Cecil College’s Physical Therapist Assistant program celebrates a decade of success

NORTH EAST, Md:Cecil College’s Physical Therapist Assistant program reached a milestone last month, celebrating its tenth anniversary of accreditation. Launched in January 2015, Cecil’s PTA program has achieved a national reputation of excellence.

“We set the bar and standards high for our PTA students, and we are very proud of their accomplishments. In addition, our faculty are dedicated to their success and spend a significant amount of time with the students to ensure they understand, and can apply, not just memorize, the material, thus preparing them for their future careers,” said Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Deanna Smith, PT, MPT.

Cecil College’s program has consistently achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the licensure exam and a 100 percent employment rate for all graduates.

Through collaboration with the other healthcare programs at the College, PTA students are exposed to other healthcare providers and their roles the healthcare system. In addition to the healthcare programs, the entire College community has been proactive in providing exceptional support to the PTA program, with robust relationships with the library faculty and staff, the academic success center, the career center, advising, admissions, and registration. “It really does take the entire campus community to build and maintain a successful program,” said Smith.

Reaching this level of success is not achieved in a vacuum on a single college campus. Cecil College has partnered with dozens of clinical and professional partners to provide students with real-world work situations and challenges. These partnerships span beyond state boundaries with valuable clinical partners in PA, MD, and DE. Additionally, they collaborate with other PTA programs and four-year academic institutions to provide robust learning experiences. “Kelly Yeager, the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, is strategic in placing students for clinical education experiences that will optimize their learning and professional growth. She is also instrumental in leading extracurricular activities such as participation in the gross anatomy lab with the University of Delaware DPT students,” said Smith.

“Cecil College’s Physical Therapist Assistant program is led by devoted faculty dedicated to student success, and this success is demonstrated by the exceptional passage rates our students have achieved,” said Cecil College President Mary Way Bolt.

The dedication of the faculty, staff, and administration achieved such a level of success that Cecil College’s PTA Program was honored with the unique distinction of earning a ten-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation and Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) in its first attempt. What makes this achievement monumental is that there were no citations or requests for more information, which are issues the program needs to modify. This 10-year CAPTE accreditation for Cecil College’s PTA program is effective through Spring 2031.

“When a program is brand new, CAPTE assesses it more frequently. The program design receives initial approval, then the accrediting body assesses the outcomes to ensure students are properly trained and graduates are successful in the workplace,” said Smith. "We have continued to demonstrate excellent outcomes with each graduating class. In addition, the program met or exceeded all goals and CAPTE's Standards and Required Elements.”

According to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, demand for PTAs is expected to grow 26 percent through 2032, with the annual mean wage in the State of Maryland being $67,640.

If you are interested in learning more about the Physical Therapist Assistant program, please visit www.cecil.edu/pta or contact Program Director Deanna Smith at DSmith@cecil.edu or pta@cecil.edu. The program will start accepting applications on July 1, 2026, for admission to the next class in January of 2027.

www.cecil.edu