Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)

• Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants help people to maximize their quality of life. They work with people of all ages and abilities, and in a variety of settings. They help people rehabilitate from devastating injuries, manage chronic conditions, avoid surgery and prescription drugs, and create healthy habits.
• Program Highlights
• The Physical Therapist Assistant Program, offered at LSC-Montgomery, is taught by faculty who are passionate about learning. There is a low faculty to student ratio. The program has a low cost tuition, high board pass rate, and a higher than average employment demand.
• Curriculum and Careers
• The course of study for a physical therapist assistant (PTA) is a 101 consecutive week program, leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree. One cohort is accepted into the program each year. Besides the PTA courses, our program includes general education and science courses necessary for earning an Associate in Applied Science degree. Suc­cessful completion of the program satisfies the academic requirement for applying for the state licensure as a PTA and satisfies the requirement for graduates to take the NPTE®, the national board exam.
• Graduates, after passing the NPTE®, the national exam, are prepared for employment as PTAs in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, school systems, home health agencies and other places where physical therapy is provided under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
• Transferability
• General education courses (Core) are designated for easy transfer to Texas public institutions and applicable to requirements at private and out-of-state institutions.
• Technical coursework may be transferrable to other institutions.
• Please Consult with a Program Advisor for more information about transferability.

• PTHA 1201 - The Profession of Physical Therapy
• ENGL 1301 - Composition & Rhetoric I
• PSYC 2301 - General Psychology
• BIOL 2401 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I
• Admission Information
• In addition to the general admission requirements of the Lone Star College (LSC), the following are requirements that must be met in order to apply for admission to the PTA program:
• Have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in high school and/or college.
• Complete at least 40 hours of observation in the field under the direction of a licensed physical therapist or licensed physical therapist assistant.
• Complete ENGL 1301 - Composition & Rhetoric I, PSYC 2301 - General Psychology, BIOL 2401 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I, and PTHA 1201 - The Profession of Physical Therapy with a grade of “C” or better. Additionally, BIOL 2401 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I must have been completed within the last 7 years.
• Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon criteria as set by Lonestar College. Note: It is recommended that students complete as many of the general education core courses as possible prior to application to the PTA program.
• Prerequisites (First Semester Courses)
• ENGL 1301 - Composition & Rhetoric I
• BIOL 2401 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I
• PTHA1 201 - The Profession of Physical Therapy
• PSYC 2301 - General Psychology
• Minimum age requirement
• Must be 18 years old for clinical placement.
• Application process
• Applications for admission will be received during the spring semester before the program starts. Because admission to the program is competitive, the students who are most likely to be accepted are those who score highest on the criteria established by the admissions committee. Those criteria may include but are not limited to the following:
• Completion of the general education core courses in the degree plan
• High GPA in these courses
• High scores on a standardized admission exam, writing sample and interview
• All applicants are highly encouraged to attend at least one information session prior to applying to the PTA program. The information sessions are held monthly on the LSC Montgomery campus during the spring and fall semesters http://www.lonestar.edu/physical-therapist-assistant - dept-montgomery.htm. Dates and times for the information sessions are also located on the department’s web page.
• An online application packet for the physical therapist assistant program must be completed and submitted to be considered for acceptance into the program. A link to the on-line application for the class starting August will be available beginning in April of the same year at http://www.lonestar.edu/physical-therapist - assistant-dept-montgomery.htm .
• The following material must be included on the application, which may require document uploading prior to the deadline to be considered for admission:
• On-line application signed by the student
• Observation forms are to be completed after 40 hours of observation under a licensed PT or PTA. The form is available under Application Forms at http://www.lonestar.edu/physical-therapist-assistant-dept- montgomery.htm (Signed and sealed by the licensed professional and either mailed or delivered by hand to the PTA department office B120)
• ATI TEAS test results. The test ticket and directions on taking the test are available http://www.lonestar.edu/physical-therapist-assistant-dept-montgomery.htm. IMPORTANT:ATI TEAS test must be taken at least one week prior to the application deadline.
• Any additional documentation requested during the online application.
• Applicants may be invited for an interview and asked to submit a writing sample for review by the admissions committee. Any student who cannot attend the interview will not be accepted into the program.
• All successful applicants admitted to the PTA program will be required to attend a mandatory orientation session in the summer before starting the program. Any student who cannot attend the orientation will be withdrawn from the program.

• This award requires 66 credit hours in total.
• Lone Star College reports 1856 contact hours for this award.

• The student will demonstrate the professional behaviors of problem solving and clinical decision making in patient care.
• The student will implement and modify the plan of care under the direction of a physical therapist.
• The student will be able to demonstrate interventions in patient/client management.
• The student will demonstrate the ability to perform tests and measures in patient/client management.
• The student will provide treatment in an ethical, legal, and safe manner under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
• The student will express habits that indicate the capability required to sustain professional development which supports the PTA profession.

• Tuition shown is the in-district rate of $111.00 per credit hour for 66 credit hours.
• Out-of-district Texas residents pay $249.00 per credit hour ($16,434.00); international and out-of-state students pay $313.00 per credit hour ($20,658.00).
• Lab fees vary by course and liability insurance, uniforms and supplies vary by program, so Lone Star College publishes no all-in total for this award. Tuition above excludes them.
• Financial aid and payment plans are available to most students.
• Application fee: none. Lone Star College applications are free.

Suc­cessful completion of the program satisfies the academic requirement for applying for the state licensure as a PTA and satisfies the requirement for graduates to take the NPTE, the national licensing exam. Upon completion of the program, graduates must pass the NPTE national licensing exam to receive a license in Texas.

• Once admitted to the program and before classes begin students must submit at orientation a clear background check. Some convictions will prevent the applicant from ultimate acceptance into the program. The student is responsible for all fees associated with background checks.
• If a student receives an unsatisfactory background check, they must submit a copy of the “History Evaluation Letter” (see note below) from the state licensing board along with the negative background check.
• Note : Satisfying the criminal background check for the program does not guarantee that the graduate satisfies the criteria for Texas licensure. If you have a felony, misdemeanor conviction, jail-time associated with a crime, or deferred adjudication, you must contact the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners ( www.ecptote.state.tx.us ) to ensure you are eligible to take the licensure exam after graduation. There is a form on their website to complete (“Request Criminal History Evaluation Letter”) and submit the completed letter to the PTA program.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Lone Star College Montgomery is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue #100, Alexandria, VA 22305; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org ; website: http://www.capteonline.org . If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 936-273-7470 or email Renee.M.Pruitt@lonestar.edu .

• The Student Success Course Requirement is satisfied by successful completion of PTHA 1201 - The Profession of Physical Therapy.
• The program capstone is satisfied by completing PTHA 2463 - Clinical-Physical Therapy Assistant.