Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

How to Read Course Descriptions

The bolded first line begins with a capitalized abbreviation that designates the subject area followed by the course number and title. The number of credits earned by taking the courses is also displayed.

The course description is a brief summary of the purpose of the course and the topics covered. Any requisite courses are listed and could include the following:

Courses showing the abbreviation “COREQ” require simultaneous registration with each course named as a corequisite.
The abbreviation “PRE-or-COREQ” means that each course named may have been taken prior to or may be taken concurrently with the course for which it is required.
Courses showing the abbreviation “PREREQ” require the courses named as prerequisites to have been taken previously.

If the course can be applied towards a General Education Objective, the applicable Objective is listed.

To assist with your academic planning, courses in the Undergraduate Catalog are designated according to the semester they are usually offered. Unanticipated faculty vacancies and academic program changes may affect future course scheduling. Therefore, students should always contact the academic department to verify future course offerings, especially when specific courses are needed for graduation.

The following letters which appear after the course descriptions indicate the anticipated course scheduling:

F = Fall Semester, every year
S = Spring Semester, every year
Se = Sequential; a series of courses is presented until all have been taught.
Su = Summer Semester, every year
EF, ES, ESu = Even-numbered years, Fall, Spring, or Summer Semester
OF, OS, OSu = Odd-numbered years, Fall, Spring, or Summer Semester
D = Students should contact the Department to ask when this course will be offered.
R1 = Course is rotated every year, either Fall or Spring
R2 = Course is rotated every two years, either Fall or Spring
R3 = Course is rotated every three years, either Fall or Spring

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses

PTA 1104 Introduction to Kinesiology: 3 semester hours.

Fundamental principles of anatomical terminology, osteology, arthrology. Basic observation and palpation skills required. PREREQ: Admission to the PTA program. COREQ: PTA 1107. F

PTA 1105 Introduction to Physical Therapy: 1 semester hour.

Roles and responsibilities of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants will be explored, as well as the history of physical therapy. Includes patient care, legal issues, principles of physical therapy treatment, education requirements, and functions of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). PREREQ: Admission to the PTA program. F

PTA 1106 Applied Kinesiology: 3 semester hours.

The study of applied human anatomy with an emphasis on the musculoskeletal system, identification of structures and relationship to function, normal and abnormal biomechanical principles of joint motion, posture and gait patterns. PREREQ: PTA 1104 and PTA 1107 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 1108. S

PTA 1107 Procedures I: 5 semester hours.

Procedures related to physical therapy treatment, including universal precautions, principles of physics, anatomy, kinesiology, thermal agents, ultrasound, vital signs and their use in therapeutics, transfer training, assistive devices, gait training, ROM, ultrasound, wheelchair management, and wound care. COREQ: PTA 1104. F

PTA 1108 Procedures II: 5 semester hours.

Procedures related to physical therapy treatment, including electrical stimulation theory and techniques for applying variations of electrical current, biofeedback, and other modalities. Students will also learn therapeutic management of prosthetics and orthotics. PREREQ: PTA 1104, PTA 1107 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 1106. S

PTA 2202 Physical Therapy Assessment: 4 semester hours.

Tests and measurements used in physical therapy including: observation, manual muscle testing, goniometry, special tests, vital signs, pain. reflexes, vascular, sensation, coordination, and balance. PREREQ: PTA 2213 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 2205, HO 2208. F

PTA 2204 Seminar: 2 semester hours.

Current practices and issues in physical therapy. Includes clinical problem solving, ethics, legal aspects, reimbursement, case management, research, and employment issues. PREREQ: PTA 2202, PTA 2205, HO 2208 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 2206, PTA 2207.

PTA 2205 Therapeutic Interventions for Musculoskeletal Disorders: 3 semester hours.

General overview of orthopedic injuries and respective rehabilitation strategies. Includes stretching, arthrokinematics, resistance exercise, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, cardiopulmonary rehab, body composition, nerve injuries, and exercise equipment. PREREQ: PTA 2213. COREQ: PTA 2202, HO 2208 with a minimum grade of C. F

PTA 2206 Therapeutic Interventions for Neurological Disorders: 2 semester hours.

General overview of neurological injuries and respective rehabilitation strategies. Includes functional assessment, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, motor learning and other neurological rehab techniques. PREREQ: PTA 2202, PTA 2205, and HO 2208 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 2204, and PTA 2207. S

PTA 2207 Pediatric Rehabilitation: 1 semester hour.

Therapeutic exercise principles and practices related to pediatric patient treatment. Including: developmental sequence and milestones, population specific interventions, stretching, motor learning and other rehab techniques. PREREQ: PTA 2202, PTA 2205, and HO 2208 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 2204, PTA 2206. S

PTA 2213 Clinical Affiliation I: 7 semester hours.

Clinical instructor supervised, eight-week clinical experience starting in the summer (May) after the first year. Experience will focus on initiating and developing beginning Physical Therapist Assistant skills in the treatment setting. PREREQ: PTA 1104, PTA 1105, PTA 1106, PTA 1107, PTA 1108, BIOL 1101, BIOL 1101L, HO 1111 or BIOL 3301, BIOL 3301L with a minimum grade of C. Su

PTA 2214 Clinical Affiliation II: 7 semester hours.

Clinical instructor supervised, eight-week clinical experience starting in March of the second year. Experience will focus on performing Physical Therapist Assistant skills at a professional level in preparation for entering the workforce. PREREQ: PTA 2202, PTA 2205, and HO 2208 with a minimum grade of C. COREQ: PTA 2204, PTA 2206, PTA 2207. S

PTA 2296 Independent Study: 1-8 semester hours.

Addresses specific learning needs of individuals for the enhancement of knowledge and skills within the program area under the guidance of an instructor. May be repeated. Graded S/U, or may be letter-graded. PREREQ: Permission of the instructor. D

PTA 2298 Special Topics: 1-8 semester hours.

This course is designed to address the specific needs of individuals. It will enable the students to upgrade their technical skills through part-time enrollment in units of instruction that are currently available through the program's full-time pre-employment curriculum. PREREQ: Permission of instructor.