State/Professional Licensure

Licensure as a Physical Therapist Assistant is regulated by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy while individual states are typically overseen by a State Board of Physical Therapy.  All 50 states require graduation from a CAPTE accredited program as well as passing the NPTE-PTA in order to obtain a license and practice as a Physical Therapist Assistant.  The South College PTA programs are CAPTE accredited program which aims to prepare graduates to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE-PTA).  Some states have unique licensure requirements. For example, a jurisprudence exam is required in some states to test the graduate’s knowledge of state laws, rules, and practice acts that govern physical therapy practice (this is currently required in Georgia and North Carolina but not in Tennessee). Some require satisfactory background checks.  These unique requirements are not associated with preparation in the South College program.  The following link provides contact information for individual state licensing authorities: https://www.fsbpt.org/Free-Resources/Licensing-Authorities-Contact-Information.