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  1. Home
  2. Academics at Penn State Mont Alto
  3. Associate Degree Programs
  4. Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical Therapist Assistant Technical Standards

The following is a list of essential functions that a student must be capable of performing while enrolled in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

Motor Skills

A student must be able to:

  • Sit in class for up to 7 hours per day.
  • Safely bend, lift, twist, push, pull, and transfer up to 200 pounds to assist in moving a patient from one surface to another.
  • Palpate anatomical structures and handle injured body parts without causing injury to the patient.
  • Give manual resistance to a patient’s arm, leg, or trunk during exercise.
  • Move with adequate agility and speed to ensure patient safety.
  • Walk and balance well enough to help patients walk and transfer with or without equipment, while preventing injury to patient and self.
  • Safely grasp and manipulate small objects and set dials on electrical equipment.
  • Use equipment that emits electrical, ultrasonic, and thermal energy.

Observational and Sensory Skills

A student must be able to:

  • Use visual, auditory, and tactile senses to observe patients and collect and interpret data.
  • Read and interpret equipment dials, patient charts, professional literature, and notes from patients, physicians, and other health professionals.
  • Respond to warning sounds, machine alarms, and calls for help.

Communication Skills

A student must be able to:

  • Communicate effectively in English in verbal and written formats with faculty, peers, patients, families, and other health professionals.
  • Report clearly and legibly through progress notes in patient charts.

Intellectual and Conceptual Skills

A student must be able to:

  • Meet class standards for successful course completion.
  • Collect, interpret, and integrate data about patients.

Behavioral and Social Attitudes

A student must be able to:

  • Recognize and respond appropriately to individuals of all ages, genders, and races, and from all socio-economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
  • Cope with stress of heavy workloads, demanding patients, and life-threatening clinical situations.
  • Recognize and respond appropriately to potentially hazardous situations.
  • Demonstrate the physical and emotional capacity to work a 40-hour week while on clinical affiliation.
  • Behave in an ethically sound, competent, compassionate, and professional manner in the classroom and in the clinic.

Students who have concerns about the ability to perform any of these functions should contact the campus Coordinator of Disabilities Resources, Kendra Wolgast. Students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who cannot meet the standards with reasonable accommodations will receive career counseling, as acceptance into the PTA program would be inappropriate for employment for safety reasons.

Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant

  • Physical Therapist Assistant Admission Requirements
    • PTA Admission Requirements: First Year Students
    • PTA Admission Requirements: Advanced Standing (Transfer) Students
    • PTA Admission Requirements: Provisional or Nondegree Students
    • PTA Admission Requirements: Current Penn State Students and Students Seeking Re-enrollment
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Mission and Goals
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Overview
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Faculty
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Technical Standards
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Program Costs
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Program and Graduate Outcomes
  • Physical Therapist Assistant Career Opportunities
  • Complaints Regarding the PTA Program Outside Due Process
  • 2021-2022 Physical Therapist Assistant Student Financial Aid Fact Sheet

Learn More About Penn State Mont Alto

Contact Admissions 

717-749-6130
800-392-6173
[email protected] 

Choose your personalized visit option

For Admitted PTA Students

New Student Orientation (NSO)
Clinical Education

PTA Social Media

PTA Instagram Channel

What is it like to be a Physical Therapist Assistant student at Penn State Mont Alto?

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