MCCCD Program Description

Major: 3675 Catalog Year: 2025-2026 Effective Term: 2025 Fall Last Admit Term: 9999 Award: AAS Total Credits: 73.5-80.5 CIP Code: 51.0806	Primary College: Initiating College: Gateway Community College Program Availability: Not Found Program Availability: College-Specific Program Availability: College-Specific: GW Field of Interest: Health Sciences Instructional Council: Allied Health GPA: 2.00
SOC Code: Upon completion of this program, students may pursue a career as a: 31-2021 Physical Therapist Assistant

Description: The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in the Physical Therapist Assisting program prepares students to use therapeutic modalities and procedures under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. The physical therapist assistant works with patients who have physical impairments requiring physical therapy services to relieve pain and heal damaged tissue; and to improve range of motion, strength, and functional mobility. Physical therapy treatments include but are not limited to the application of therapeutic modalities; therapeutic exercise including stretching, range of motion, and strengthening; mobility skills including ambulation, transfers, and wheelchair mobility activities; balance exercises; and wound care management.

The Physical Therapist Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Only graduates of an accredited training program may practice as a physical therapist assistant in the state of Arizona. Program graduates are eligible to apply for the certification examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. A passing score on this examination is required for licensure/certification to practice as a physical therapist assistant in Arizona and in many other states.

This program is designed to meet education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Arizona. Granting licensure and certification is the sole responsibility of the state board or approval agency. This program is only offered and available to students located in the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Community College District and colleges define student location within Administrative Regulation 2.2.3(7).

Learning Outcomes
1. Perform treatment techniques to patients according to the physical therapist`s plan of care. (HCC145, HCC146, PTA103, PTA104, PTA200, PTA204, PTA205, PTA206, PTA207, PTA209, PTA215, PTA217, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, PTA295, BIO160, BIO201, CRE101, (COM), [FYC]) 2. Utilize lawful and ethical guidelines for decision-making in the workplace. (PTA204, PTA206, PTA208, PTA230, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, CRE101, (COM), [FYC]) 3. Apply knowledge of disease processes for effective treatment of patients in the physical therapy practice setting. (PTA203, PTA204, PTA206, PTA207, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, PTA295, BIO160, BIO201, CRE101, (COM)) 4. Apply the foundational principles of treatment, patient care and safety, as applied to the practice of physical therapy. (PTA101, PTA103, PTA104, PTA200, PTA204, PTA206, PTA207, PTA215, PTA216, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, PTA295, BIO160, BIO201, (COM), [FYC]) 5. Demonstrate problem-solving techniques, professional ethics and patient care management skills in the role of a physical therapist assistant in the clinical setting. (PTA204, PTA206, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, CRE101, (COM), [FYC]) 6. Apply basic techniques of therapeutic and effective communication in a health care setting. (PTA204, PTA205, PTA206, PTA207, PTA230, PTA279, PTA280, PTA281, PTA290, PTA292, PTA295, PSY101, CRE101, (COM), [FYC], [HU], [MA])

Program Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program. If selected as part of program completion, the following general education courses must be completed with a B or higher to apply for an available space to begin the core curriculum: BIO160 or BIO201; ENG101 or ENG107; and ENG102 or ENG108. Students with other related health care experiences not listed on the following program preparatory options may request an evaluation for course competency equivalence for work experience or equivalent education as evaluated by the GateWay Health Core Curriculum Coordinator. Once admitted to the program, students should plan to attend full time. Required HCC courses may be taken prior to program admission or concurrent with required courses. HCC courses must be completed prior to clinical placement if taken concurrent with required courses.

Admission Criteria
1. Formal application and admission to begin the core curriculum is determined by a point system. See point system description in Physical Therapist Assisting (PTA) program packet in the Health Sciences Division of college. 2. Background check requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District background check standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD background check policy and drug testing protocols. 3. Clinical health and safety requirements: Prior to placement in the clinical setting, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD clinical health and safety policy. 4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements prior to placement in the clinical setting may result in cancellation of enrollment. 5. Forty (40) hours of volunteer/work/observation in physical therapy practice settings supervised by a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant are required to apply for admission into the PTA program. A minimum of 10 hours in an inpatient (hospital, skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation hospital) setting is required.

Required Courses

HCC145 Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals (3) OR
HCC146 Common Medical Terminology for Health Care Professionals (2) 2-3

+ PTA101 Survey of Physical Therapy 1.5
+ PTA103 Kinesiology 3
+ PTA104 Musculo-Skeletal Assessment Techniques 1.5
+ PTA200 Patient Mobility Techniques 4
+ PTA203 Clinical Pathology 3
+ PTA204 Preclinical Practicum I 0.5
+ PTA205 Communication in Physical Therapy 1.5
+ PTA206 Clinical Practicum I 3
+ PTA207 Clinical Practicum Seminar I 1
+ PTA208 Rehabilitation of Special Populations 5
+ PTA209 Orthopedics for the Physical Therapist Assistant 5
+ PTA215 Wound Care for the Physical Therapist Assistant 1
+ PTA216 Biophysical Agents in Physical Therapy 5
+ PTA217 Clinical Neurology 2
+ PTA230 Physical Therapy Seminar 2
+ PTA279 Preclinical Practicum II 0.5
+ PTA280 Clinical Practicum II 3
+ PTA281 Clinical Practicum Seminar II 1
+ PTA290 Clinical Practicum III 3
+ PTA292 Clinical Practicum Seminar III 1
+ PTA295 Physical Therapist Assistant Examination Review 2

Credits: 51.5-52.5

Restricted Electives
	Credits:

General Electives
	Credits:

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirement	Credits: 22-28

General Education Core	Credits: 12-18

First-Year Composition	Credits: 6
+ ENG101 First-Year Composition (3) OR + ENG107 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) 3 + ENG102 First-Year Composition (3) OR + ENG108 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) 3

Oral Communication	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course from the Oral Communication area 3

Critical Reading	Credits: 0-3
+ CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking (3) OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment 0-3

Mathematics	Credits: 3-6
Any approved general education course from the Mathematics area 3-6 Recommend the following courses for students who are interested in transferring to university: + MAT140 College Mathematics (5) OR + MAT141 College Mathematics (4) OR + MAT142 College Mathematics (3) OR MAT145 College Mathematics with Review (5) OR MAT146 College Mathematics with Review (6) 3-6

General Education Distribution	Credits: 10

Humanities, Arts and Design	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course from the Humanities, Arts and Design area 3

Social-Behavioral Sciences	Credits: 3
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology 3

Natural Sciences	Credits: 4
BIO160 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology (4) OR + BIO201 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4) 4

+ indicates course has prerequisites and/or corequisites.
++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected.

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: March 25, 2025

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.