Physical Therapist Assistant

PTA Program

PTA Program Changes Taking Place in 2023

This page is to alert you of important changes to Mercer County Community College’s PTA program that will go into effect in 2023.

Starting in 2023:
  • The application for the professional phase will include a writing skills assessment component
  • The applicant score formula has been updated to reflect the addition of the writing skills assessment
  • The professional phase of the PTA program will begin in the fall semester (instead of the summer A semester)
  • The professional phase of the PTA program will consist of 5 terms (instead of 4). Those terms include fall I (14 weeks), spring I (14 weeks), summer (4 weeks), fall II (14 weeks) and spring II (6 weeks).
  • Graduates will complete the professional phase in March, be eligible to take the national board exam the following April, and participate in the college’s May commencement ceremony in May.
  • Changes to courses within the professional phase will go into effect:
    • Changes to course sequencing
    • Changes to course credits (please note that the total # of credits is not changing)
    • Changes to pre-requisites
    • One additional professional phase course (PTA 114 – Applied Kinesiology)

Even if you have already completed a mandatory PTA Program Information Session, we strongly suggest that you complete another to ensure that you understand the changes listed above. The updated PTA Program Information Session is available on the PTA Program website homepage. In addition to the updated PTA Program Information Session, the following documents have been updated and are available on the PTA Program website for your review:

  • PTA Program Information Packet for Prospective Students
  • PTA Program Application
  • PTA Program Applicant Score Calculation Example

 

This information has been communicated with prospective students using the following methods:

  • An email is being sent to all students who have “Health Science – PTA” listed as their major
  • A notice has been placed on the home page of the PTA Program’s website
  • A notice has been placed on the “prospective student” page of the PTA Program’s website
  • The PTA Program Information Session video has been updated on the website
  • The PTA Program Information Packet for Prospective Students has been updated and placed on the website
  • The PTA Program Application has been updated and placed on the website
  • The PTA Program Applicant Score Calculation Example has been updated and placed on the website

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a PTA Program faculty member as soon as possible.
Professor Beinert, Program Coordinator - beinerth@mccc.edu
Professor Cordasco, Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education - cordascr@mccc.edu</a?