About the PTA Program

Mission Statement

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at Kent State University prepares graduates to be employed as physical therapist assistants who work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. Graduates will have the critical thinking skills, excellent knowledge base, competent technical skills, and behaviors consistent with expectations of the physical therapy profession and the communities it serves.

 

Program History

Kent State University at East Liverpool (KSU-EL) was first accredited in 1989 by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) as a Physical Therapist Assistant program. The program was expanded in 1996 to the Ashtabula Campus (KSU-A). The PTA programs on each campus sought and received independent accreditation from 2005 to 2013. In 2009, KSU-A was also accredited to offer the Athletic Trainers Transitions concentration, which provides advanced placement to certified athletic trainers.

In April, 2013, Kent State University received CAPTE approval to re-structure the administration of the Physical Therapist Assistant Technology (PTST) degree programs under one director and with one accreditation for all degree options offered at Kent State. Independently, the three degree options have consistently received the longest accreditation periods possible. In November 2015, all three programs were re-accredited for 10 more years. 

 

PTA Program Goals

Graduate students who:

  1. Earn an Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant Technology
  2. Pass the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination
  3. Are employed as a licensed physical therapist assistant
  4. Provide physical therapy services in a legal, ethical and culturally competent manner

Provide a curriculum that:

  1. Is current, relevant and effective
  2. Includes a variety of appropriate learning experiences in both the academic and clinical settings
  3. Is sequential and cumulative to facilitate student achievement of the curriculum objectives

Retain faculty who:

  1. Are qualified to teach their content areas
  2. Model and mentor the behavioral expectations of physical therapy practitioners
  3. Foster an environment of mutual respect and collaborative learning

Read the PTA Philosophical Statement

 

Expected Student Outcomes

The Kent State University graduate with a PTA - A.A.S. degree demonstrates the ability to provide physical therapy services in a legal, ethical and culturally competent manner

Provides appropriate and effective physical therapy interventions within the plan of care established by a physical therapist.    

Effectively communicates with others, teaching or instructing when appropriate  

Produces legal and ethical documentation to meet professional expectations and the needs of third party payers.

Ethically manages fiscal and human resources to provide high-quality, efficient and cost-effective PT services.  

Consistently demonstrates the value-based behaviors of a PTA: Altruism, Caring and Compassion, Continuing Competence, Duty, Integrity, PT/PTA Collaboration, Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.

 

PTA Career Information

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy serves society as a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base and widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function. Physical therapy is a profession that is scientifically based, while at the same time highly interpersonal. Optimal physical therapy intervention requires health care providers who demonstrate sensitivity, flexibility, and adaptability. Physical therapist assistants who provide physical therapy interventions must be skilled in technical applications, verbal and non-verbal communication, problem solving, and collaboration. Physical therapy providers are lifelong learners capable of adapting to changes in technology, delivery systems and society.

Physical Therapist Assistant

The physical therapist assistant is an educated and licensed person who, under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, assists in the provision of physical therapy interventions. Kent State faculty understand physical therapy services as a combination of art, applied science, and caring interaction.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) currently defines the Physical Therapist Assistant as follows: "The physical therapist assistant is a technically educated health care provider who assists the physical therapist in the provision of physical therapy. The physical therapist assistant is a graduate of a physical therapist assistant associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)." APTA HOD 06-00-27  

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