Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical therapy is a health profession that involves direct care of individuals who experience temporary or permanent disability due to pain, injury, disease or birth defects. Working under the supervision of a physical therapist (DPT), the physical therapist assistant (PTA) helps to improve patients’ mobility and level of function through the use of exercise, manual therapy and assistive technologies.

Located at the college’s Greer Campus, it consists of 30 credit hours of general education courses as part of Phase I, which may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, or transferred in from other colleges. Phase II consists of 46 credit hours of physical therapist assistant technical/professional courses. These can be completed over four consecutive semesters full-time or six "extended-track" semesters at the Greer Campus or Florence Darlington Technical College.

A career you can count on

Job opportunities may be found in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, outpatient offices, sports medicine clinics, schools and home health agencies.

Learn more about a career in Physical Therapy in this video:
"You Can Be Me" (Courtesy of APTA)

National employment statistics and employment expectations are available through the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Learn about real-time job openings and salary information through Career Coach.

What you’ll learn in the program

Some of the subject matter covered includes

  • Medical terminology
  • Human anatomy, physiology & kinesiology
  • Patient pathologies
  • Psychology of human growth & development
  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Patient care skills
  • Use of various technologies to control pain

Is PTA right for you?

To determine whether or not you will be able to successfully perform the job of a PTA, check out the sample job description activities required at Essential Functions and Technical Standards for Physical Therapist Assistant Students (pdf).

The PTA program can be physically challenging. To determine if you are prepared to succeed in the PTA Program, take this challenge (pdf).

Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Greenville Technical College is accredited by
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone: (703) 706-3245
Contact CAPTE
www.capteonline.org

Accreditation documentation (pdf)

Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates.

Program details and courses

Physical Therapist Assistant
Associate in Applied Science

This program prepares students to become licensed physical therapist assistants, key members of the health care profession. Designed as a 1 + 1 program, Phase I includes all the general education and related courses that may be taken at Greenville Technical College or any articulating college. Upon successful completion of Phase I, qualified students are eligible to apply to Phase II, the final four semesters of academic and clinical physical therapist assistant coursework.

  • Phase II courses are taught at either Greenville Tech’s Greer Campus or Florence-Darlington Technical College’s Health Sciences Campus PTA Expansion Program.
  • Clinical course assignments during Phase II may require students to travel and arrange temporary accommodations away from home.
  • Graduates of this program must pass a national licensure exam to practice as a physical therapist assistant.

Read more from our current catalog (pdf)…

Special Admissions Information

Career Talk and Division policies
Participating in a Career Talk session for your program is a requirement for all Health Sciences and Nursing Division students. Click here for the Career Talk monthly schedule.

Students interested in attending classes at Florence Darlington Technical College can find that Career Talk schedule here(pdf).

Also, you must comply with these policies before acceptance into a Health Science or Nursing Division program.

When to apply

For Phase I courses 
In order to enroll for fall classes, the college admissions application and application fee must be received by August 1. Any student submitting an application after this deadline will not be eligible to enroll for Fall Semester, but will be encouraged to complete the enrollment process by testing, filing the FAFSA, attending orientation, and registering for classes, in order to enroll in January for Spring Semester.

For Phase II courses  
The PTA Program application period for fall enrollment of Phase II of the PTA program is between January 15 and March 31 of the year planned for fall entry.

PTA Program Weighted Admissions Scoresheet (pdf)

PTA Phase II Admission Information (pdf)

Transfer Equivalencies
PTA GPA Calculator (xls)
PTA Recommended Humanities Electives (pdf)

Mission/Outcomes/Manuals

The mission of the Greenville Technical College Physical Therapist Assistant program is to meet the needs of the area by providing a pool of qualified graduates for entry-level positions who demonstrate knowledge, competence, professionalism and effective communication skills to enable them to participate successfully as members of an evolving health care community. Our commitment is to provide the highest quality educational opportunities available for students who desire to become physical therapist assistants. The faculty is committed to helping each student achieve his or her fullest potential through a rigorous academic curriculum and individualized clinical experiences. We believe in developing strong partnerships between the health care community and the academic program. We value life-long learning and commitment to continuing education. Through role modeling and mentoring, we encourage our students to participate in professional organizations and community service activities.

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