Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
Type: Career, Degree (AS)
Special Admissions
Division: Health And Human Services
Basic Skills Core/Proficiency Requirements
Communications Proficiency and Mathematics Proficiency are two of the requirements for admission to this program and they are required for graduation from NSCC. For additional admissions requirements, see http://www.northshore.edu/academics/programs. Please consult the college website or an academic advisor for information about the course prerequisites for all of the courses in this program.
HONORS PROGRAM OPTION
Interested students may refer to the Honors Program website at www.northshore.edu/honors.
First Year
Fall
| BIO103 | Anatomy and Physiology 1 | 4 |
| CMP101 | Composition 1 | 3 |
| PTA101 | Introduction to Physical Therapy | 4 |
| PTA103 | Therapeutic Massage | 1 |
| PTA104 | PTA Procedures Lab | 1 |
| PTA105 | Physical Therapist Assistant Procedures | 2 |
| PTA108 | Kinesiology Lab | 1 |
| PTA109 | Kinesiology | 1 |
| PTA113 | Pathophysiological Conditions 1 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Spring
| BIO104 | Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 |
| PTA114 | Pathophysiological Conditions 2 | 2 |
| PTA117 | Therapeutic Exercise 1 Lab | 1 |
| PTA118 | Therapeutic Exercise 1 | 2 |
| PTA201 | PTA Modalities Lab | 1 |
| PTA202 | Modalities of Physical Therapy | 2 |
| PTA203 | Neurology for Physical Therapist Assistant | 2 |
| PTA204 | Clinical Anatomy 1 Lab | 1 |
| PTA205 | Clinical Anatomy 1 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Summer
| PTA112 | Clinical Experience 1 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 2 |
Second Year
Fall
CMP104-150
| Composition 2 Elective | 3 |
HUM-ELECTIVE
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| PSY102 | Introductory (General) Psychology | 3 |
| PTA212 | Therapeutic Exercise 2 Lab | 1 |
| PTA213 | Therapeutic Exercise 2 | 2 |
| PTA214 | Clinical Anatomy 2 Lab | 1 |
| PTA215 | Clinical Anatomy 2 | 1 |
| PTA217 | Pediatric Physical Therapy for the PTA | 1 |
| PTA220 | Current Topics in Physical Therapy | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Spring
| PTA206 | Physical Therapist Assistant Seminar | 1 |
| PTA208 | Clinical Experience 2 | 8 |
| PTA210 | Case Studies in Physical Therapy | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 11 |
Requirement Notes
BIO103: The pre-requisite for Anatomy and Physiology 1 can be met through ONE of the following with no time limit for when it was completed: BIO101 or BIO105 with "C" or higher; or TEAS version V only Science section score of 50% or higher; or LPN Certificate; or a Bachelor of Science in biological science or chemistry. It can also be met with ONE of the following completed within the past 5 calendar years: high school biology with a "C" or higher, biology CLEP test with a score of 50 or higher, or AP biology test with a score of 3 or higher.
Total Credit Hours: 66
Course Learning and Credentialing Options
Distance Learning - some sections of the above courses may be available through a distance learning format.
For information, please go to www.northshore.edu/distance.
Alternative Credentialing - Alternative options for earning course credit may exist and can be explored through the Center for Alternative Studies and Educational Testing.
For information, please go to www.northshore.edu/cas.
Program Information
- Entrance into any Physical Therapist Assistant course requires a grade of ’C’ (75%) or better in all PTA prerequisite courses. For graduation from the Physical Therapist Assistant program a grade of ’C’ (75%) or better is required for all Physical Therapist Assistant courses.
- Students are strongly urged to meet with their academic advisor on a semester basis or as needed to review the prerequisites of each course within the program and discuss course selections for successful completion of this program.
Admissions and Transfer Information
- Admission to this Program occurs only in the Fall semester.
- This is a Special Admissions Program - Admission to this program has specific entrance requirements and may be competitive; program may have limited seating capacity. Further information about the program, application process and admission requirements can be found at http://www.northshore.edu/academics/programs.
- This program may meet the eligibility criteria for MassTransfer and Joint Admissions with Massachusetts public colleges and universities (please see www.mass.edu/masstransfer); or, it may have a transfer agreement with a private 4-year college (please see www.northshore.edu/academics/departments). You may also visit NSCC’s Student Support and Advising Center on the Lynn or Danvers campus.
Additional Information
Please visit www.northshore.edu/academics/programs for more information about this Program of Study.