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  1. Programs
  3. Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical Therapist Assistant

Hawkeye Community College

Associate's DegreeAcademic

Become a contributor for free to openly demonstrate student outcomes, industry alignment & eligibility criteria.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program prepares students with the entry-level skills and knowledge to perform interventions under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist to improve patient’s/client’s mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or lessen the impact of physical impairments or disabilities. Interventions include therapeutic exercise, patient education, manual techniques such as soft tissue mobilization, functional training, gait training, and modalities.

Credits

65 credits

Format

In-Person

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Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

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Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.

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Locations

Where this program is offered

  • Iowa

    Iowa

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Related Programs

Programs related to this one

No related programs.

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populated·from O*NET via SOC 29-1123.00

Skills

Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionService OrientationSpeakingWritingMonitoring

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingMedicine and DentistryPsychologyEnglish Language

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningInformation OrderingSpeech RecognitionSpeech Clarity

Tasks

  • Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improv
  • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis
  • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into com

Technology

Medical softwareAction gamesAnalytical or scientific softwareWord processing softwareAccounting software

Tools

Above-the-knee prostheticsAdjusting tablesAquacisersArm prostheticsAxial-resistance shoulder wheelsBabinski hammersBalance beamsBalance boardsBelow-the-knee prostheticsBiofeedback unitsBiomechanical ankle platform system BAPS systemsBlood pressure cuffsBolsters/wedgesCanesCervical pivots

Work Values

RelationshipsAchievementRecognitionWorking ConditionsIndependenceSupport
Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populated·from O*NET + BLS
Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOCOccupationMethodWageGrowthOpenings
Match confidence: high29-1123.00Physical Therapiststitle_inference$101,020 median$132,500 top+10.93%2,930
What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populated·from NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

  • Comprehensive patient evaluations — independently perform and document initial physical therapy examinations, analyze findings, and establish diagnoses in outpatient and inpatient clinical settings.
  • Individualized treatment programs — design and implement evidence-based, patient-specific physical therapy plans to restore function and alleviate pain with reduced supervisory oversight.
  • Electronic health records — accurately enter and maintain prognosis, treatment, and progress data in medical software systems in compliance with regulatory and facility standards.
  • Home program development — instruct patients and caregivers in customized home exercise and rehabilitation procedures, adapting content to individual learning needs in a clinical context.
  • Treatment outcome evaluation — systematically assess patient progress at multiple care stages and modify therapeutic interventions to optimize recovery in routine and moderately complex cases.
  • Interprofessional collaboration — confer regularly with physicians, specialists, and care team members to coordinate and refine patient intervention programs across clinical settings.
  • Therapeutic manual interventions — apply manual exercises, massage, and traction techniques proficiently to address a range of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions in diverse patient populations.
  • Informed consent and patient rights — facilitate informed consent conversations, addressing patient questions about risks, benefits, and alternatives to proposed interventions with clarity and empathy.
  • Clinical problem solving — apply critical thinking and deductive reasoning to differentiate complex diagnoses and adapt standard protocols to individual patient presentations in daily practice.
  • Caseload and workflow management — coordinate patient scheduling, documentation deadlines, and resource utilization efficiently using office suite and scheduling software in a high-volume clinical environment.

Some details on this page are auto-populated from public workforce data sources: O*NET (opens in new tab), BLS (opens in new tab), College Scorecard (opens in new tab), DOL Training Provider Results (opens in new tab), NSX (opens in new tab). Provided in partnership with LER.me Career Intelligence.

Student Outcomes

Performance metrics for this program

Completion Rate
Not reported
Placement Rate
Not reported