Traditional Program

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) execute specialized treatment programs under the direct supervision of a Physical Therapist. Their responsibilities include training patients in therapeutic exercise and daily activities, administering clinical modalities, and documenting patient responses to treatment to ensure the PT can make informed adjustments to the plan of care.
The traditional PTA program will accept one class cohort each Spring beginning January 2028. The application can be submitted beginning in the fall of 2027. See early and regular admission information below.

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The SWOSU Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program uses a selective admission process based on academic performance, experience, and professional potential. Please note that the program requires a separate application in addition to the general university admission application. Additionally, any Anatomy and Physiology prerequisites completed outside the program schedule must have been taken within the last seven years to remain eligible.

Accreditation

Graduation from a physical therapist [assistant] education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist [assistant] education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on [insert date]. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the [professional/technical] phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in [professional/technical] courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.

Traditional Program