Physical Therapist Assistant

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Physical Therapist Assistant Overview

Earn your Physical Therapist Assistant degree at CVTC! You will help people of all ages improve their mobility and relieve pain and disability caused by disease or injury. If you are looking for a rewarding career where you can help others improve their function, becoming a physical therapist assistant is the right choice.

The program will teach you how to do the following under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist:

Implement treatment programs
Teach patients to perform exercises
Conduct treatments using special equipment

You will gain the following skills:

Therapeutic exercises
Application of heat/cold
Soft tissue mobilization
Electrical stimulation
Documentation
Neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary treatment skills

You will have a clinical experience as part of the program to apply foundational elements, knowledge, and technical skills required of the entry-level physical therapist assistant in various practice settings.

After completion of the program, you will be prepared to work in a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, or other healthcare facility.

Earn credit for prior learning! Do you have previous educational or work experience in the field? You could be eligible to receive credit for prior learning.

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Just the Facts

	Physical Therapist Assistant 61 Credit Associate Degree
	Program Length Two Years
	Delivery Method Face-to-Face
	Program Location Eau Claire
	Start Months August

Financial Aid Eligible

Bloodborne Pathogens

Students in this program should be aware of the risks associated with bloodborne pathogens. Learn more.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Students entering health programs at CVTC should understand the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDs, through saliva and blood with direct patient care as part of their education.

This exposure can be minimized or eliminated using a combination of engineering and work practice controls, personal protective clothing and equipment, training, medical surveillance, Hepatitis B vaccination, signs and labels, and other provisions.

All programs at CVTC comply with local, state, and federal infection control policies, including the use of standard precautions as stipulated by current CDC guidelines. Written policies and instructions on infection control protocol to minimize the risk of disease transmission is provided throughout the courses in the curriculum. Compliance of safety practices is evaluated throughout the students' clinical experiences to ensure a safe educational environment.

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Estimated Program Cost

Learn more about the cost of attendance.

Term 1	$	2,670
Term 2	$	2,614
Term 3	$	997
Term 4	$	2,155
Term 5	$	2,115
Books	$	975
License, Certificate, or Credential	$	620

What are estimated program costs? Estimated Total: $12,146

Program Courses Admission Information I'm Ready to Apply

Career Opportunities

Physical Therapist Assistant

Graduate Employers

Broad River Rehab

CI Therapies

Dove Healthcare

Mayo Clinic Health System

Optimum Therapies

PT Solutions

Program Outcomes

CVTC graduates are ready for the workforce. Each year, we send our graduates the Graduate Follow-Up Survey asking several questions related to employment. Here are the program outcomes and job data.

// Program Scorecard

$47K Yearly Salary

Our recent Physical Therapist Assistant graduates reported an average starting salary of $46,758.

80% Employed

80% of our recent Physical Therapist Assistant graduates got a job in the industry.

33 Regional Jobs

There are 33 job openings in the CVTC district for the Physical Therapist Assistant industry.

Transfer

Credits to Other Institutions

Should you choose to continue your education after you leave CVTC, we have agreements in place with several institutions to ensure an easy transfer.

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Program Courses

These are a few of the courses you will take in this program. Courses and the recommended sequence change from year to year; once you are enrolled in a program at CVTC you will be given a recommended course sequence that outlines what courses you should take and the order in which to take them.

You may search for available courses. If you are ever unsure of what courses to take, talk to your academic advisor. If you are looking for course information for previous years, check out our past catalogs.

Here are a few of the courses you can take in the Physical Therapist Assistant program.

Sample Courses

Kinesiology 1
Introduces basic principles of musculoskeletal anatomy, kinematics, and clinical assessment. Students locate and identify muscles, joints, and other landmarks of the lower quadrant in addition to assessing range of motion and strength.

Therapeutic Exercise
Provides instruction on the implementation of a variety of therapeutic exercise principles. Learners implement, educate, adapt, and assess responses to therapeutic exercises.

Principles of Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
Integrates concepts of neuromuscular pathologies, physical therapy interventions, and data collection in patient treatment.

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Your future is waiting…Are you ready to get started?

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Labs are really hands-on, and having a variety of people you can practice on helps you get a feel for a real work environment.

Keng

Physical Therapist Assistant student

Related Programs & Certificates

Whether you're looking to continue your learning to another program or to gain continuing education credit, CVTC offers a variety of learning opportunities for students.

Degrees & Diplomas

Clinical Assistant, Technical Diploma

Medical Assistant, Technical Diploma

Practical Nursing (LPN), Technical Diploma

Certificates

Healthcare Data Analytics

Continue Your Learning

CVTC can help you achieve your learning goals whether you are looking to advance your career or enrich your personal life.

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Unsure of which program you'd like to go into? Learn more about our Career Assessment to help narrow down your options.

A Program You Can Trust

Program Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Chippewa Valley Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. Effective January 1, 2025, the program's current status is probationary accreditation; for more information see https://www.capteonline.org/about-capte/recent-actions-and-updates/recent-actions. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 715.858.1885 or email spowell8@cvtc.edu.

View program financial fact sheet. | View CAPTE outcome data. | Learn about complaints.

Additional Admissions Resources

Admission Requirements

Each program requires specific requirements a student must meet to be considered for admissions to this program.

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Advising Tips

We have compiled helpful tips and general information for students in this program.

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