Physical Therapist Assistant
Come to the next Program Information Session!
What courses do I take in order to become a Physical Therapist Assistant?
Our Program will help you in: Preparing for Careers in Physical Therapy, Patient Management for the PTA, Pathophysiology and Clinical Kinesiology for the PTA, Evidence-Based Physical Therapy...
What is the estimated cost of the PTA program?
A quality college education doesn't have to be expensive! At College of the Canyons, you can work toward your educational goals and experience all the advantages of a four-year college at a fraction of the cost.
What do Physical Therapist Assistants do?
PTAs help people of all ages who have medical problems, or other health-related conditions that cause them pain and limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.
Join one of the fastest-growing healthcare fields -
College of the Canyons' Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Associate in Science program! With a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience, you'll learn the skills needed to provide high-quality patient care.
- PTAs work in a variety of settings including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health, skilled nursing facilities, schools, sports facilities, and more.
- The estimated tuition for the program is about $3795. The program is about 82.5 units at $46/unit.
- The program is 4 semesters long, with one 4-week clinical internship experience in the summer and two 6-week ones in the last semester. Graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination for the Physical Therapist Assistant and become licensed in all 50 states.
We are excited to launch our new program in Fall 2025.
Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.
College of the Canyons is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on November 1, 2024. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.• Complaints can also be directed to:
College of the Canyons
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Complaints: https://www.canyons.edu/about/complaints.php
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
1102 Q Street, Suite 4550
Sacramento, CA 95811
Complaints: https://www.cccco.edu/Complaint-Process-Notice
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
331 J Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, California 95814
(415) 506-0234
Complaints: https://accjc.org/complaint-process/
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085
703-706-3245
E-mail: accreditation@apta.org
Complaints: https://www.capteonline.org/faculty-and-program-resources/complaint
• Retaliation for complaints is prohibited by the Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees Policy 7700 (Whistleblower Policy) and Administrative Procedure Policy 7700 (Whistleblower Protection).