Physical Therapist Assisting

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in the Physical Therapist Assisting program prepares students to use therapeutic modalities and procedures under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. The physical therapist assistant works with patients who have physical impairments requiring physical therapy services to relieve pain and heal damaged tissue; and to improve range of motion, strength, and functional mobility. Physical therapy treatments include but are not limited to the application of therapeutic modalities; therapeutic exercise including stretching, range of motion, and strengthening; mobility skills including ambulation, transfers, and wheelchair mobility activities; balance exercises; and wound care management.

The Physical Therapist Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Only graduates of an accredited training program may practice as a physical therapist assistant in the state of Arizona. Program graduates are eligible to apply for the certification examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. A passing score on this examination is required for licensure/certification to practice as a physical therapist assistant in Arizona and in many other states.

This program is designed to meet education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Arizona. Granting licensure and certification is the sole responsibility of the state board or approval agency. This program is only offered and available to students located in the State of Arizona. The Maricopa County Community College District and colleges define student location within Administrative Regulation 2.2.3(7).

Details

Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Physical Therapist Assisting (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3675
Total credits required
73.5-80.5
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Admission criteria

1. Formal application and admission to begin the core curriculum is determined by a point system. See point system description in Physical Therapist Assisting (PTA) program packet in the Health Sciences Division of college.
2. Background check requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District background check standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD background check policy and drug testing protocols.
3. Clinical health and safety requirements: Prior to placement in the clinical setting, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD clinical health and safety policy.
4. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements prior to placement in the clinical setting may result in cancellation of enrollment.
5. Forty (40) hours of volunteer/work/observation in physical therapy practice settings supervised by a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant are required to apply for admission into the PTA program. A minimum of 10 hours in an inpatient (hospital, skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation hospital) setting is required.

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

If selected as part of program completion, the following general education courses must be completed with a B or higher to apply for an available space to begin the core curriculum: BIO160 or BIO201; ENG101 or ENG107; and ENG102 or ENG108.

Students with other related health care experiences not listed on the following program preparatory options may request an evaluation for course competency equivalence for work experience or equivalent education as evaluated by the GateWay Health Core Curriculum Coordinator. Once admitted to the program, students should plan to attend full time.

Required HCC courses may be taken prior to program admission or concurrent with required courses. HCC courses must be completed prior to clinical placement if taken concurrent with required courses.

What You'll Learn
  • Perform treatment techniques to patients according to the physical therapist's plan of care.
  • Utilize lawful and ethical guidelines for decision-making in the workplace.
  • Apply knowledge of disease processes for effective treatment of patients in the physical therapy practice setting.
  • Apply the foundational principles of treatment, patient care and safety, as applied to the practice of physical therapy.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving techniques, professional ethics and patient care management skills in the role of a physical therapist assistant in the clinical setting.
  • Apply basic techniques of therapeutic and effective communication in a health care setting.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Physical Therapist Assistants
$53,680

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Note: You will have to select one of the options below to view available course sequences.

Full-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=190260).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Physical Therapist Assisting