Physical Therapist Assistant Outcomes

Student/Graduate Level Goals:

• The PTA program is designed to help prepare graduates for entry-level practice as physical therapist assistants who will work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist in an ethical, legal, safe, and effective manner.
• The PTA program is designed to help prepare graduates to demonstrate entry-level critical thinking skills to effectively address patient care situations and to adapt to the rapidly changing challenges in healthcare and physical therapist assistant responsibilities.

Program Level Goals:

• The PTA program is designed to help educate the students in cultural diversity, effective communication and professional behaviors.
• The PTA education program is designed to help facilitate participation in community service and lifelong learning activities.
• The PTA Program is designed to help provide a contemporary, comprehensive and evidence-based curriculum appropriate for an entry level physical therapist assistant.

Program Faculty Level Goals:

• The PTA faculty is designed to engage in on-going professional development related to enhancing knowledge of contemporary physical therapy practice, pedagogy, and service.

Newport News Campus:

• Graduation rate for 2021 – 2022 is 79%.
• National Physical Therapy Exam for Physical Therapist Assistants first time pass rate 2021 – 2022 is: 71%.
• National Physical Therapy Exam for Physical Therapist Assistants ultimate pass rate 2021 – 2022 is: 89%.
• PTA graduates who sought employment that were employed within 12 months of graduation for 2021 – 2022 is 97%.

Richmond Campus:

• Graduation rate for 2021 – 2022 is 92%.
• National Physical Therapy Exam for Physical Therapist Assistants first time pass rate 2021 – 2022 is: 80%.
• National Physical Therapy Exam for Physical Therapist Assistants ultimate pass rate 2021 – 2022 is: 96%.
• PTA graduates who sought employment that were employed within 12 months of graduation for 2021 – 2022 is 98%.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), which requires the calculation of employment rates. These annual rates, as reported in the program’s Annual Accreditation Report (AAR), are calculated as the percentage of graduates who sought employment that were employed as a Physical Therapist Assistant within one year following graduation. This accreditor has established the employment rate threshold as the employment rate averaged over the most recent two years that is consistent with national trends as determined by annual reporting mechanisms. Therefore, this rate represents the program’s employment rate averaged over the most recent two years (graduating cohorts 2021 – 2022).