Physical Therapist Assistant AAS Information

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General Program Information

  • Program length: 6 quarters of PTA technical & clinical courses
  • Up to 20 students admitted per cohort - all students take same schedule each quarter
  • Day-time, full-time program (schedule varies by quarter)
    • Lecture and Lab courses generally 8am – 4pm M-F
    • Located on Kirkland, WA campus with multiple lab spaces
  • In 2nd year, full-time off-site clinical rotations (40 hours per week)
    • Work directly with a licensed PT or PTA to gain valuable hands-on patient care experience in a variety of clinical settings
    • 3 weeks in quarter four, 6 weeks in quarter five, 7 weeks in quarter six
    • Own transportation is required
  • Estimated Total Program Cost: $15,790
  • Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) and to apply for state licensure as a PTA. Licensure is required in the state of Washington.

Please refer to the catalog for prerequisites needed for the Physical Therapist Assistant AAS and for course planning.

Physical Therapist Assistant AAS Catalog Info

 

Mission, Philosophy, & Goals

Mission

The mission of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program is to prepare students to enter the healthcare workforce as entry-level physical therapist assistants who are competent to assist the physical therapist in the provision of safe, ethical and effective physical therapy. The program aims to provide students with high quality didactic and clinical education in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills of physical therapy as well as tools for lifelong learning to maintain industry competitiveness.

Philosophy

The Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program believes the function of the physical therapist assistant is to assist the physical therapist in the provision of safe and effective physical therapy to help people restore and improve motion for greater quality of life. It is the philosophy of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at LWTech to foster the acquisition of physical therapist assistant skills in a safe learning environment that supports communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, and to promote culturally sensitive, ethical, and compassionate care in the physical therapy workplace.

Goals

Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will possess the skills necessary to perform safe, effective, and ethical entry-level physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.

Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will be prepared to obtain an entry-level position as a physical therapist assistant.

Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will be prepared to engage in lifelong learning and career development as a physical therapist assistant in order to maintain industry competitiveness.

The LWTech PTA program will provide students with a curriculum consistent with the current contemporary practice of physical therapy, the current guidelines of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Minimum Required Skills of Physical Therapist Assistant Graduates at Entry-Level.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program faculty will promote and model the importance of lifelong learning and career development through the identification and completion of relevant professional development activities.

 

PTA Program Admission Information

Priority Application Deadline: May 20, 2025

  • For priority application to the PTA Program, prerequisite courses (BIOL&241, ENGL&101, and CMST 220, 230 OR 280) must be taken prior to application.
  • Up to 20 total qualified applicants may be admitted per cohort.

Rolling Admissions Deadline: September 9, 2025 (space-available)

  • On a space-available basis, additional qualified applicants may be accepted on a rolling basis until the program is filled; early applications are encouraged.
  • If the PTA cohort fills from the Priority Application Deadline, rolling admissions will not be open.
The PTA AAS application is an online application. Each program's Selective Admissions form is unique to their program, so be sure you're filling out the correct form.
The link to the form is coming soon.

The following items are scored:

  • Grades in prerequisite courses up to 25 pts
  • Observation hours & verification up to 24 pts
  • Completion of general education courses up to 20 pts
  • Optional completion of BIOL&242 up to 6 points

Total: 75 points

Grade in each course must be 2.5 or higher. Priority consideration given to applicants who have completed these courses by the time of application. Grade Point Average (GPA) may be used to rank applicants

Required Course LWTech Name Credits
BIOL& 241* Anatomy and Physiology I 6
CMST& 220** or CMST&230, or CMST 280 Introduction to Public Speaking OR Small Group Communication OR Intercultural Communication 5
ENGL& 101 or ENGL& 102 English Composition I OR Research Writing 5

*Science courses must be no older than 10 years

**Intro to Public Speaking strongly recommended

Grade in each course must be 2.0 or higher. Priority consideration (additional points) given to applicants who have completed these courses by the time of application. These courses may be in progress at time of application. Courses must be completed before the start of PTA technical courses

Required Course LWTech Name Credits
PSYC& 100, 200 or 220 General Psychology OR Lifespan Psychology OR Abnormal Psychology 5
Math& 146 Introduction to Statistics 5

Optional completion of BIOL&242. Applicants will receive additional points to their application if they have completed BIOL& 242 at the time of application (minimum grade 2.0). Completion of BIOL& 242 is not required but strongly recommended by PTA program faculty as it supports greater student success in PTA coursework.

Minimum grade in each prerequisite course must be 2.5 or higher.

  • Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL&241)
  • English (ENGL&101)
  • Communications (CMST&220, CMST&230, or CMST&280)

Minimum grade in each required general education course must be 2.0 or higher.

  • Statistics (Math& 146)
  • Psychology (PSYC&100, PSYC&200, or PSYC&220)

Grade Point Average (GPA) will be used to rank candidates in the review process in the event of otherwise equally qualified applications.

Required: Minimum 24 hours of observation of a licensed PT or PTA in a clinical setting.

  • Applicant is responsible for finding and setting up own observations.
  • LWTech may maintain a list of local PT clinic contact information for applicants to access
  • After completing observation hours, we recommend applicants provide a record of dates & hours completed to the PT/PTA who supervised the hours. This list supports the PT/PTA completing the Observation Verification form (sent electronically to the PT/PTA by the LWTech application system.)
  • An optional observation hours tracking form is in PTA Supporting Information Packet.
  • When completing observation hours, applicants are evaluated by the PT/PTA on
    • Showing up on time & staying agreed-upon hours
    • Interest in the profession and engagement during the observation (e.g. asking relevant questions, paying attention)

LWTech recognizes and values that students come to us with many experiences and sometimes these experiences may meet the threshold for the GPA exception.

If you believe that you have an exceptional circumstance that led to your grades being below the required minimum 2.5 grade in each of the prerequisite courses of ENGL&101 or 102; BIOL&241; CMST&220, 230, or 280), please submit a one-page typed document answering the following questions:

  • Describe the experience or circumstance.
  • Describe the impact this experience had on your grades.
  • Describe how you will be successful in the PTA program if you are selected.

This document must be submitted with your online application.

NOTE: This section only needs to be completed by those applicants who do not meet the 2.5 minimum grade standard.

Within the LWTech PTA Online Application System. These items are not scored but must be completed for an application to the PTA program to be reviewed as complete.

  • Indicate where and when you received a high school diploma or equivalent, OR indicate concurrent enrollment in the LWTech High School Programs
  • Enter details about prerequisite and general education courses you have taken
  • Read and sign Technical Standards Agreement (list of standards provided in online application)
  • Watch provided videos (links in online application) which show examples of physical therapy care in pediatric and inpatient (hospital & skilled nursing facility) settings. Confirm (check a box) that you have watched the videos and are aware of the variety of patient care settings that PTA students work with.

 

PTA Info Sessions

Information sessions provide an overview of the selection process and admission application requirements. The Microsoft Teams link will be utilized for information sessions.

Upcoming Information Session Dates and Times

TBA