Physical Therapist Assistant
The Physical Therapist Assistant program is a six-quarter, full-time, daytime program with both morning and afternoon courses held Monday–Friday at the Kirkland Campus. Admission to the PTA program is selective and requires a special application for admission. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) and to apply for state licensure as a PTA. Licensure is required in the state of Washington.
Mission, Philosophy, & Goals
The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program supports the mission of Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech), which is "to prepare students for today's careers and tomorrow's opportunities."
The mission of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program is to prepare students to enter the healthcare workforce as entry-level physical therapist assistants who are competent to assist the physical therapist in the provision of safe, ethical and effective physical therapy. The program aims to provide students with high quality didactic and clinical education in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills of physical therapy as well as tools for lifelong learning to maintain industry competitiveness.
The Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program believes the function of the physical therapist assistant is to assist the physical therapist in the provision of safe and effective physical therapy to help people restore and improve motion for greater quality of life. It is the philosophy of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at LWTech to foster the acquisition of physical therapist assistant skills in a safe learning environment that supports communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, and to promote culturally sensitive, ethical, and compassionate care in the physical therapy workplace.
Goal 1
Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will possess the skills necessary to perform safe, effective, and ethical entry-level physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
Goal 2
Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will be prepared to obtain an entry-level position as a physical therapist assistant.
Goal 3
Graduates of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program will be prepared to engage in lifelong learning and career development as a physical therapist assistant in order to maintain industry competitiveness.
Goal 4
The LWTech PTA program will provide students with a curriculum consistent with the current contemporary practice of physical therapy, the current guidelines of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Minimum Required Skills of Physical Therapist Assistant Graduates at Entry-Level.
Goal 5
Lake Washington Institute of Technology Physical Therapist Assistant program faculty will promote and model the importance of lifelong learning and career development through the identification and completion of relevant professional development activities.
Additional Physical Therapist Assistant Program Information
- Physical Therapy Assistant Program Admission Dates
- Fall
- Physical Therapy Assistant Program Format
- On-campus
Entry into the Physical Therapist Assistant program requires completion of LWTech's general online application.
Program Prerequisites
Program prerequisites can be found in the course catalog.
AAS Application Process
Students applying for the AAS Degree must meet prerequisite requirements.
- Entry into the Physical Therapist Assistant program requires completion of the general online application, as well as the additional application to the Physical Therapist program.
- If you have not already taken classes at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, you must fill out the online application to receive a Student ID number and an LWTech issued email address.
- You will not be able to fill out the PTA application without completing this step.
- In addition, students applying to the PTA program are selected on a competitive basis called Selective Admission. This program has additional application and qualification requirements with application deadlines unique to the program.
AAS Application Deadlines and Requirements
Application Priority Deadline
May 14, 2024
Rolling Admission Deadline
September 2, 2024
Financial Aid Priority Deadline
March 15, 2024
Entry Date
Fall 2024
Application Fee
No Fees
Physical Therapist Assistant AAS Online Application
Additional Application Information
2023-2024 PTA Supporting Information Packet
2023-2024 Online PTA Information Session
Application Questions?
Contact selective.admission@lwtech.edu and/or attend an online Information Session.
Additional Admission Considerations
- International Students Apply via Office of International Programs & Global Education
- Adult Education: Basic Education for Adults (BEdA)
- New to Washington State: Learn more about determining residency status
- Justice Involved: Re-Entry Support for Students Who Have Been Justice Involved
- Undocumented citizens: See the residency affidavit and visit the undocumented students page for more information.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Information sessions provide an overview of the selection process and admission application requirements. The Microsoft Teams link will be utilized for information sessions.
Upcoming Information Session Dates and Times
Click the date to access the Microsoft Teams meeting link.
Teams Help
- Teams can be used on a computer, tablet, or smartphone or you can call in.
- Teams does not require registering for an account.
- Visit MS Teams Support for more information and help videos.
LWTech General Information Sessions
Not sure what program you want to apply to? Check out LWTech's general information sessions and weekly tours by going to LWTech.edu/Visit.
Advising
Students interested in pursuing pre-requisites to the Physical Therapist Assistant program are highly encouraged to schedule a one-on-one advising appointment with a Student Success Navigator. Please review application information and come prepared with any transcripts or placement scores for planning purposes
Accreditation
The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (425) 739-8381 or email selective.admission@lwtech.edu.
2023 PTA Program Financial Fact Sheet is required by CAPTE to be posted on the Physical Therapist Assistant public facing website.
To be eligible for employment, graduates must also take and pass the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE).
Explore Careers and Paths in Physical Therapy
To learn more about transferring to another college or university, please visit our Transferring from LWTech page.
Related Programs
Public Comment Policy
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology welcomes comments, suggestions, ideas, and constructive criticism from individuals in the community who do not have a formal affiliation with LWTech or the PTA program.
- This process is only for comments or concerns which cannot be addressed by existing due process procedures.
- Comments must be provided in writing and signed by the author. Anonymous submissions will not be acknowledged, nor will written comments provided on behalf of an anonymous source.
- Comments must be submitted in writing to the following:
PTA Program Director
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
11605 132nd Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
The PTA Program Director will respond to all comments within seven (7) working days (M-F excluding holidays) to further discuss and resolve the issue. If satisfactory resolution is not or cannot be reached, appeal may be made to the Dean of Allied Health within seven (7) working days (M-F excluding holidays). Again, if satisfactory resolution is not or cannot be reached, appeal may be made to the Office of the Vice President of Instruction within seven (7) working days (M-F excluding holidays). The decision of the Vice President of Instruction will be final and not subject to further appeal. Neither the Dean nor the Vice President of Instruction will become involved until all attempts to resolve the issue with the Program Director have been exhausted, unless the comment is directly related to the performance of the Program Director.