The Physical Therapist Assistant Program (PTA) is designed to prepare individuals to effectively assist in treatment and assessment of physical therapy patients under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
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Our PTA faculty members are highly-skilled professionals with extensive content expertise and a passion for training students to be successful in their field of work.
To be considered for admission to the PTA Program, all applicants must complete the entire PTA application process by January 1 and meet the minimum admissions criteria listed below:
The mission of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University is to educate and form Franciscan servant leaders who are highly skilled and compassionate physical therapist assistants who are prepared to think critically and deliver holistic patient-centered care. (Revised 3/1/2017)
The goals of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University support the missions of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady and the needs of the physical therapy community. In order to fulfill its educational purpose, the program is committed to:
1996, REVISED 2002, 2003
The student learning outcomes of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program define the expected performance level of all Program graduates, and are derived from the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Mission and Institutional Goals and the PTA Program Philosophy and Goals. The learning outcomes identify the skills and competencies of the entry level physical therapist assistant as reflected by the current practice of Physical Therapy.
Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be prepared to:
1996, Revised 2002, Revised 2007 Revised 2009, SASHP Assessment Committee, Curriculum Committee
Each year, the PTA program admits students to begin in the summer semester of each year. The application cycle to the PTA program begins in October and concludes February 1 of the following year. During this time, the student interested in the PTA program should consult with the office of advising to begin the process of being admitted to the University and subsequently applying to the PTA program. The office of advising can assist you as you submit all of the documents needed for admission to the University. The office of admissions will review your transcripts and other documents. Once you are admitted into the University, you would next meet again with the office of advising to set your spring semester schedule and begin the process of applying to the PTA program.
The deadline to apply to the PTA program is February 1st. Late application submissions beyond this published deadline will not be considered for the year in which you are applying.
The Office of Admissions will review your college transcript(s) to determine which of the courses you have previously taken will transfer into FranU. When selecting courses at other universities, the student should consider courses that match the course descriptions of the courses required for the FranU PTA program.
The Office of Admissions will consider any online course for transfer credit at FranU. However, the course must match the course description of a similar course offered at FranU. The online course should be offered at the same level as the course at FranU and have appropriate rigor. Lastly, the student must achieve a passing grade in the course (C or better) using the same grading scale used in the similar course offered at FranU.
For more information about the PTA program, email: pta@franu.edu.
The minimum length of the PTA program is 5 semesters, though many students choose to proceed at a slower pace.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a PTA in 2018 was $57,750 per year. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019)
With only a few exceptions, the PTA can work in any setting that delivers physical therapy services to patients/clients.
In the previous three year period, 100% of FranU PTA graduates are employed.
For the previous 3 years (2016-2018), the first time pass rate for FranU graduates 93.5%. During this same time, the ultimate pass rate was 97.4% (FSBPT.org, 2019). The national average first-time pass rate is 87% and the national average ultimate pass rate is 92.3% (CAPTE Aggregate Program Data Fact Sheet, 2018-2019)
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Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University 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: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Leah Geheber at (225) 768-1746 or email leah.geheber@franu.edu.