Do you have a heart for helping others? Would you like a job helping clients, one-on-one, to overcome physical challenges? Then you should consider a career as a physical therapy assistant. Working under the supervision of a physical therapist, you’ll have the opportunity to help others with rehabilitation exercises to live life to the fullest, step by step.
The first step? The right education—an accredited program to earn your physical therapy assistant (PTA) degree. What is a PTA degree? A quality PTA associate degree program offers a combination of the industry theory and practical techniques needed to assist physical therapists improve the lives of clients in their care. The Physical Therapist Assistant associate degree from Bryant & Stratton College does just that, providing graduates with the foundation to operate as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a number of settings within the medical field.
PTAs provide treatment and assistance to physical therapists with patients of all ages who require care and treatment from a number of ailments. Graduates of the PTA degree can find themselves in outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, private practices, home health agencies, schools, and even athletic facilities. PTAs often teach patients and clients exercises which focus on increasing strength, mobility and coordination. They can even help patient work through electrotherapy (electrical stimulation) and therapeutic massage.
Students in Bryant & Stratton College’s PTA program will go through an in-depth classroom learning experience which focuses on two integrated clinical experiences and two full-time, terminal clinical experiences which address a variety of settings. Through this associate-level lab and lecture education, students gain experience in key theories and skills required in the field to ensure graduates are prepared to offer impactful treatment through client and patient-centered care.
PTA Degree Outcomes
- Demonstrate professional behavior and values, moral and ethical standards and attitudes consistent with the career of the physical therapist assistant.
- Articulate the distinct roles and responsibilities of the physical therapist assistant as they apply to interaction with patients, family members, physical therapists and other professionals.
- Be an advocate for patients, services and for the profession.
- Apply physical therapy principles and theories to data collection and intervention in order to achieve desired outcomes.
Upon completion of the PTA degree program at Bryant & Stratton College, graduates will have the education necessary to take licensure exams and are eligible to sit for the NPTE (National Physical Therapy Exam) for PTAs. Graduates are also encouraged to join career-oriented organizations, such as the American Physical Therapy Association, to stay on top of the latest techniques in the industry.
Accredited PTA Degree Programs
As one of the top physical therapist assistant schools in the region, Bryant & Stratton College is proud to offer PTA degree programs through campuses in New York—Syracuse and Orchard Park—as well as in Parma, Ohio, and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Parma Campus
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 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 216-265-3151 or contact the Program Director:
Jodi Frank, PTA, MEd
Program Director, Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Bryant & Stratton College – Parma Campus
12955 Snow Road
Parma, OH 44130
Phone: 216-859-8355
Email: jgfrank@bryantstratton.edu
2021-2022 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet for Parma Campus
Southtowns Campus
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Bryant & Stratton College-Southtowns Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 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 716-677-9500 or contact the Program Director:
Jennifer L. Schaffstall, PT, DPT, MS, CCI
Program Director, Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Bryant & Stratton College – Southtowns Campus
180 Redtail Road
Orchard Park, NY 14127
Phone: 716-771-5710
Email: jlschaffstall@bryantstratton.edu
2021-2022 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet for Southtowns Campus
Syracuse Campus
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 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 315-472-6603 or contact the Program Director:
Kirsten Nielsen, PT, PhD
Program Director, Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Bryant & Stratton College – Syracuse Campus
953 James St.
Syracuse, NY 13203
Phone: 315-472-6603
Email: knielsen@bryantstratton.edu
2021-2022 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet for Syracuse Campus
Wauwatosa Campus
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 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 414-302-7000.
Becky Thomas, PT, DPT, MSEd
Program Director, Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Bryant & Stratton College – Wauwatosa Campus
10950 W. Potter Rd.
Wauwatosa, WI, 53226
Phone: 414-635-6682
Email: rjthomas@bryantstratton.edu
2021-2022 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet for Wauwatosa Campus
Please contact PTAInfo@bryantstratton.edu to make a comment or report a concern about the PTA Program. If you would like, please include your name, address and telephone number along with your comments. Once received one of the PTA Program Directors will be in contact with you if further clarification is needed. Confidential comments or concerns may be made by contacting the Grievance Coordinator at the corresponding campus (PDF).
Concerns about the PTA Program can be made to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) by contacting the APTA Accreditation Department at 703-706-3245 or at accreditation@apta.org
Physical Therapist Assistant Academic Program Disclosures
Physical Therapist Assistant Program Outcomes