Header Two
Physical Therapist Assistant
A Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) works under the direction and supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist (PT). Duties include assisting the PT in implementing treatment programs according to the plan of care, training patients in exercises and activities of daily living, using special equipment, administering modalities and other treatment procedures, reporting to the PT on the patient’s response, and documenting patient treatment and response. PTAs work in a variety of environments including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, public schools, private clinics, and even patients’ homes.
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program at Delgado Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Delgado Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 504-671-6240 or email swelsh1@dcc.edu.
View the Program Financial Fact Sheet
Program Facts
- 26 out of 44 qualified applicants were accepted into the 2023-2024 PTA Class that began the PTA Program in August 2023.
| Category | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 |
|
# of applicants who met all admission requirements |
86 |
96 |
82 |
73 |
53 |
|
# of students admitted to PTA Program |
26 |
27 |
28 |
26 |
26 |
|
Graduation Rate |
92% |
89% |
92% |
100% |
92% |
|
First Time Licensure Exam Pass Rate |
|
92% |
95% |
92% |
83% |
|
Ultimate Licensure Exam Pass Rate |
96% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
N/A |
|
# of graduates employed within 12 months of passing licensure exam |
100%* |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
* 2022-2023 Class: 100% of those who passed the PTA licensure exam and sought employment as a PTA were employed as of November 28, 2023.
Program Curriculum
The PTA Program at Delgado includes two parts:
- Required prerequisite courses (29 semester hours)
- PTA component of the PTA courses (43 semester hours)
See Official Program Description in the College Catalog
Following successful completion of prerequisite course work and verification of experience in physical therapy (volunteer, observation or work experience) students may apply to the PTA Program. Admission to the PTA Program is by selection. Applications are due March 31. Please see admissions information.
The PTA component of the program begins in August of each year and consists of three semesters of full-time, day-time class work and clinical experiences. The final summer semester of the program is spent in full-time clinical affiliations and may require travel to facilities outside the New Orleans area.
Students in the PTA Program devote up to 40 hours per week attending classes on the City Park Campus and obtaining clinical education in a hospital or clinical setting. Students are expected to devote an additional 20-25 hours per week in study and class preparation. Students are strongly discouraged from working (even part-time) during their course of training. Students may be required to attend clinics out of the New Orleans Metropolitan area and are responsible for travel and housing.
Graduates are awarded an Associate of Applied Science degree by Delgado Community College upon completion of the PTA Program and are eligible to sit for the PTA licensure examination. Graduates must pass this licensure examination to become licensed by the Louisiana Board of Physical Therapy as Physical Therapist Assistants.
Students interested in applying to the Delgado PTA Program should meet with Mrs. Bianca Davis, Allied Health Admissions Advisor, City Park Campus, Building 4, Room 312. Please email her at bdavis@dcc.edu for her weekly schedule. She will review your transcripts and the Delgado PTA Program admissions process, and she will help you design your schedule to make sure you obtain the required prerequisite courses.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities for PTAs are excellent. Licensed PTAs will find employment opportunities in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, public schools, and private clinics. The median income for a physical therapist assistant is $48,000 depending on position, years of experience, degree of education, geographic location, and practice setting.
Educational Opportunities
The technical courses in a PTA program do not transfer for credit to a PT education program. Some hours of the pre-clinical courses may be accepted as prerequisites to PT programs, but there are many other courses needed as prerequisites to be considered for admission to a PT program. If you think you would rather be a PT than a PTA you should contact the LSU School of Allied Health Professions Department of PT (504) 568-4288 for information about their program.