty will be an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association

Program Goals

To provide quality education, including comprehensive didactic and clinical experiences, to produce graduates with the current skill sets required as a physical therapist assistant.
To graduate entry-level physical therapist assistants with a strong didactic and clinical skill set who are prepared to pass the national license exam and enter the workforce.
To foster a commitment to life-long learning and professional self-development to maintain contemporary practice and advocacy of the physical therapy profession and society.