Program Overview

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Program Description

The Physical Therapist Assistant program is a skilled paraprofessional healthcare worker who, under the supervision of a physical therapist, carries out the patient's treatment program. The extent to which the physical therapist assistant is involved in treatment depends upon the supervising therapist. A planned patient-care program is carried out by the assistant, following established procedures. Duties of the physical therapist assistant include:

• Training patients in exercises and activities of normal daily living
• Conducting treatments
• Utilizing special equipment
• Assisting in performing tests, evaluations, and complex treatment procedures
• Observing and reporting the patient's responses

Program Details

The Associate of Science degree in physical therapy for the physical therapist assistant (PTA) at LLU requires a minimum of 2.25 years of college after high school. The first year of specific prerequisite courses may be completed at a regionally-accredited junior college or a four-year college or a university which are transferred to Loma Linda University upon acceptance to the program. The second year plus one quarter is completed at Loma Linda University in the PTA technical education program.

Professional Registration and Certification

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National PTA Licensing Examination and obtain state licensure.

Program Length

The program length is 15 months (5 quarters).

Possible Careers

Clinical and hospital settings, long term care facilities, health and sports related environments. Settings would include the treatment of patients in all stages of life.

Application Deadlines

The application deadlines are as follows:

• Summer of 2026:
  • Application Open: Aug 1, 2025
  • Priority Deadline: Nov 3, 2025
  • Final Deadline: May 1, 2026

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for admission, the applicant must have:

• Completed high school from an accredited institution or passed the GED
• Completed a minimum of 48 quarter or 32 semester units at an accredited college or university
• A minimum of 2.5 GPA is required for both science and non-science classes
• Grades of C-minus or below are not acceptable for transfer credit
• Observation experience: 80 physical therapy observation hours are required, with a minimum of 20 hours in an inpatient P.T. setting and a minimum of 20 hours in an outpatient P.T. setting.

Prerequisites

All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to entering the program. An application for admission may be submitted while some coursework is in progress if the student expects to complete the required coursework before the program begins.

• Human Anatomy and Physiology with labs (complete two course sequence)
• Individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university need to complete only the courses denoted with an asterisk (*):
  • Humanities: Four units from one of the topics listed; history, literature, philosophy, foreign language, art/music appreciation/history
  • Human anatomy and physiology, complete sequence with laboratory components (preferred); or general biology, complete sequence with laboratory components (accepted)
  • Introductory physics with laboratory component, one quarter/semester
  • Two years high school mathematics with grades C or above, or intermediate algebra in college or a college statistics course
  • General psychology
  • Human growth and development or developmental psychology or abnormal psychology
  • English composition, complete sequence
  • Speech (preferred) or Interpersonal communication (accepted)
  • Personal health
    utrition, or two physical education/activity courses
  • Medical terminology

Discipline Accrediting Agency

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Loma Linda University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Expected Cost of Attendance

The estimated cost of attendance is based on full-time attendance for the number of months enrolled per academic year. Estimated amounts may vary based on a number of factors.

Required Program Costs

• Academic Year:
  • Year 1:
    • Months Enrolled: 12
    • Tuition & Fees: $35,568
    • Books, Materials, Supplies & Equipment Allowance: $1,439
  • Year 2:
    • Months Enrolled: 3
    • Tuition & Fees: $4,510
    • Books, Materials, Supplies & Equipment Allowance: $0

Other Educational Costs

Non-required costs that can be funded with scholarships/loans.

• Year of Program:
  • Year 1:
    • Months Enrolled: 12
    • Living Expense (Food & Housing Allowance):
      • On Campus Dorm: $16,596
      • LLU Owned Rental Property: $29,256
      • LLU Owned Rental w/ Dependents: $29,916
      • Undergraduate Dependent w/ Parents: $10,200
      • Off Campus: $29,256
    • Transportation Allowance: $4,200
    • Miscellaneous Personal Expenses: $4,380
    • Federal Student Loan Fees: $69
  • Year 2:
    • Months Enrolled: 3
    • Living Expense (Food & Housing Allowance):
      • On Campus Dorm: $4,149
      • LLU Owned Rental Property: $7,314
      • LLU Owned Rental w/ Dependents: $7,479
      • Undergraduate Dependent w/ Parents: $2,550
      • Off Campus: $7,314
    • Transportation Allowance: $1,050
    • Miscellaneous Personal Expenses: $1,095
    • Federal Student Loan Fees: $23
    • Cost of Obtaining Professional License: $1,012

Notes

• The PTA Program is 15 months in length. The cost for the first 12 months is significantly higher than the final 3.
• The cost of the program may vary from year to year.
• Does the PTA Program require students to complete at least one clinical where the student needs to see alternative housing: No
• Does the Institution offer financial assistance specific to PTA students: Yes
• Does the program institution offer scholarships specific to PTA students: Yes
• Does the program offer federal work-study positions specific to PTA students: Yes
• Average student debt from the PTA Program technical phase from 2024: $27,069
• Average total student debt after completing the PTA Program in 2024: $33,834