Educational Standards - Physical Therapy - Business & Professions - CA

Section § 2650

This law sets the educational requirements for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in California. To become a licensed physical therapist, you need to graduate from an approved program and complete a professional education program with both academic coursework and a clinical internship. Your training should involve 18 weeks of diverse, full-time clinical experience. For physical therapist assistants, you must graduate with an associate degree from an approved program and complete the necessary academic and clinical training. All educational programs must meet certain standards set by specific accreditation bodies, like the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

(a) The physical therapist education requirements are as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, each applicant for a license as a physical therapist shall be a graduate of a professional degree program of an accredited postsecondary institution or institutions approved by the board and shall have completed a professional education program including academic course work and clinical internship in physical therapy.

(2) Unless otherwise specified by the board by regulation, the educational requirements shall include instruction in the subjects prescribed by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association or Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada and shall include a combination of didactic and clinical experiences. The clinical experience shall include at least 18 weeks of full-time experience with a variety of patients.

(b) The physical therapist assistant educational requirements are as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, each applicant for a license as a physical therapist assistant shall be a graduate of a physical therapist assistant program of an accredited postsecondary institution or institutions approved by the board, and shall have completed both the academic and clinical experience required by the physical therapist assistant program, and have been awarded an associate degree.

(2) Unless otherwise specified by the board by regulation, the educational requirements shall include instruction in the subjects prescribed by the CAPTE of the American Physical Therapy Association or Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada or another body as may be approved by the board by regulation and shall include a combination of didactic and clinical experiences.

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Section § 2651

This law section states that physical therapist and assistant programs in California need board approval by meeting certain educational standards. Programs accredited by specified organizations or others approved by the board are generally accepted unless otherwise determined. The board can reject foreign programs if they don't match the required standards.

The board shall approve only those physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs that prove to the satisfaction of the board that they comply with the minimum physical therapist or physical therapist assistant educational requirements set forth in this chapter and adopted by the board pursuant to this chapter. Physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association, Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada, or such other body as may be approved by the board by regulation shall be deemed approved by the board unless the board determines otherwise. This chapter shall not prohibit the board from disapproving any foreign physical therapist or physical therapist assistant educational program or from denying an applicant if, in the opinion of the board, the instruction received by the applicant or the courses offered by the program were not equivalent to that which is required by this chapter.

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Section § 2653

If you've graduated from a physical therapy program outside the U.S. that isn't board-approved, you must prove your education is similar to U.S. standards, show you're proficient in English, and complete a nine-month clinical service in the U.S. under supervision. You might need to have your education reviewed, and you must have already passed a certain written exam before starting this clinical service. Your supervising therapist will evaluate your work and report back to the board. Some applicants could be exempt from proving English proficiency if they studied in certain English-speaking countries, and the board may waive parts of the clinical requirement.

An applicant for a license as a physical therapist who has graduated from a physical therapist education program that is not approved by the board and is not located in the United States shall do all of the following:

(a) Furnish documentary evidence satisfactory to the board, that he or she has completed a professional degree in a physical therapist educational program substantially equivalent at the time of his or her graduation to that issued by a board approved physical therapist education program. The professional degree must entitle the applicant to practice as a physical therapist in the country where the diploma was issued. The applicant shall meet the educational requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 2650. The board may require an applicant to submit documentation of his or her education to a credentials evaluation service for review and a report to the board.

(b)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), demonstrate proficiency in English by achieving a score specified by the board on the Test of English as a Foreign Language administered by the Educational Testing Services or other means as may be specified by the board by regulation.

(2) An applicant shall be exempt from the requirement under paragraph (1) if the applicant has been awarded a bachelor’s degree or higher in a physical therapist educational program from a college, university, or professional training school in Australia, any part of Canada other than Quebec, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, or another English-speaking country specified by the board.

(c) Complete nine months of clinical service in a location approved by the board under the supervision of a physical therapist licensed by a United States jurisdiction, in a manner satisfactory to the board. The applicant shall have passed the written examination required in Section 2636 prior to commencing the period of clinical service. The board shall require the supervising physical therapist to evaluate the applicant and report his or her findings to the board. The board may in its discretion waive all or part of the required clinical service pursuant to guidelines set forth in its regulations. During the period of clinical service, the applicant shall be identified as a physical therapist license applicant. If an applicant fails to complete the required period of clinical service, the board may, for good cause shown, allow the applicant to complete another period of clinical service.

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Section § 2654

In California, if someone has graduated from a physical therapist program outside the U.S. that isn't approved by the board, they might not qualify to take the physical therapist exam. However, their education can be evaluated, and they might still be allowed to take the exam to become a physical therapist assistant instead.

If an applicant who has graduated from a physical therapist education program that is not approved by the board and is not located in the United States does not qualify to take the physical therapist examination, his or her education may be evaluated by the board and the applicant may be eligible to take the physical therapist assistant examination.

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