Baltimore City Community College’s Associate of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant is designed to prepare beginning graduates to assume careers as licensed Physical Therapist Assistants in a variety of health settings. The program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association. This accreditation classification is granted to an educational program achieving or exceeding the basic requirements for the accreditation period granted.
Graduates of the Physical Therapist Assistant program are eligible to take the National Board Examination to receive credentials and titling as a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA). BCCC’s program provides an extraordinary opportunity for students interested in entering—as quickly as possible—the Physical Therapy field and who have as their goal the furtherance of their education and professional development. By law, the State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners may deny licensure for a variety of reasons. These include conviction of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude, if the nature of the offense bears directly on the fitness of the person to practice Physical Therapy.
Acquisition of Physical Therapy competency is developed through a combination of college-based lectures and laboratories as well as direct involvement with patient care in external health care agencies. Successful completion of all courses in the program, including any necessary remedial coursework, will lead to the Associate of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapy Assistant.
BCCC’s two-year Physical Therapist Assistant A.A.S. degree prepares students to work as Physical Therapist Assistants in hospitals, nursing homes, sports medicine clinics, private practice, public schools and long-term care facilities.
The program is designed to prepare graduates to become respected members of the Physical Therapy team, providing direct patient care under the general supervision of a Physical Therapist. The Physical Therapist Assistant program is located on the second floor of the new Student Services Wing of the Main Building.
