About PTA

In this Section

Institutional Mission

The mission of Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is to foster individual, Community and economic development through transformative lifelong learning. In keeping with the mission of the college, the proposed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program will provide a high standard of quality academic and clinical opportunities that enable graduates to become competent, caring, and qualified entry-level physical therapist assistants. Graduates of the program will be eligible to take the PTA licensure exam offered by the Federation of the Board of Physical Therapy and ultimately eligible for licensure in North Carolina.

PTA Mission

In keeping with the stated purpose of Central Carolina Community College, the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program strives to produce physical therapist assistants who, under the direction and supervision of physical therapists, reflect the highest standards of practice and conduct within the profession of physical therapy.

PTA Vision

The CCCC PTA Program will be recognized in the region, state, and nation as a quality PTA educational program with superlative faculty members, staff, and students dedicated to paving the pathway for our community, college, staff, and profession.

PTA Philosophy

To complete our programmatic mission, we must prepare students to practice safe, competent, patient-centered care in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care system. We seek to provide full and equal access to opportunities for educational success to meet the community needs.

We believe that physical therapy is a dynamic profession, blending science with the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning and the art of caring and compassion to provide quality, patient-centered care.

We believe learning is an interactive process in which faculty and students share responsibility to meet program outcomes. We believe in using educational methods that are current and supportive of students in the teaching and learning environment. Learning is enhanced by the presentation of information from simple to complex.

PTA Learning Objectives

Demonstrate safe, efficient, efficacious interventions, under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, in a legal, ethical, and competent manner as a PTA.
1. The CCCC PTA program will achieve at least an 85% annual pass rate on the National Physical Therapy EXAM (NPTE).
2. A minimum of 90% of licensed PTA graduates seeking employment will be employed as a PTA within one year of graduation.
3. A minimum of 80% of responses on Employer Surveys will rate the CCCC PTA graduates as being adequately prepared for entry into practice, with relation to safety, efficiency, and efficacious interventions.
Demonstrate the professional and core values of an entry-level PTA.
1. 100% of students will be assessed at “entry-level” on all CPI criteria during clinical education experiences prior to graduation.
2. A minimum of 80% of responses on Employer Surveys will rate CCCC PTA graduates as being adequately prepared or higher for entry into practice, with relation to professionalism.
Recognize the importance of maintaining competence in applicable areas of physical therapy practice through a commitment to professional development, life-long learning, and the utilization of resources to provide high-value physical therapy services.
1. 75% of PTA Program licensed graduates will report participation in continuing competence activities and professional development to adhere to NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners’ continuing competency requirements in the OneYear Graduate Follow-Up Survey.
2. A minimum of 80% of responses on Employer Surveys will rate CCCC PTA graduates as being adequately prepared or higher for entry into practice, with relation to professional development, life-long learning, and utilization of resources.
Demonstrate effective communication skills in a culturally competent manner with patients and their families/caregivers, other healthcare providers, and the public.
1. A minimum of 80% of responses on Employer Surveys will rate CCCC PTA graduates as being adequately prepared for entry into practice, with relation to communication skills.
2. A minimum of 80% of responses on Student Graduate Surveys will report “Agree” or higher regarding the ability to communicate in a culturally competent manner.

PTA Goals

Provide a contemporary and comprehensive curriculum blending didactic and clinical education in accordance with CAPTE and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy guidelines, and CCCC’s mission.
1. 100% of core faculty will participate in continuing competence activities and professional development each year to adhere to NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners’ continuing competence and College requirements.
2. A minimum of 80% of responses on Student Exit Surveys and Graduate Surveys will report “Agree” or higher regarding a contemporary and comprehensive curriculum.
3. A minimum of 90% of the PTA Program Advisory Board members will report satisfaction with the outlined curriculum on the annual survey. d. The attrition rate of enrolled students in the PTA Program will be 30% or less per cohort.
Graduate competent, ethical, and professional entry-level physical therapist assistants able to work under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
1. 100% of students will be assessed at “entry-level” on all CPI criteria during clinical education experiences prior to graduation.
2. A minimum of 85% pass rate among graduates who sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) annually.
3. A minimum of 90% of licensed PTA graduates seeking employment will be employed in-field within one year of graduation.
4. A minimum of 80% of responses on Employer Surveys will rate CCCC PTA graduates as being adequately prepared for entry into practice.
Promote the importance of lifelong learning and involvement in order to support the profession of physical therapy, College, and the PTA program.
1. 100% of full-time PTA program faculty will participate in educational opportunities and or meetings to integrate current professional physical therapy research, topics, and current issues into the curriculum.
2. 100% of core faculty will participate in continuing competence activities and professional development each year to adhere to NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners continuing competence and College requirements.
3. 100% of full-time PTA program faculty will maintain membership in the APTA and APTA NC.
Function as an integral part of the College through faculty participation in committee assignments, professional development, promotion of student involvement, and recruitment activities.
1. 100% of full-time PTA Program faculty will serve on a College committee.
2. 100% of full-time PTA Program faculty will participate in PTA Program faculty meetings during the semester(s) they are instructing.
3. 100% of PTA faculty members will serve on the PTA Program Advisory Board.

PTA Program Timeline

Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 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. CAPTE Rules of Practice and Procedure (22.3.12) 55 Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.

Effective October 31, 2023, Central Carolina Community College has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Tiffany Needham, Department Chair at (919) 545-8652 or email tneedham@cccc.edu.

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.

2016-2020: Needs assessment data collected and feasibility study completed
February 2020: Dr. Denise Martin, Dean of Health Sciences and Professional Services attend mandatory CAPTE Developing Program Workshop
January 2021: Tiffany Needham, PTA Program Director attend mandatory CAPTE Developing Program Workshop
January 2021: Tiffany Needham, PTA Program Director starts at CCCC
September 2021: First PTA Program Advisory Board Meeting
January 2022: NC Community College System approval received
May 2022: Jason Harloff, PT, MSPT, AT-Ret as PTA Clinical Education Coordinator hired
March 2022: Second PTA Program Advisory Board Meeting
June 2022: SACS/COC prospectus submitted
October 2022: Third PTA Program Advisory Board Meeting
December 2022: Tiffany Needham, Program Director and Jason Harloff, CEC attended CAPTE Developing Program workshop
January 2023: Reconfirmation of Intent submitted and approved to CAPTE
January 2023: Reconfirmation of Intent submitted
January 2023: AFC Review Fee submitted and cleared
February 2023: CSM on-demand
March 2023: Fourth PTA Program Advisory Board Meeting May 4, 2023: Submission of Application for Candidacy to CAPTE
May 2023: Pre-Accreditation Fee submitted and cleared
June 2023: Staff determination that AFC meets eligibility requirements and eligible for AFC provided to Candidacy Reviewers
July 25-27, 2023: On-site visit by CAPTE reviewers
August 2023: Institutional Response to CAPTE report visit
October 27-31, 2023: CAPTE Fall Meeting to determine Candidacy status
October 2023: APTA NC Annual Conference
October 31, 2023: Granted Candidate for Accreditation from CAPTE
Fall 2023: PTA Program application opens (pending candidacy status)
Spring 2024: Prospective PTA student continue working on pre-requisites and general education courses for application
March 2024: Closing date for PTA applications for Cohort I
April 2024: PTA application notifications go out for Cohort I
May 2024: Cohort I PTA Program seats confirmed
June/July 2024: Mandatory PTA Program Student Orientation
August 2024: PTA Technical Phase courses begin (Cohort I begins—24 students)
October 2024: APTA NC Annual Conference
Fall 2024: PTA Application open for Cohort II
November/December 2024: Tiffany Needham, Program Director attends CAPTE Self-Study workshop
Spring 2025: Elon DPT collaboration exercise (Anatomy Lab)
March 2025: PTA Application closes for Cohort II
April 2025: PTA Application notification go out for Cohort II
May 2025: PTA Program Cohort II seats confirmed
June 2025: PTA Program Mandatory Orientation
Summer 2025: Special Olympics NC – student volunteers
August 2025: CAPTE Self-Study Report Due
August 2025: PTA Technical Phase courses begin for Cohort II
October 2025: APTA NC Annual Conference
October 2025: PTA Program Application open for Cohort III Fall 2025: PTA180 – PTA Clinical Education Introduction (4weeks)
November/December 2025: Initial Accreditation on-site visit
November/December 2025: Scorebuilders PTA Licensure Prep Course for all technical students
Spring 2026: (2) 6 weeks – PTA260AB/BB Advanced PTA Clinical Education
Spring 2026: CAPTE decision for initial accreditation
March 2026: PTA Application closes for Cohort III
April 2026: PTA Application notifications go out for Cohort III
May 2026: PTA Program Cohort III seats confirmed
June 2026: Cohort III PTA Mandatory Program Orientation
May 2026: Cohort I Graduation
June 2026: PTA Program Cohort I Graduates eligible to sit for PTA Board Exam
June 2026: Cohort III PTA Program Orientation
August 2026: PTA Technical Phase courses begin for Cohort III