Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Students interested in applying to LaGuardia Community College should contact the Admissions Office. New students selecting PTA as their major are considered to be in the pre-clinical phase.

Progression to the clinical phase of the program is competitive and is by acceptance into candidacy. Students must apply for candidacy and be accepted in order to enter the clinical phase. Successful candidates are scheduled to begin the Clinical Phase in Session II of the following semester (six months after notification of acceptance into the clinical phase) Candidates will forfeit their seat in the program if they are unable to begin as scheduled.

Pre-Clinical Phase

The pre-clinical phase of the PTA program consists of all required general education and elective courses, including Key Courses. Pre-clinical students are considered candidates for the clinical phase.

Students must first complete, or be in the process of completing, the four key courses with a minimum GPA of 2.50 in the semester they are applying for candidacy. In addition to the GPA requirement, a pre-program entrance exam called the TEAS (Test of Academic Skills) administered by Assessment Technologies Inc. (ATI) is included in the determination of a student’s acceptance into the clinical phase of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

Eligible students are then ranked according to a scoring system of grades in Key Courses and any pre-clinical courses taken up to the end of the candidacy semester. Learn more about the scoring system and additional candidacy requirements in the PTA Admission Handbook.

All Pre-Clinical courses must be completed prior to the start of the first Clinical course.

Physical Therapist Assistant Program Proof of Residency Requirement

Beginning the fall 2016 semester all students applying for candidacy in the LaGuardia Community College Physical Therapist Assistant Program must provide documentation in one of the following categories, in addition to meeting the program's candidacy requirements:

• U. S. Citizenship
• Permanent Residency
• International Student with F1 Status
• Deferred Action Status by the U. S. Government Granted Asylum, Refugee Status, Temporary Protected Status, Withholding of Removal

Students who are interested in pursuing a health career and are unable to provide documentation in one of the categories listed above are urged to contact the Office of International Student Services located in Room M166 or call (718) 482-5143 to schedule an appointment. In addition, the City University of New York provides free counseling and assistance to all CUNY students through the CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project. Further information can be located at the following CUNY website: http://web.cuny.edu/about/citizenship.html.

In support of the LaGuardia’s mission to educate and graduate its students to become critical thinkers and socially responsible citizens, the College has undertaken a team approach toward advising, designed to support you in your major from orientation through graduation.

Your Advising Team is made up of faculty, professional and peer advisors. They will guide you at every step during your college career. They are ready to help you:

• Explore your major
• Select introductory and advanced courses
• Connect you with campus support services
• Prepare an educational and career plan

In your first semester, your First Year Seminar (FYS) professor is your advisor. In your second semester and beyond, you can log in to My LaGuardia to contact advisor(s) or make an appointment.

Visit the Advising page to learn more about when to get advised and how to prepare for an advising appointment, and check out the Advising Calendar for information sessions, events and more.

1. In order to apply for PTA candidacy (progression to the clinical phase of the PTA Program), you must be a PTA Major.
   
   
2. To apply for candidacy, students must register for “Intent to PTA” PTA000.4499 in the first three weeks of a 12 week term.
   
   
3. All four of the Key Courses must be completed by the end of that same term that you have registered for “Intent to PTA”.
   
   
4. If you are completing a Key Course in the same term that you have registered for “Intent to PTA” and decide to withdraw from the Key Course, you must also withdraw from “Intent to PTA” prior to the official withdrawal date.
   
   
5. Students must take the TEAS exam and submit scores to the PTA Program office in E 300. The TEAS score must be within 18 months of the end date of candidacy. PTA candidacy does not limit the number of attempts for this exam.
   
   
6. If you received a grade of C-, D, F or WU for any of the Key Courses and have repeated the course, all grades for the Key Course will be used in evaluating your candidacy.  If you received a grade of C- or below on any of your pre-clinical courses, the course can be repeated with the permission of the Health Sciences Chairperson.
   
   
7. Results of the candidacy evaluation will not be available until all grades for the 12-week session have been submitted and the Registrar’s Office has completed the calculations. You will then be notified by the PTA Program with information as to when and where you may obtain the results.
   
   
8. If you are not accepted into the Clinical Phase, you may repeat the registration for “Intent to PTA” one more time unless your GPA for the Key Courses is below 2.5 in which case you are no longer eligible to reapply. A student has two attempts for PTA candidacy.
   
   
9. Be certain that you are taking the correct courses and see a faculty advisor in E 300 prior to registering. PTA faculty office hours are posted in E 300 each session.
   
   

10. TEAS result must be submitted to the PTA Program Director prior to the end of the semester applying to candidacy

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of physical therapist assistants in the US is expected to grow 41% from 2012- 2022, providing increased opportunities for employment as a physical therapist assistant.

Students who graduate from the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in order to be eligible for New York State Certification. Passing the NPTE is required in order to be eligible for license or certification in all 50 states. Federal law limits the issuance of professional licenses, registrations and limited permits to United States citizens or qualified aliens. Students with criminal records are examined on a case by case basis in regards to New York State licensure. 

Explore career possibilities on Career Connect.  

Current Students

Log in to the CUNY Portal to review your Degree Audit to find out what classes to take.

Have questions about using Degree Audit? Visit LaGuardia’s Degree Audit page for tutorials and how-to guides.

Prospective Students

Review the Physical Therapist Assistant Curriculum and the recommended course sequence below.

See flexible sequence for students with basic skills needs.

For information about this program’s retention and graduation rate visit the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website page.

Click here to download the complete Physical Therapist Assistant Program Handbook

Click here to download the Physical Therapist Assistant Admissions Guide

An electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) is a personal website given to every registered LaGuardia student. An ePortfolio not only helps you set educational and career goals, it is also a tool for reflective learning that can help you learn about yourself. LaGuardia is widely recognized for its innovative, comprehensive ePortfolio program; visit the ePortfolio site to learn more.

Learn more about the PTA Program on our students’ e Portfolios:

Andrea Villalobos