Clarkson College has not always been a college. Instead, we began in 1888 as a school of nursing—the first in the state of Nebraska. Over the last 125 years, we've established a new campus, expanded our program offerings and adopted a new name. All the while, we've maintained a commitment to preparing our students to be the best in various realms of health care. This commitment to excellence has and always will remain a defining quality of Clarkson College.

About

At Clarkson College, you don't just study health care—you prepare to be the best in it. All around you are professionally trained faculty, practicing clinicians and classmates who share the belief that they, too, can better the lives of others. With eight fields and twenty majors to choose from, you have a broad range of options for making a difference—quite possibly even before you graduate.

Academics

Clarkson College welcomes undergraduate and graduate students, transfer and international students, and adults who are returning to college to continue their studies or advance their health care careers. Here, you'll find everything you need to get started.

Enrollment

The Student Financial Services department helps provide opportunities for talented, dedicated and deserving students to attend Clarkson College. Whether you're seeking scholarships and grants, loans, payment plans, or a combination, we'll help you find the answer most suitable for you.

Tuition & Financial Aid

College is a time of self-discovery, personal growth and—most certainly—fun. We're thrilled your main objective is to pursue a future in health care, but we also want you to look back on your college education and recollect all of things you experienced—lectures and textbooks aside. There are numerous ways for you to get involved at Clarkson College. Here's a peek at some of them.

Student Life

Every day, Clarkson College alumni are changing lives in ways that are both practical and profound. As the proud alma mater of these astounding health care professionals, Clarkson College strives to keep our alumni connected to not only the College but also with one another. Here, you will find all the ways you can stay connected.

Alumni

Clarkson College provides a variety of professional learning opportunities and health care courses. Our Basic Life Support, Medication and Nurse Aide courses can help individuals getting certified for the first time or needing renewal. These programs are either online or on campus with ongoing offerings year-round.

Professional Development

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Program Overview

Since introducing our Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program in 1994, Clarkson College has grown to be the largest and one of the most highly-esteemed programs of its kind across the state of Nebraska. Each year, the Associate's degree in PTA program option graduates two classes of students who are prepared to provide exceptional patient care in physical therapy. The Bachelor's degree in PTA program option graduates one class of students per year who are prepared to provide advanced practice in physical therapy interventions and take their career to a new level.

The primary responsibilities of a PTA are to assist with patient assessment, implement treatment programs based on the plan of care, train patients in exercises and activities of daily living, conduct treatments using specialized equipment, administer modalities, and report the patients’ responses to treatment to the physical therapist.

The Clarkson College PTA program offers a well-structured academic curriculum. The Associate-level PTA option offers 15 weeks of hands-on clinical rotations and the Bachelor-level PTA option offers a mentorship program while working as a PTA. As a PTA student, you’ll learn to assist patients with various movement impairments to become independent in their day-to-day functions. Because every client has a unique set of circumstances, you’ll learn to create personalized rehabilitation plans that include a series of physical therapy interventions and activities that will support patients in reaching their recovery goals.