FAQs

All licensed physical therapists and physical therapy assistants are encouraged to attend our courses. Some of our courses are also open to occupational therapists (OT). Courses intended for both a PT and OT audience will be designated as such in the marketing materials. USC is an approved provider of continuing education courses through the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

You should select a course in which the course objectives and learner outcomes are clearly stated. The course should be taught using an evidence-based approach. An evidence-based course will utilize assessments and interventions that are best supported by contemporary evidence. Anecdotal evidence should not serve as the primary source of information in the course.

At USC, we believe that continuing education courses should transform the learner and that he/she should be able to directly apply the skills learned during the course. Therefore, our courses are designed to maximize a learner-centered experience through our lecture and hands-on lab format.

The Physical Therapy Board of California requires physical therapists (PT) to renew their license every two years. Beginning in 2010, PTs and PTAs will need to take a minimum of 30 hours of continuing competency coursework to satisfy the requirement for licensure renewal. For each license renewal cycle, the licensee’s continuing competency hours must include two hours in ethics, laws and regulations and four hours in life support for health care professionals.

PTs and PTAs can satisfy continuing competency requirements in the following ways:

• Participating in continuing education courses from an approved provider
• Publishing peer reviewed articles, case study, or book chapter (maximum of 16 hours)
• Serving as a clinical instructor for a student whose clinical experience is full-time and lasts at least 4 weeks (maximum of 12 hours)
• Developing or teaching an approved college or continuing education physical therapy course (maximum of 16 hours)
• Attending a Physical Therapy Board meeting (maximum of 8 hours)
• Serving on a Board appointed task force (maximum of 16 hours)

State requirements for demonstrating competency as a condition for renewal will not be required until 2010. For licenses that expire between October 31, 2010, and October 31, 2011, 15 hours of continuing competency coursework shall be completed if the renewal is submitted prior to the expiration of the original license. For licenses that expire on or after November 1, 2011, the full 30 hours of continuing competency coursework shall be completed.

Further information about continuing competency requirements can be obtained from the Physical Therapy Board website: http://www.ptb.ca.gov.

All licensed physical therapists are encouraged to attend our courses. A select number of our courses are also open to occupational therapists (OT). Courses intended for both a PT and OT audience will be designated as such in the marketing materials.

In accordance with CPTA regulations, the student to instructor ratio is 16:1. If the number of students exceeds 16, qualified lab instructors will be present to assist with the course.

The number of continuing education units (CEU) you receive will depend on the number of contact hours (excluding lunch and break times) in the course. In order to obtain the number of CEUs that will be awarded in a particular course, divide the number of contact hours in the course by 10. For example, a 7 hour course will yield .7 continuing education units.

According to the January 2008 issue of Physical Therapy magazine, continuing education can provide the following benefits for physical therapists:

• emphasis on professionalism
• desire to provide optimum patient care
• [desire for] self-improvement

Often times, an individual’s credentials (which may include continuing education coursework) can distinguish one candidate from another in a highly competitive job search.

The USC Health Sciences campus is located less than 5 miles from downtown Los Angeles in the northeast part of the city. Most of our courses are held during weekends when parking is readily available in the Center for Health Professions (CHP) lot.

Click here to download a campus map 

Do you provide refreshments during the courses?

We provide a continental breakfast and light refreshments throughout the day. Lunch is on your own.

The evidence-based practice is a unique course that can be brought to your facility or taught here at the USC Health Sciences campus. This course can also be taught using a distance learning format. A minimum of 10 participants is necessary to schedule the course. Please call (323) 442-3156 for more information.

Please contact us via email, telephone, mail or in-person below:
USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
Continuing Education Programs
1540 Alcazar St., CHP 155
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Phone: (323) 442-3156
Fax: (323) 442-3288
Email: ptconed@usc.edu