Program Description
PROFESSION
The physical therapist assistant is a skilled paraprofessional healthcare worker who, under the supervision of a physical therapist, carries out the patient's treatment program. The extent to which the physical therapist assistant is involved in treatment depends upon the supervising therapist.
A planned patient-care program is carried out by the assistant, following established procedures. Duties of the physical therapist assistant include: training patients in exercises and activities of normal daily living; conducting treatments; utilizing special equipment; assisting in performing tests, evaluations, and complex treatment procedures; observing and reporting the patient's responses.
PROGRAM
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION
Program Length
15 months (5 quarters)Possible Careers
Clinical and hospital settings, long term care facilities, health and sports related environments. Settings would include the treatment of patients in all stages of life.Application Deadlines
| Quarter | Application Open | Priority Deadline | Final Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer of 2023 | Aug 1, 2022 | Nov 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 |
Admissions Requirements
To be eligible for admission, the applicant must have the following:- Completed high school from an accredited institution or passed the GED
- Complete a minimum of 48 quarter or 32 semester units at an accredited college or university
- A minimum of 2.5 GPA is required for both science and non-science classes
- Grades of C-minus or below are not acceptable for transfer credit
- OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE: 80 physical therapy observation hours are required. A minimum of 20 hours in an inpatient P.T. setting and a minimum of 20 hours in an outpatient P.T. setting.
Prerequisites
Students who already have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university need to complete only the prerequisites denoted with an asterisk (*).- * Human Anatomy and Physiology with labs (complete two course sequence)
- * Introductory physics with lab (one quarter or semester)
- * Two years of high school algebra with grade of C or better, or intermediate college algebra
- A humanities course (four quarter or three semester units)
- * General psychology
- * Human growth and development (preferred) or developmental psychology or abnormal psychology
- English composition (complete sequence)
- * Speech
- * Medical Terminology
- Health education or two activity courses in physical education
- Electives to meet the 48 quarter or 32 semester units
Discipline Accrediting Agency
The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Loma Linda University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-706-3245; Email: accreditation@apta.org; Website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 909-558-4634 or email rjhubbard@llu.edu.
Expected Cost of Attendance
Academic Year 2023-2024
| Year of Program: | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $28,500 | $3,000 |
| Fees | $3,920 | $980 |
| Books & Supplies | $1,015 | — |
| Instruments | — | — |
| Misc (e.g., Boards, Licensing exam, Uniforms) | — | — |
| Total | $33,435 | $3,980 |
Notes
Expected costs for the 2023-2024 academic year are based on full time attendance. From year to year, increases are anticipated consistent with inflation in the professional education sector.
Estimated Living Expenses
Academic Year 2023-2024, off campus, with a roommate
| Year of Program: | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Months enrolled | 12 | 3 |
| Room & Board | — | — |
| Transportation | — | — |
| Personal Expenses | — | — |
Notes
- Amounts are what a student can apply to borrow for the number of months shown in each academic year based on living off campus with a roommate and not with a relative.
- International students need to calculate 12 months of living expenses based on the numbers listed here.
- In general, to qualify for financial aid a student must be enrolled at least half time taking degree requirements. Half time is 6 units in a quarter for undergraduate programs and 4 units in a quarter for graduate programs.