Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant Degrees From Oklahoma City Community College
Become a compassionate and ethical healthcare practitioner in this in-demand program.
A physical therapist assistant (PTA) provides quality patient care under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. In this career, you help patients improve patients’ overall function using the knowledge, skills and effective communication you learn in the Oklahoma City Community College physical therapist assistant program.
It’s a job that requires much critical thinking and problem-solving skills and physical strength of your own, as well as personal flexibility. But it’s also a career that is in high demand – with the Baby Boomer generation aging and America’s soldiers returning home from wars overseas. You could find yourself working in hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, nursing homes and sports facilities.
At Oklahoma City Community College, you can earn an associate degree in applied science in the physical therapist assistant program. This program gives you the opportunity to take your basic general education courses, major courses and clinical practicums within six semesters.
After graduation, you will have met the requirements and be qualified to sit for the licensure examination of the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. The physical therapist assistant program at OCCC is a technical/occupational program accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education.
Are you ready to start your career in helping others get moving in the right direction? Complete an online community college admissions application today!
The OCCC physical therapist assistant program values:
- Innovation
- Diversity
- Accountability
- Student and graduate success
- Community and professional development
- Integrity
- Stewardship
- Flexibility
- Ethical Practice
- Quality Patient Care
- Effective Communication
Each fall semester, the OCCC physical therapist assistant program accepts 20 new students. The program requires 69 to 70 credit hours and can be completed within six semesters. In addition, students in the physical therapist assistant program are required to complete offsite clinical work as part of the curriculum.
Because of this requirement, student liability insurance, a series of background checks and a random drug screening are necessary.
Physical therapist assistant program applications are available in late November with a deadline for application in early March.
Physical Therapist Assistant Degrees at Oklahoma City Community College
OCCC offers an associate degree in applied science in the physical therapist assistant program. After graduating, students will be eligible to take the state licensure exam.
For more information on the cost of the program, required textbooks and resources, please visit the physical therapist assistant department web page.
Physical Therapist Assistant Classes at Oklahoma City Community College
In the physical therapist assistant degree program at Oklahoma City Community College, you’ll study:
- Introduction to Physical Therapy
- Dynamic Human Motion
- Pain Management and Massage
- Clinical Anatomy
- Pathology for Physical Rehabilitation
- Therapeutic Exercise I and II
- Electrotherapy and Modalities
- Development, Conditions and Treatment Across the Lifespan
- Systems/Problems in Physical Therapy
- Initial Practicum, Practicum I and II
Visit OCCC’s online course catalog for full details on your physical therapist assistant degree program. You can also check the current community college class schedule for course availability.
Jennifer Ball
PTA Program Director and Professor of Physical Therapist Assistant
I have been working with students in the OCCC PTA Program since 1999 and became the program director in 2007.
Physical Therapist Assistant Careers
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment of all levels of physical therapists is expected to grow at least through 2016, as advances in the career field are made and the population continues to age, requiring more services.
Job opportunities are readily available, especially in acute hospital, long-term acute, rehabilitation, home health and orthopedic settings as well as in school systems. In fact, OCCC graduates have a 100 percent job placement rate following graduation. The median salary for a physical therapist assistant is $46,000 per year, depending on your position, years of experience, geographic location and practice setting.
