Physical Therapist Assistant AAS Degree

You will gain the knowledge and skills to perform:

• Perform and adjust therapy interventions through hands-on clinical and simulated experiences.
• Collect patient data using treatment techniques and objective assessments.
• Assist patients with therapeutic exercises and modalities to relieve pain and enhance mobility.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and healthcare teams.
• Embrace lifelong learning to advance skills and knowledge.

Semester 0 — Prerequisites

• Composition I or

  Fundamentals of Oral Communication
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• Introduction to Psychology or

  Developmental Psychology
• Medical Terminology

Semester 1 — Spring

• Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• Introduction to PTA
• Kinesiology
• Pathophysiology

Semester 2 — Summer

• Cardiopulmonary and Integumentary Rehab
• PTA Clinical I
• PTA Fundamentals

Semester 3 — Fall

• Adult Neurology
• Musculoskeletal I
• PTA Clinical II
• Therapeutic Agents I
• Therapeutic Exercise

Semester 4 — Spring

• Fundamentals for PTA II
• Musculoskeletal II
• Pediatric Neurology
• PTA Clinical III
• Therapeutic Agents II

Semester 5 — Summer

• PTA Clinical IV
• PTA Professional Issues

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

You work through daily patient scenarios that simulate various clinical settings. You also train in the Van Gerpen Patient Simulation Center using lifelike manikins and simulators to practice in realistic hospital environments and patient situations.

You gain 640 hours of supervised clinical education, ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.

This is a partial list of employers who have hired graduates from this program:

• Athletico, Locations throughout Iowa
• MercyOne, Waterloo, IA
• Millennium Therapy, Locations throughout Iowa
• Northern Iowa Therapy, Locations throughout Iowa
• Reliant Rehabilitation, Locations throughout Iowa
• UnityPoint Health, Waterloo, IA

Successful completion of the Physical Therapist Assistant program qualifies the graduate to take the National Physical Therapy Assistant Examination (NPTAE) and also to apply for state licensure. The NPTAE is a national exam; therefore, a graduate may seek employment in a state of their choice after successfully passing the exam and passing a state background check. Most states require a background check of the graduate prior to issuance of the state license.

See our State Licensure Google Sheet to identify the states in which Hawkeye's Physical Therapist Assistant program requirements fulfill the state guidelines for professional licensure and certification.

Also see The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, Licensing Authorities Contact Information.

Licensure and Certification Disclosure

This program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship and will pay up to 100% of your tuition.

You must apply for, be awarded, and meet the ongoing eligibility requirements for the Last-Dollar Scholarship.

You can complete your prerequisite courses at Hawkeye Community College or any accredited school that transfers credits. Check out the prerequisite courses and the grades you need to get, along with the GPA requirements.

Once you finish all your prerequisite courses, be sure to contact the Admissions Office right away.

Also, even though Hawkeye does allow Pass/Fail grades for some classes, the Physical Therapist Assistant program can't accept Pass/Fail grades from college or high school for admission.

Complete at least 16 observation hours by the end of Term 0. You need 8 hours in an inpatient setting and 8 hours in an outpatient setting.

Submit all your observation hours to the director of the Physical Therapist Assistant program by December 1. Plan your hours early so you can be considerate to the physical therapy companies in our community.

For more details, check out the Physical Therapist Assistant Pre-Admission Observation Hours form [PDF].

The Physical Therapist Assistant program accepts 20 students each spring.

Once you meet all the admission requirements and finish the prerequisite courses, you’ll get what’s called an "Eligible-Start Date to be Determined" (ETBD) status. This status is based on when you complete your prerequisites. If more than one student finishes on the same day, the registration date for the final prerequisite course is used to figure out who’s ahead in line.

Getting ETBD status doesn’t guarantee program admittance—it depends on how many seats are available. 

The Admissions Office admits students with ETBD status until all seats are filled. Any remaining ETBD students will stay on the list and be contacted if a spot becomes available.

Make sure to keep your contact info updated and check your Hawkeye email regularly to stay on top of everything!

Before you can start at your assigned clinical site, you’ll need to complete a few important steps:

• Get a physical exam with updated immunizations recorded on the Hawkeye Community College form. You’ll receive the form and instructions during the in-program orientation.
• Pass background checks: As a Health student at Hawkeye, you’ll need to complete the same background checks as hospital employees. This check will include fingerprinting and look into databases like the sex offender registry, child abuse and dependent adult registries, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud.
• Complete required training, including Mandatory Reporting, Workplace Safety, and HIPAA. This is covered in the HSC-108 Introduction to Healthcare Professions course.
• Complete Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification, which you can complete through Hawkeye.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program director can help you coordinate these requirements.

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Hawkeye Community College 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: www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 319-296-4434 or email cassady.bartlett@hawkeyecollege.edu.

Graduation Rates

Licensure Pass Rates

* The Ultimate Pass Rate will be determined as graduates reattempt the NPTE.

Employment Rates

Employment is reported six months after licensure.

The mission of the Hawkeye Community College Physical Therapist Assistant program is to meet the physical therapy needs of the community by preparing graduates who, under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, provide quality physical therapy care to patients/clients. The program facilitates student attainment of the knowledge, skills, values and behaviors essential to function as a physical therapist assistant by providing quality, student-centered learning experiences based upon contemporary educational theory designed to maximize student success.

We believe individuals have unique learning styles. Therefore, the Physical Therapist Assistant program will provide visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning opportunities through a combination of lecture, lab, and clinical education to allow each student to have an optimal learning opportunity.

We believe to be a productive member of a health care team, the graduate, and thus a student in this program, needs to accept responsibility for their own learning. Therefore, active student participation in all aspects of the learning process will be encouraged and expected.

We believe that effective clinicians not only possess knowledge and skills, but compassion for and dedication to the patients/clients they serve. Therefore, we emphasize interpersonal skills development to prepare the student to provide the appropriate psychosocial support for patients and their families, as well as work effectively as part of a health care team.

Upon completion of the Physical Therapist Assistant program, graduates will:

Goal 1: Work under the supervision of a physical therapist in a manner that meets the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) expectations; including state licensure rules, practice act guidelines, and professional behavior standards.

Objectives for Goal 1:

1. Adhere to federal and state legal practice standards.

2. Adhere to the APTA's Guide for Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant.

3. Adhere to employer's policies and procedures when working as a physical therapist assistant.

4. Demonstrate the APTA's Values Based Behavior for the PTA that consistently meets the expectations of the employer, physical therapy profession and patient community.

5. Seek clarification from the supervising physical therapist if there is uncertainty regarding the plan of care or the application of any intervention.

6. Insure patient safety, privacy, rights and dignity.

7. Recognize and respect individual differences in all interactions.

Goal 2: Deliver safe, competent physical therapy interventions to include monitoring and adjusting them based upon patient response and in accordance with the plan of care developed by the physical therapist.

Objectives for Goal 2:

1. Implement competent interventions based on the plan of care after review of all appropriate documentation including the medical record, initial evaluation, plan of care established by the physical therapist, and other appropriate physical therapy documents.

2. Deliver interventions safely for the patient, the physical therapist assistant and others within the patient care environment.

3. Select the appropriate modification to an intervention when patient response dictates a needed change to provide for patient safety, comfort or progression.

4. Communicate with the supervising physical therapist when there is a change in patient status or a modification to the intervention needed that falls outside the plan of care or the scope of skills of the physical therapist assistant.

5. Identify when an intervention is beyond one's level of skill and seek additional training as appropriate before initiating the intervention in a patient care situation.

6. Participate in discharge planning and follow up.

Goal 3: Perform tests and measures essential for carrying out the plan of care and modifying interventions based upon the patient's response.

Objectives for Goal 3:

1. Effectively use data collection tools and verbal and non-verbal communication with the patient to accurately determine their response to interventions.

2. Select the appropriate modification to an intervention when patient response dictates a needed change to provide for patient safety, comfort or progression.

3. Communicate with the supervising physical therapist when there is a change in patient status or a needed modification to the intervention that falls outside the plan of care or the scope of skills of the physical therapist assistant.

4. Effectively progress patient towards the desired outcome/goals outlined in the plan of care.

Goal 4: Use effective oral, written, and nonverbal communication with the supervising physical therapist, patients and their families, other health care providers, all stakeholders, and all patient care members.

Objectives for Goal 4:

1. Provide effective instruction to patients/clients, family members, and caregivers using various learning styles to meet their needs and to assist with achievement of goals as outlined in the plan of care.

2. Select the appropriate response to a conflict and seek a resolution that is appropriate to the situation.

3. Produce documentation that is legible, concise accurate and in keeping with institutional standards.

4. Communicate accurately and timely with the supervising physical therapist.

5. Communicate effectively with other members of the health care team and other stakeholders.

Goal 5: Demonstrate effective time management and an awareness of fiscal responsibility, quality improvement, performance improvement activities, professional timeliness, and levels of role responsibility within their employment setting.

Objectives for Goal 5:

1. Use physical therapy equipment and material resources in a safe, cost-effective, and efficient manner.

2. Direct and supervise support personnel as appropriate for non-patient care tasks.

3. Provide accurate and timely billing information.

4. Interact effectively with other health professionals engaged with patient care, recognizing their specific roles as it relates to the patient.

5. Use equipment in a manner that maintains its effectiveness.

6. Use time efficiently and effectively.

Goal 6: Value the need for life-long professional development through learning and enabling opportunities, skill advancement, continuing education opportunities, thus further enriching their local communities.

Objectives for Goal 6:

1. Seek out opportunities to advance skills and knowledge.

2. Promote the profession of physical therapy to the public.

3. Utilize ongoing assessment tools to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses.

4. Participate in professional activities.

5. Contribute to the community in a positive manner.

Goal 7: Represent APTA core values; accountability, altruism, collaboration, compassion and caring, duty, excellence, inclusion, integrity, and social responsibility.

Objectives for Goal 7:

1. Actively accept and practice to the standards of the APTA values.

2. Assume responsibility of patient and client needs.

3. Collaborate effectively with all healthcare stakeholders.

4. Demonstrate compassion and care for another's experience.

5. Commit to providing effective physical therapy services.

6. Consistently practice through use of current techniques and incorporate new techniques through evidence-based research.

7. Provide a welcoming, equitable environment for all.

8. Adhere to high ethical principles and standards.

9. Promote a mutual trust between the physical therapy profession and the communities served.

The data applies to students experiencing the program between Jan. 1, 2026 – Dec. 31, 2026.

Program Length

• Excluding breaks: 78 weeks
• Including breaks: 80 weeks

Program length includes all student instruction/interaction — classroom learning, lab work, exams, and real-world clinical training.

Clinical Education

This program requires all students to complete multiple clinical education experiences.

Clinical placements are assigned by the program's ACCE, and while travel might be required, we do our best to place you as close to campus—or your home—as possible. If you are assigned to a site in a different location, you'll need to arrange your own housing.

During your clinical experience, you'll be responsible for covering your own housing, travel, and meal costs.

Students are encouraged to research the cost of living in areas where they may choose to live. A helpful resource is this Living Wage Calculator.

Annual Student Costs

Year 1 costs reflect expenses for students who enrolled in the program for the first time between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026. Costs for Year 2 are estimates based on the program's historical annual cost decrease of 2.43%.

Contact a faculty advisor for more information about annual student costs.

Financial Support

Hawkeye offers financial assistance specific to PTA students including scholarships for PTA students.

While Hawkeye does offer federal work-study, we don't have positions specific to PTA students.

For additional financial support opportunities, please contact a faculty advisor.

Student Debt

Average student debt for graduates or those expected to graduate between January 1 and December 31, 2026.

• Student loan debt incurred during the program's technical phase: $3,142.86
• Total student loan debt for all phases of the program: $10,488.34

APTA Financial Solutions Center provides tools to help you make informed financial decisions and manage student debt.