Seminole State College has partnered with Gordon Cooper Technology Center to offer a Physical Therapist Assistant Program, a degree that recently received Candidacy for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The first cohort of students will begin classes this fall.
“I am beyond pleased that this program has been granted candidacy for accreditation. I would like to thank Shakira Judeh, PT, and Laci DiLibero, PTA, our Program Director and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, for their hard work and perseverance which led to this exciting news. We are also profoundly grateful for the continued support of GCTC, without whose support this program would not be possible.”
Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Tom Mills
The program’s core curriculum will be provided on the SSC campus, with the technical portion being held at GCTC in Shawnee. Students who are accepted into the PTA program will take a total of 67 credit hours. Prior to entrance, students must complete 20 hours of common core courses and 11 hours of support courses for a total of 31 hours of prerequisite work. Once in the program, students are required to complete 36 hours of technical training which includes classroom, lab and clinical experiences.
Upon completion of the PTA program, students will receive an Associate in Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant and be eligible to take the National Physical Therapist Assistant Licensure Exam. Upon satisfying licensing requirements, a PTA graduate may seek work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, clinics, home health agencies, schools and nursing homes. Under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, a PTA will work to develop mobility, relieve pain, prevent physical disability and promote wellness in patients of all ages.
“After 20 years of work as a Physical Therapist, I am extremely excited to give back to my profession in this way. A career as a PT or PTA offers many daily opportunities to truly make a difference in the lives of others. To help future clinicians become the best that they can be is a dream come true. I look forward to continued work with SSC, GCTC and our local therapist community to provide a quality education for our students.”
Shakira Judeh, PTA Program Director
Students wishing to apply to the SSC-GCTC PTA Program must first meet all admission requirements of SSC, and then complete the process for application to the PTA Program which can be found on the SSC website. Students with specific questions about the program may contact Shakira Judeh, by phone at 405-214-3203 or by email at s.judeh@sscok.edu