Interested in the developing Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program at Labette Community College? Request Info
Labette Community College’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program is in alignment with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CIP Code 51.0806: Physical Therapy Technician/Assistant. A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of a physical therapist, to implement physical therapy treatment care plans, train patients, conduct treatment interventions, use equipment, and observe and record patient progress. Includes instruction in applied anatomy and physiology, applied kinesiology, principles and procedures of physical therapy, basic neurology and orthopedics, physical therapy modalities, documentation skills, psychosocial aspects of health care, wound and injury care, electrotherapy, working with orthotics and prostheses, and personal and professional ethics.
Students interested in the PTA program can be admitted to the College on the same basis as other students, but admission to the College does not ensure admission to the PTA program. Selection and acceptance into the PTA program is based on criteria established by the department.
Contact Information
Erin Knox, PT, DPT
Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program erink@labette.edu
620-820-1007
Program Timeline
* All dates are pending successful progression through the accreditation process.
- May 1, 2027: Program submits Application for Candidacy to CAPTE
- July 15-30, 2027: Onsite Candidacy Visit
- October 1, 2027: Application to Program due for charter class
- Week of October 18th 2027: Applicant interviews
- Late October–early November 2027: CAPTE decision at Fall meeting
- LCC is notified of candidacy decision following CAPTE’s Fall meeting
- 1st Week of November 2027: Applicants notified of admission decision*
- Accepted Admission / Conditional Acceptance / Waitlist / Denied Admission
- January 18, 2028: PTA Technical program begins*
- May 2029: Anticipated Graduation of charter class*
Accreditation
Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.
Labette Community College is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on May 1, 2027. 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.