Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) are technically skilled health care providers who work under the direction and supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist (PT). PTAs assist the PT in the treatment of individuals of all ages with a variety of medical problems or health-related conditions that result in loss of mobility or ability to perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTAs can find employment within local and surrounding hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities, home health companies, outpatient and sports clinics, and schools. According to the 2022 U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of PTAs is expected to grow by 26% between 2021 and 2031. In 2023, the PTA career was noted as #5 in the top 10 Fastest Growing Health Care Jobs. Nationally, PTAs earn an average salary of $61,180; in Ohio the average salary is $61,450.

*Pending CAPTE Approval, Expected Summer 2025

Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website).

Washington State College of Ohio is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. On October 22, 2024. the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.

Upon approval and granting of Candidacy [expected in the summer of 2025], the program will begin accepting applications, complete the selection process, and notify students of acceptance into the technical phase of the program. The technical phase is scheduled to begin in the fall semester [August 18, 2025] and conclude in the summer semester the next year [July 24, 2026], During this time, the program will continue working toward achievement of initial accreditation. The expected timing of CAPTE’s decision to grant accreditation is expected in November or December of 2026, which occurs after program completion and graduation. Because Candidacy is considered an accredited status, students completing the program as part of the charter cohort will be eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam for the PTA and for state licensure. The first test date scheduled after graduation is October 6 and 7, 2026.