A student helps a student patient stretch their left leg while lying on a table. Other students in the background do the same.

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Physical Therapist Assistant - A.A.S.


Students in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program complete two years of liberal arts courses, technical coursework in physical therapy, and clinical education experiences. Upon successful completion of the PTA curriculum, students graduate with an Associate in Applied Science degree. They are then eligible to take a National Licensing Examination and apply for certification as a physical therapist assistant.

» Admissions Requirements

Anne Reilly assists a student with stretching a patient on a table.

Career Outlook:

  • According to the 2025 Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for PTA’s is projected to grow 19% between 2023 and 2033.
  • According to data reported by the American Physical Therapy Association in 2024, there was a 17.2% growth in job openings for PTAs in outpatient clinics from 2023-2024.

Career Opportunities:

  • Physical Therapist Assistants work in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitative centers, certified home health care agencies, private practices, and schools.

Transfer Opportunities:

Students have the option of continuing their studies in the college’s Bachelor of Technology program in Health and Fitness Promotion. The B. Tech program may assist students in meeting admissions requirements for a graduate or doctoral degree program or to enhance employment opportunities in the health and fitness field.

A student assists another student with assistive crutches while other students work on stretching in the background.

Accreditation:

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at SUNY Canton is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 315-386-7394 or email molnard@canton.edu.

Anyone who has concerns about SUNY Canton’s Physical Therapist Assistant program that they would like to voice to CAPTE, can do so by following the policy available here.

The general public or any other external stakeholder (i.e. prospective students, clinical education sites, employers of graduates) has the right to express concerns directly to the program by following the complaint policy available here.

Deborah Molnar, PT, DPT, MSEd
PTA Program Director
(315) 386-7394
molnard@canton.edu