Physical Therapist Assistants are a valued component of physical therapy practice. You'll work with your supervising physical therapist to help patients meet their functional goals. Through exercises, symptom management, functional movement training, and self-care techniques, you'll help patients gain the skills and confidence to move confidently and comfortably and prevent injury. Through Lane’s Physical Therapist Assistant program, you’ll develop the skills you need to be an asset in any setting where people come for physical therapy
Do you find the human body fascinating? Do you like helping people live full, active lives? Do you enjoy working in a team that helps others improve their health and recover from injury or surgery? Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) are licensed healthcare providers that help prevent, restore, and optimize movement. Whether you’re interested in working with athletes, amputees, injured workers, the elderly, or in general practice, Lane’s PTA program can help you achieve your dreams.
Through online lectures, lab practice, and realistic simulations with faculty and peers, you’ll learn the skills you need to thrive as a PTA. During the first year of the program, you’ll need to be on campus at least one full day per week. In the second year, you’ll continue with online lecture and in-person lab classes and complete three, full-time six-week supervised internships in an assigned physical therapy setting. View our detailed essential abilities.
When you’re ready to get started, just apply! Our Admissions office staff will guide you through the steps to enroll to get you started right. You can also contact Admissions with any questions you have about the college, to schedule a tour of the campus, or just to say hello. If you’re not ready to apply today, you can request more information on the program and we’ll get in touch to make a plan that works for you.
Through our classes both in-person and online, you’ll learn to work safely and effectively under the direction of a physical therapist. This includes:
- Teaching appropriate exercises for improving strength, flexibility, coordination, agility, and performance
- Instructing and progressing mobility skills, such as bed mobility, sitting, standing, walking, and higher level mobility skills depending on the condition and plan
- Using ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat, and other tools to help reduce pain, improve strength, and assist tissue healing
- Using rehabilitation equipment and aids to optimize patient safety and function
- Performing selected tests and measures that inform clinical decision making when implementing the physical therapy plan of care
- Collecting and reporting relevant data, such as aerobic capacity, pain, cognition, joint motion, muscle performance, neuromuscular development and performance, posture, self-care, circulation, respiration, ventilation, and home/community management
- Communicating effectively with a variety of healthcare providers, such as nurses, doctors, and other rehabilitation professionals
- Advocating for patients, the public, and health care through engagement with the American Physical Therapy Association, Oregon Physical Therapy Association, and providing at least 10 hours of community service for a non-profit organization.
- Practicing responsibly in accordance with the American Physical Therapy Association Standards of Ethical Practice for the Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical therapist assistants are an integral part of rehabilitation teams. With the skills you’ve learned at Lane, you’ll be prepared to take the National Physical Therapist Assistant examination and earn your license and support physical therapists to help people improve the way they move! View our detailed program of study.
As a student in the PTA program, you'll work closely with faculty. Your courses will consist of a mixture of classroom and laboratory instruction. In the classroom, you'll learn the theory and skills you need to be a successful professional, and you'll never have a PTA class with more than 28 students. You'll have ample opportunity and practice and hone the skills you've learned in labs.
With one faculty member for every ten students in lab classes, you'll receive personalized attention and feedback throughout the program. Because our faculty have real world experience, they bring those experiences to the classroom to help inform what you learn! Because of our small class sizes, you’ll have the opportunity to get to know your faculty on a first name basis.
The faculty and advisors for the program can help you meet your career goals. They can answer any program specific questions you might have, and help you find opportunities outside of the classroom. Advisors will help you schedule your classes and plan for the future. You’ll work with them to create a term by term planner that meets your needs and goals to ensure you complete your degree. And if you’re planning on transferring to a four-year school they can help you take the classes you need to count towards your bachelor's degree.
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Academic Advisor -
Academic Advisor -
Program Coordinator
Employers are interested in knowing you have real world experience. Throughout your studies, you'll receive practical instruction through lab courses. You'll also complete three clinical internships! During these internships, you'll put the skills you've learned into practice, earning the experience you need to stand out. Our program partners with physical therapy providers throughout Oregon and beyond, and many students even continue to paid employment at their former internship site.
Program Accreditation
The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Lane Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
CAPTE Address: 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Telephone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: http://www.capteonline.org.
If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 541-463-5617 or email healthprofessionsoffice@lanecc.edu
Three-Year Acceptance and Matriculation Rates
LCC - Main Campus, Eugene
| Admission Year | Applications | Students Admitted |
| 2017 | 108 | 20 Eugene, 8 Table Rock |
| 2018 | 80 | 20 Eugene, 8 Table Rock |
| 2019 | 78 | 20 Eugene, 8 Table Rock |
Note: Effective 2018, the program no longer has a separate application process for the distant campus
Three Year Program Outcome Data
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||||
| Eugene | Table Rock | Eugene | Table Rock | Eugene | Table Rock | |
| Graduation Rate | 100% | 100% | 86.7% | 100% | 77.8% | 116.7% |
| NPTA Exam Pass Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Employment Rate | 100% | 100% | 92.3% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Whether you’re completing your degree at Lane’s main campus in Eugene or at our partner campus at Rogue Community College in White City, you’ll have access to well equipped, state of the art classrooms. Equipment and materials including a Shuttle Balance, standing frames, biophysical agents, and more allow for authentic practice and skill building that meets the needs of today’s physical therapy provider.
Our students have been recognized by the Oregon Physical Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, and more for their leadership and contributions to the community! In 2018, one of our students won the prestigious American Physical Therapy Association Minority Scholarship Award for Student Physical Therapist Assistants and was honored at their national conference. Program coordinator Christina Howard was recognized in the "Top Docs" guide published in the winter 2018-19 issue of Eugene Magazine!
Lane’s main campus is tucked into the foothills of the Oregon Cascades, providing a stunning landscape for your education. With incredible resources on campus like advising, tutoring services, the library, First Year Experience and so many more, you have the opportunity to make the most out of your degree. Lane also offers student housing at Titan Court in downtown Eugene, next to our Mary Spilde Center. Ready to learn more? Schedule a campus tour to explore our beautiful campus and amazing facilities.