Learn About the Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) play an essential role in helping patients restore movement, function, and independence following illness, injury, or surgery. PTAs are licensed clinicians who, under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist, implement treatment plans, instruct patients in therapeutic exercises, and promote safe use of assistive devices to support recovery and overall wellness.

How do PTAs Help Patients?
PTAs apply evidence-based techniques to improve mobility, strength, and quality of life. Their work often involves hands-on patient care—assisting with exercises, transfers, and gait training—to help individuals achieve their highest possible level of independence.

What are Common PTA responsibilities?

PTAs use evidence-based techniques to help patients regain mobility, strength, and coordination while reducing pain and improving quality of life. Their work spans a wide range of patient needs—from orthopedic injuries to complex neurological conditions—and often involves active, hands-on care. A career in physical therapy is active and hands-on, involving regular patient handling, lifting, and long periods of standing and walking while providing care.

Common PTA responsibilities include:

• Administering therapeutic exercises and physical modalities to improve strength, endurance, and flexibility
• Performing manual therapy and soft tissue techniques to decrease pain and enhance movement
• Assisting with gait training, functional mobility, and balance activities to promote safe, independent movement
• Providing neuromuscular reeducation for patients recovering from neurological injuries such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury
• Supporting orthopedic rehabilitation following joint replacement, fractures, or musculoskeletal conditions
• Educating patients and caregivers on individualized home exercise and functional training programs
• Monitoring progress and communicating effectively with the physical therapist and the broader healthcare team

PTAs are movement specialists who combine science, skill, and compassion to help patients return to the activities that matter most.

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at Jefferson State Community College is a two-year course of study leading to an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. Graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for licensure as Physical Therapist Assistants.

Admission to the professional phase of the program is competitive and requires a separate application process. Candidates must first complete 29 credit hours of prerequisite and general education courses as outlined in the program’s admission guidelines.

Once admitted, students complete three semesters (40 credit hours) of advanced coursework that integrates classroom instruction, laboratory practice, and hands-on clinical experiences in a variety of healthcare settings.

Students may choose between two learning formats:

• Traditional Track: On-campus, in-person instruction supported through Canvas, the college’s course management system.
• Hybrid Track: Combines online lecture courses with required in-person labs at the Shelby-Hoover Campus.

Graduates are prepared to provide high-quality care across the lifespan in diverse settings, including hospitals, outpatient and rehabilitation clinics, schools, home health, nursing facilities, and sports medicine environments. As the demand for rehabilitation services continues to grow nationwide, employment opportunities for PTAs remain strong and steadily increasing.

Class sizes are limited, and qualified applicants are ranked using a point-based system. The application deadline is January 15 each year. Admission requirements and program details are subject to change; the most current information is posted on the Jefferson State website.

The Mission of the Jefferson State Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to prepare competent, ethical, entry level Physical Therapist Assistants who are lifelong learners. The Program exists to provide an educational environment in which the needs of the individual student, the community, and other target audiences can be met. We are committed to accomplishing this mission through the use of quality instructional methods including both traditional and technology-based instruction, whereby students are assisted to achieve the academic knowledge and clinical skills necessary to serve the physical therapy health care needs of the public.

Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Jefferson State Community 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 . If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (205) 983-5991 or email jaclyn.isbell@jeffersonstate.edu.

This rigorous honor reflects an initial achievement of the minimal level of program quality necessary for successful operation as well as a systematically ongoing program of continuous quality monitoring and improvement.  Further information about the accreditation process, or the filing of a complaint related to program accreditation or integrity, can be obtained online at http://www.capteonline.org

Licensure

Ongoing program accreditation assures that program graduates are eligible to sit for the PTA version of the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)*. Successful completion of this exam is a necessary component for licensure and practice in the field of physical therapy in most states, including Alabama. In addition to passing the NPTE, each state includes rigorous legal and ethical standards of practice. For example, the State of Alabama may deny licensure to any individual for reasons including, but not limited to, conviction of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude, or violation of state or federal narcotics laws. For more details on the practice standards for Alabama, please visit the State of Alabama Board of Physical Therapy website at www.pt.alabama.gov/. You may also find more information about the NPTE and a listing of other state regulatory agencies and their requirements for licensure by visiting the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy at www.fsbpt.org.

*The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

124 West Street South, Third Floor

Alexandria, VA 22314

Telephone: 703-739-9420

Website:  www.fsbpt.org

Licensure Disclosure Statement

This program has determined that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in all states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands secondary to its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, based on the following:  CAPTE accreditation of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program satisfies state educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus, students graduating from CAPTE-accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website.

Estimated costs for each track are the same. The estimated costs for the On-Campus and Online programs are listed below. Please note that Tuition and Fees are subject to change by the State Board of Education without notice. The list below does not include textbooks, uniforms, liability insurance, health insurance, medical screening fees, and other fees associated with testing, transportation/lodging on clinical rotations, professional membership dues, small lab supplies or other incidentals (~$4500.00).

Pre-requisite Coursework (In State) – 29 credit hours x $184 = $5,336.00
Pre-requisite Coursework (Out of State) – 29 credit hours x $315 = $9,135.00
Professional Coursework (In State) – 40 credit hours x $184 = $7,360.00
Professional Coursework (Out of State) – 40 credit hours x $315 = $12,600.00