Exterior shot Of Derham Hall on St. Catherine Campus
Physical Therapist Assistant

College for Adults | Henrietta Schmoll School of Health

Interested in playing a vital part in helping people overcoming physical limitations and improving their lives? Consider a career as a physical therapist assistant (PTA). You will help patients young and old recover their mobility due to injuries and assist those with other disabling conditions improve their physical well-being.

Program Details

Classes meet: Weekdays

Cost per credit (2023–2024): $750

Most College for Adults students receive some form of financial aid.

Explore the courses

Already have your PTA associate degree? Learn more about our PTA bachelor's completion program.

Strong Clinical Network and Collaborative Learning

The St. Kate's physical therapist assistant program was among the first of its kind in the nation and offers its students a careful blend of theory and practice to master physical therapy concepts and techniques.

As part of the educational process, you’ll will benefit from a variety of clinical experiences that may include acute care, skilled nursing facility/rehabilitative, or outpatient settings. The program has an extensive clinical network in the immediate Twin Cities area, Minnesota, and nationally.

The PTA degree program and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program are housed together, providing you with opportunities for collaborative learning — blended tutorial learning, cadaver lab reviews, joint service learning courses, and joint co-curricular activities. This exposure provides PTA and DPT students with invaluable insight into each others' roles in the clinical setting.

If you are applying to the physical therapist assistant associate degree program, you'll first enroll as a pre-PTA student and take liberal arts and sciences (LAS) courses required for your degree. Enrollment as a "pre-" student does not guarantee progression into PTA courses.

St. Catherine University College for Adults students on Fontbonne steps.
Careers in Physical Therapy

As a physical therapist assistant, you’ll help people overcome physical limitations and find ways to work around injuries and disabilities to help them improve muscle strength and control. With your physical therapist assistant associate degree, you can work in a variety of settings, including:

  • hospitals
  • doctors' offices
  • clinics
  • homes
  • assisted living facilities
  • rehab units

Program Accreditation

The physical therapist assistant program at St. Kate's is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Learn more about accreditation and outcomes for this program

2021-22 PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet

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