News Article

NORTH EAST, Md.: The Cecil College Physical Therapist Assistant Program has achieved 100 percent first-time pass rate for six of the past eight years on the national licensing exam.

Program Director Deanna Smith attributes the success to the quality of instruction provided by their faculty, the commitment and dedication of their students, and the support of the college community. The PTA program was developed at Cecil College in 2015, recently graduated its eighth cohort, and achieved ten-year full accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education in 2021.

Kelly Yeager, the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE), attributes the strength of student performance to the clinical program, which consists of 12 weeks of full-time clinical practice in a physical therapy setting under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. The excellent track record and attributes of the PTA program provide graduates with many exciting career opportunities in the field of physical therapy.

Graduates work in hospitals, outpatient physical therapy clinics, public schools, and skilled nursing facilities. The program consists of four technical semesters after completing pre-requisite coursework.

Interested students can find more information at cecil.edu/pta.