How to Become a Physical Therapist in Kansas

According to 2013 employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 1,740 Physical Therapists worked in Kansas that year. They earned an annual average of $75,430. One quarter of the state’s PTs worked in nonmetropolitan areas. Kansas had the greatest amount of PT employment outside of its cities of any state in the country in 2013.

Slightly over 1,000 Physical Therapy Assistants worked in Kansas in 2013 according to the BLS. Over one third were employed in nonmetropolitan areas of the state. Kansas had the second highest level of nonmetropolitan PTA employment in the US.

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) provides licensure for a wide range of medical professionals including Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants. The board members work closely with the Kansas Physical Therapy Association (KPTA).

Here are the steps you need to take to become a Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant in Kansas:

Physical Therapy Assistant:

  • You must earn a Physical Therapy Assistant Associate’s degree.
  • Meet the required score for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
  • You must complete at least 20 hours of continuing education over a two year period.
  • Complete professional development units during every two year licensure period.
  • You can find the application form for a Physical Therapy Assistant on the forms page of the state’s licensure website.

Physical Therapist:

  • You must earn a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.
  • Meet the required score for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
  • You must obtain liability insurance.
  • You must complete at least 40 hours of continuing education over a two year period.
  • Complete professional development units during every two year licensure period.
  • You can apply for your license using the licensure form from the Kansas Physical Therapy forms website.

Step 1: Complete A Degree in Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Assistant

The best way to become a Physical Therapy Assistant in Kansas is to attend one of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE) approved schools. You can obtain an Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science PTA degree from one of the following schools in Kansas:

  • Colby Community College
  • Hutchinson Community College
  • Kansas City Kansas Community College
  • Labette Community College
  • Washburn University of Topeka

If you obtained a degree in PTA from a program that did not meet the criteria for approval, you have two options. One is to take courses in the areas that did not meet the criteria and get at least a B. The other is to get semester credit hours by applying college level exam scores.

Physical Therapist

The most straightforward way to get a degree in Physical Therapy in Kansas is to enroll in one of the accredited programs in this field. The KSBHA requires you to get a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy to get your license to practice in Kansas. You can obtain such a degree at one of the following schools approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE):

  • University of Kansas Medical Center
  • Wichita State University

If you got such a degree from a program that has not been approved, you may still be able to get a license to be a Physical Therapist in Kansas. You will either have to take courses from the areas found lacking and get at least a B or else use college level exam scores to get semester credits.

Step 2: Meet the Required Score for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE)

You will have to take the standard national exam in Physical Therapy to get your certification to practice in Kansas. There are separate National Physical Therapy Examinations (NPTE) for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants. The Physical Therapy regulations in Kansas indicate that you need to achieve a score of at least 600 on a scale that ranges from 200 to 800.

You will be well prepared to take the exam after you have graduated from one of the approved PT programs. The 2010-2012 pass rates for graduates of the approved PT programs in Kansas was 98.9% and 99%. Those for the PTA programs ranged from 86.36% to 98.44%.

Step 3: Obtain Physical Therapy Liability Insurance

While this is not a requirement for Physical Therapy Assistants, if you want to practice as a Physical Therapist in Kansas, you must first obtain professional liability insurance. The state requires you to have insurance of at least $100,000 a claim. Your annual aggregate amount for all claims must be at least $300,000.

Step 4: Apply for Your Kansas State License

You first step in applying for your Kansas state PT or PTA license is to download the application packet from the KSBHA licensure forms website. You should be prepared to list the following types of information and get your application notarized when it is complete:

  • All NPTE attempts
  • All post secondary schools that you attended (even if you didn’t graduate)
  • All employment/professional activity within the past five years
  • Recommendation by a peer who has known you for at least a year
  • The certification of your professional school specifying your degree. Your school must either provide their seal or notarize this information.
  • A 2” x 3” photograph of your head and shoulders taken within 90 days

The KSBHA will assign an application analyst to track your application. Once the analyst has received all of your paperwork, he or she will send your file to be reviewed. You may have to provide additional information or clarification.

Physical Therapy Licenses. If you are applying to be a Physical Therapist, you will have to answer a jurisprudence exam on the application. You also have several options for your type of license:

  • Active
  • Federal Active: If you will be working for the federal government
  • Inactive: If you meet the requirements to get a PT license in Kansas, but do not actively practice as a PT in the state. You do not need to provide evidence of liability insurance.
  • Exempt: If you are not regularly practicing as a PT. You can work for a local health department or indigent health care clinic as a paid employee or an unpaid volunteer.

Step 5: Earn Continuing Education Credits

You will need to earn continuing education credits every other year when you renew your license. All PT and PTA licenses expire on December 31. Your renewal period runs from November 15 through January 31. The KPTA approves continuing education credit for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants.

Physical Therapy Assistant

You will have to complete 20 hours of continuing education credits every two years to renew your license.

Physical Therapist

You will need to complete 40 hours of continuing education credits every two years to renew your license.