Certified occupational therapy assistants work in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies and other health care settings.

The program will include four semesters of course work followed by one semester of field experience. Clinical sites for the required field experience will include NovaCare Corp., which has 24 sites within 45 minutes of the campus. The university’s gerontology center, The Center in the Woods, also will provide training situations.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that physical therapy assistant is the fastest growing occupation in the nation that requires some post-secondary education or training.

Working under the supervision of a physical therapist, a PT assistant assesses, evaluates, treats and prevents physical disability, movement dysfunction and pain resulting from injury, disease, disability or other health-related conditions.

The physical therapy assistant program has been designed to be completed in two academic years and one summer session. Nearly three dozen physical therapy facilities in the area will provide clinical and internship opportunities for students in the program.

The new PT assistant program will be the second offered within the System. A similar program is available at Clarion University of Pennsylvania’s Venango campus.

Students will be admitted into both of the new programs at California University beginning in Fall 1999.

California University of Pennsylvania is a member of the State System of Higher Education, which comprises 14 universities throughout the Commonwealth. The State System is the largest provider of higher education in the state. One of every 29 Pennsylvanians is attending or is a graduate of a System university.