Application Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on May 30, 2020 for Fall 2020 admission
The Fall 2020 application will open on February 1, 2020.
Instructions for accessing the online application: https://www.sfcollege.edu/health/new-online-application-system
Submit all transcripts to Santa Fe College at least 4 weeks prior to the application deadline. All transcripts must be evaluated by the College in order to determine eligibility to apply.
Please visit www.sfcollege.edu/health for information on applying to the College, placement testing, background screenings, financial aid, disclosures, Previous Program process, admission requirements and health advisories.
Any questions? Contact the Health Sciences Advisement Office for assistance, 352-395-5650.
Program Description
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program is 6 semesters in duration (including prerequisite coursework). It provides students with entry-level skills and knowledge to work under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist in the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular, and other dysfunctions, diseases, and disorders. Graduates are eligible to take the national licensing board exam (NPTAE) required to practice in the field of physical therapy. Students not accepted into the PTA technical core program may continue toward another degree in health studies or other majors.
Students interested in the PTA Program should have a background and interest in the sciences, desire a physically active, progressive, challenging profession, interact well with persons of various ages and cultures, and have an interest in assisting patients in physical rehabilitation, restoration, and prevention of disease. The PTA Technical Core program is a full-time day program. Students will attend classes or internships on a full-time basis, five days a week, as a cohort for four consecutive semesters.
Applicants should be aware that completion of prerequisite coursework does not guarantee admission to the PTA program.
Accreditation Disclaimer
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Santa Fe College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org ; website: CAPTE Online.
PTA Licensure Eligibility Requirement
Graduation from a Physical Therapist Assistant program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) is necessary for eligibility to sit for the national licensure examination (NPTAE) in all states. The CAPTE address is 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org
Licensure/Certification examination information: Successful completion of all degree requirements may provide you eligibility to take the specialty exam offered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy . If you are a student who resides outside of Florida, Santa Fe College has not made a determination that its program or curriculum meets educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in your state. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy provides a Licensure Reference Guide where you may reference licensure requirements per state. Please contact the Physical Therapy Board for your state to determine whether this degree program will meet their licensure requirements.
If you have additional questions, please contact the Health Sciences Advisement Office at 352-395-5650 or healthsciences.advising@sfcollege.edu.
Qualifying for an application
The following requirements must be met in order to receive an application to the Program:
- Complete Getting Started at Santa Fe College and Health Sciences requirements.
- Overall college GPA of 2.50
- Complete prerequisite coursework with a grade of "C" or better:
- BSC 2085/L Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
- BSC 2086/L Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
- MAC 1105 College Algebra or higher math course
- ENC 1101 College Composition
- HSC 2531 Medical Terminology
- PHY 1007/L Physics with Medical Application or 2004/L Physics with lab
- PHI 2635 Biomed Ethics or General Ethics course
- One Social/Behavioral Sciences course
All transcripts and coursework must be evaluated and accepted by SF College prior to the application date in order to qualify for application.
Selection Criteria / Points System
Prior Degree or Certificate
Maximum Points = 10
| Combine 1 degree and 1 certification for maximum points | |
| BA/BS or MA/MS | 7 points |
| AA or AS degree | 2 points |
| Current Certification (Rehab Aide, Physical Therapist Aide) | 3 points |
Overall College GPA
Maximum Points = 20
| GPA Info | |
| 4.00 to 3.75 | 20 points |
| 3.74 to 3.50 | 16 points |
| 3.49 to 3.00 | 12 points |
| 2.99 to 2.75 | 8 points |
Grades Earned in Courses
Maximum Points = 57
| Course retakes must be approved by an appeal if a 'C' grade or higher has already been earned. | A | B+ | B | C+ | C |
| BSC2085/L Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| BSC2086/L Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| PHY1007/L Physics with Medical Application or PHY 2004/L Applied Physics with lab | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| MAC1105 College Algebra or higher Gordon Rule math | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| ENC1101 College Composition | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| HSC2531 Medical Terminology | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| PHI2635 BioMed Ethics or General Ethics course | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| One Social/Behavioral Course | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| HSC1000 Introduction to Healthcare (not required for application) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Military Service
Maximum Points = 5
Military Service - 5 points will be awarded to US Armed Forces active duty and honorably discharged veterans. Includes recent Reservist and National Guard combat deployments. DD-214 or proof of current service required. Minimum of 1 year active duty service required. Part-time Reservist or National Guard service must be documented separately and equal 365 active duty days (i.e., weekend service, annual 2-week assignment and deployment). Service dates may be combined with proper documentation. Veterans who receive a general discharge must be classified without misconduct.
Information is subject to change. It is the applicant's responsibility to check with the Health Sciences Advisement Office for up-to-date requirements.
Physical Therapy Observation Hours
Students selected to the program must complete and document 10 hours of Physical Therapy observation. This is normally completed by the start of the fall term. Due to the COVID-19 national emergency, completion date for this requirement will be announced upon admission to the program. (updated 5/6/20)
Program Costs and Curriculum
All tuition and fees are estimated costs and subject to change without notice.
| Tuition | |
| In-State (74 credit hours x $106.77 per credit hour) | $7,900.98 |
| Out-of-State (74 credit hours x $382.90 per credit hour) | $28,334.35 |
| Lab Fees | $725.35 |
| Uniforms and shoes | $120.00 |
| Books | $1,419.20 |
| Physical, Required Immunizations, Hepatitis B vaccine, flu shots* (Cost estimate based upon physical and full immunization/titer panel offered by SF Student Health Center. Costs for other health care providers may vary. Titers available through Alachua Co Public Health Dept for $20 blood draw fee. Allow 10-14 days for results.) *The first shot in the Hepatitis B vaccine series must be taken a minimum of 30 days prior to the start of the first semester of professional course work. The second shot should be taken a minimum of 30 days following the administration of the first one. The final shot is taken 5 months after the 2nd injection. | up to $453.00 |
| American Heart Association BLS/CPR card (2 person infant/child). Health care provider course required; on line BLS/CPR training not accepted. | $55.00 |
| Level 2 and Expanded National Background Screening; Drug testing | $208.00 |
| State Laws & Rules Exam and Licensing Fees | $65.00 |
| National Licensing Exam (NPTAE) Fee | $485.00 |
| App/license fee to Board | $180.00 |
| Testing Vendor fee | $70.00 |
| Misc Clinical Expenses | $260.00 |
| Total In-State | $11,941.53 |
| Total Out-of-State | $32,374.90 |
Pre-PTA and PTA Program Course Plan
| Semester 1 – General Education/Prerequisites (taken prior to applying to program) | |
| BSC 2085/L Anatomy and Physiology I with lab | 4 credit hours |
| ENC1101 College Composition | 3 credit hours |
| MAC 1105 College Algebra or higher Gordon Rule math | 3 credit hours |
| HSC 2531 Medical Terminology | 3 credit hours |
| 13 credit hours | |
| Semester 2 – General Education/Prerequisites (taken prior to applying to program) | |
| PHY 2004/L Applied Physics with lab | 4 credit hours |
| PHI 2635 Biomed Ethics or General Ethics course | 3 credit hours |
| One Social/Behavioral Science course | 3 credit hours |
| BSC 2086/L Anatomy and Physiology II with lab | 4 credit hours |
| 14 credit hours | |
| Semester 3 – Fall PTA Core Technical Component | |
| PHT 1000/C PTA Principles and Procedures with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 1121/C Kinesiology/Anatomy for PTA with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 1132/C Musculoskeletal Disorders with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| 12 credit hours | |
| Semester 4 – Spring PTA Core Technical Component | |
| PHT 2210/C Modalities with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 2162/C Neurological Disorders & Treatment w/lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 2220/C Therapeutic Exercise I with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 1301 Principles of Disease* | 3 credit hours |
| 15 credit hours | |
| Semester 5 – Summer D PTA Core Technical Component | |
| PHT 2800 Clinical Experience I* | 6 credit hours |
| 6 credit hours | |
| Semester 6 – Fall PTA Core Technical Component | |
| PHT 2228/C Therapeutic Exercise II with lab* | 4 credit hours |
| PHT 2931 PTA Seminar* | 2 credit hours |
| PHT 2932 Specials Topics* | 2 credit hours |
| PHT 2810 Clinical Experience II* | 6 credit hours |
| 14 credit hours | |
*These courses may not be transferred from another institution.
PTA Core program enrollment is limited to a maximum of 24 students per cohort. The Technical courses must be taken as a cohort in the order above. The general education courses may be taken in any order based on prerequisite requirements and course offerings.
Transportation while in Program
Reliable transportation is a requirement for participation. Students are expected to have their own transportation to/from campus and clinical sites for the duration of the program.
Program Performance Standards
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program (PTA) is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective and psychomotor performance requirements. Applicants should assess their aptitude and ability to perform professional duties by reviewing the Program Performance Standards below and discussing them with their healthcare provider. Applicants who identify potential difficulties with meeting the Program Performance Standards should communicate their concerns to the Academic Chair for Allied Health Programs. If the concern is related to a documented disability, applicants are responsible for contacting the Disability Resource Center for determination of reasonable and appropriate accommodation.
| Issue | Standard | Examples |
| Critical Thinking | Critical thinking sufficient for clinical judgment. | Work under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist to determine and implement treatment based on a physical therapy plan of care. Interpret medical charts. Determine with input from the Physical Therapist, when to progress, alter, or withhold treatment. |
| Interpersonal | Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds. | Communicate effectively, appropriately, and sensitively with patients, families and health care providers. |
| Communication | Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form. | Communicate effectively, appropriately and sensitively with patients, families and caregivers. Document response to therapy; document therapeutic procedure performed on patient; consult with supervising Physical Therapist and other healthcare providers. The student must be able to read, write, see, speak, hear and interpret written and verbal communication in English. |
| Mobility | Physical abilities sufficient to move independently from room to room and through hallways; maneuver in small places. | Perform complex motor skills necessary to provide therapeutic intervention and emergency treatment to patients and possess the necessary physical strength to transfer, ambulate, guard and reposition patients safely. Move patient to/from wheelchair, stretcher or bed. Assist in patient transport, mobility and ambulation. |
| Tactile and Motor Skills | Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to safely and effectively perform cardiopulmonary skills. Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment. | Possess fine and gross motor skills to accurately assess patients through palpation, range of motion, and manual muscle testing. |
| Hearing | Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. | Hear to accurately assess vital signs, monitor equipment, alarms and alerts; communicate verbally with patients, family, staff and other healthcare providers. |
| Visual | Visual ability sufficient for physical observation. | Read patient charts, flow sheets and equipment; use visual inspection to monitor and assess patient status, mobility and movement patterns, pain, vital signs and response to therapy. |
Professional Appearance - Students must abide by specific professional appearance requirements while in the program. These requirements have been agreed upon by SF College and its clinical partners. Hair must be maintained within the range of natural color and must be conservative in length and style. Completely shaved or bald styles are acceptable; however, no partially shaved or one-sided haircuts are permitted. Visible tattoos must be covered at all times. Visible body piercings are not allowed and earlobe gauges must be covered. Earrings are limited to one stud-style pair per ear. Clothing and footwear must comply with standards prescribed by the program. Facial hair should be kept neat and trimmed short. Artificial nails, nail polish, jewelry, watches and perfume are not permitted.