Rasmussen College Launches Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Minneapolis and Tampa Bay Area Campuses

Minneapolis (June 20, 2016)—Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, today announced the launch of a Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s degree program at its Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove, Minn., and Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco, Fla., campuses.¹ The flexible, hands-on program is designed to help students start their career as a physical therapist assistant (PTA) in as few as 18 months.² A licensed PTA works directly with patients, under the direction of a physical therapist, which includes performing therapeutic exercises using a variety of techniques and equipment to help treat patients, educate patients and their family members, and advocate to physical therapists on their behalf. Classes are scheduled to start at both the Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove and Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco campuses in January.

“The Rasmussen College PTA curriculum provides hands-on experience in both on-campus labs as well as clinical practice at a healthcare facility so students can develop the confidence and skills employers are looking for,” said Dr. Christian Wright, department dean for Health Sciences at Rasmussen College. “That includes developing one-on-one skills to improve a patient’s mobility and decrease pain as well as the ability to comfortably and confidently interact with physical therapists, healthcare team members and patients of all ages and stages of care.”

The program is also offered with Flex Choice^®, a learning option that helps students save time and money by allowing them to take self-paced assessments alongside their traditional courses.

Physical Therapist Assistants in Demand

Across the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 40 percent employment growth for physical therapist assistants by 2022 with an estimated 51,400 new jobs. Both Minnesota and Florida are currently experiencing an increasing need for skilled physical therapist assistants. According to labor analytics firm Burning Glass, there were more than 690 job postings for PTAs over the past year in Minnesota and more than 1,800 job postings in Florida. Among the 690 job postings in Minnesota, nearly half were in the Twin Cities metropolitan area alone.

“Increased demand across the healthcare community for physical therapist assistants is largely due to the needs of an aging population and caring for individuals with chronic conditions, like diabetes, multiple sclerosis and obesity,” Wright said. “Our PTA program prepares students to work with a variety of people of differing ages and conditions in a wide range of settings, from clinics and hospitals to skilled nursing facilities and sports rehab facilities. It can be a rewarding career for those who are passionate about helping people regain their strength and mobility.”

The Rasmussen College Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove and Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco campuses are planning open houses for later this summer. To learn more about the Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s degree program at Rasmussen College, please visit www.rasmussen.edu/pta.

¹Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone; 703-706-3245; [email protected] is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Rasmussen College – Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. On June 1, 2016, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Rasmussen College – Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. On June 1, 2016, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
²Completion time is dependent on the number of courses completed each term.