This is not entry-level education. It is advanced, role-specific development built around the PTA scope of practice.
The only program of its kind in New England — 160 hours of advanced orthopedic clinical education designed specifically for PTAs who want to become stronger clinical partners in orthopedic care.
160 Contact Hours
Hybrid · Virtual + Labs
14–24 Months
Licensed PTAs
Only Program of Its Kind in New England
Contact hours of advanced orthopedic clinical education
Program rating from verified PTA graduates
Advanced orthopedic PTA certification of its kind in New England
New grads benefit from building an advanced foundation early. Experienced PTAs benefit from structured elevation and credential recognition. Both end up in the same room.
If you want greater confidence, greater contribution, and sharper communication inside the care team, this was built for you.
Build an advanced orthopedic foundation early, rather than accumulating scattered CEUs for a decade first.
Structured elevation of skills you already have, plus a credential that names what you can actually do.
Clinicians who want to strengthen movement assessment and treatment execution alongside physical therapists.
PTAs preparing for expanded responsibility, mentorship of newer staff, and greater impact within a practice.
This is not a diluted PT course. PTAs and PTs sit in the same lectures and the same labs, held to the same educational standard. What changes is not the rigor. What changes is the application.
The same lectures. The same weekend labs. The same faculty. The same standard.
Content is never reduced or simplified for the PTA cohort. PTs and PTAs analyze movement together and refine treatment strategies through shared clinical reasoning.The physical therapist takes the same material toward examination and plan of care.
The PTA takes the same material toward execution, refinement, and contribution.
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Most continuing education for PTAs is one of three things: too basic, too generic, or a PT course trimmed at the edges until it fits. All three treat the PTA role as a smaller version of something else, and none of them make anyone better at the job they actually do.
COPTA was built from the ground up for PTAs — honoring PTA scope while pushing clinical excellence to its limit. The result is a certification that makes PTAs meaningfully more effective as clinical partners, in the specific ways the role calls for.
To be clear: COPTA is not a residency. Licensed PTs interested in advanced orthopedic manual therapy certification should look at COMT instead.
A hybrid model: self-paced virtual modules plus in-person lab intensives. Most participants complete the program over about 14–24 months while working full-time, because the virtual coursework is entirely self-paced.
Orthopedic anatomy, biomechanics, and movement system fundamentals
Functional data collection, reassessment support, and treatment modification within PTA scope and the established plan of care
PTA-appropriate manual therapy application within the established plan of care
Exercise prescription, progression, and outcomes tracking
Spine and extremity treatment protocols with clinical rationale
Patient education and self-management support strategies
Complex patient management within the PT/PTA collaborative model
Self-paced virtual coursework — asynchronous didactic education, structured progression, your own schedule
Interactive virtual case calls — live sessions on clinical reasoning and communication with supervising PTs
In-person lab intensives — hands-on work at Highbar Physical Therapy, Cranston, RI
14–24 months to complete, working full-time throughout
Competency assessment to close the program
The COPTA designation — a credential that names advanced orthopedic competency within the PTA role
Ongoing faculty access throughout the program, not a certificate and a handshake at the end
Hybrid — self-paced virtual modules plus in-person lab intensives
160 contact hours
About 14–24 months, alongside full-time work
APTA Massachusetts approved — verify applicability with your state licensing board
Highbar Physical Therapy, Cranston, RI
Licensed PTAs in good standing
COPTA — Certified Orthopedic PTA
Board-certified orthopedic clinical specialists
$1,200 for external PTAs · full salary for internal participants
Course schedule, live discussions, and labs
Live virtual discussions: 7:00–9:00 PM ET
2026–2027
| Course | Course dates | Live virtual discussions | In-person lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic Pain Management | Nov 2–Dec 27, 2026 | Wed, Nov 11 Mon, Nov 23* Wed, Dec 9 Mon, Dec 21* | No in-person lab |
| Management of the Lumbopelvic Region | Dec 28, 2026–Feb 21, 2027 | Wed, Jan 6 Wed, Jan 20 Wed, Feb 3 Wed, Feb 17 | Feb 20–21, 2027 |
| Management of the Cervicothoracic Region | Mar 1–Apr 25, 2027 | Wed, Mar 10 Wed, Mar 24 Wed, Apr 7 Wed, Apr 21 | Apr 24–25, 2027 |
| Management of Upper Extremity Disorders | May 3–Jun 27, 2027 | Wed, May 12 Wed, May 26 Wed, Jun 9 Wed, Jun 23 | Jun 26–27, 2027 |
| Management of Lower Extremity Disorders | Jul 5–Aug 29, 2027 | Wed, Jul 14 Wed, Jul 28 Wed, Aug 11 Wed, Aug 25 | Aug 28–29, 2027 |
* Holiday-adjusted calls: Nov 23 and Dec 21 move to Monday of the same week. Dates are subject to change; participants will be notified of any schedule updates.
Access opens Oct 1, 2027 and remains available through Mar 1, 2028.
Every review of this program, from every graduate who has left one.
Verified program participants
"This course increased my understanding of pain patterns and gave me more confidence during patient education every day. The asynchronous plus synchronous weekend-intensive structure makes it unlike any other — and it's had a large impact on my critical thinking and my patients' outcomes."
Haley Chaves, PTA
COPTA graduate · April 2026
"COPTA really gets you thinking about the why behind the skills we use, and makes each treatment more efficient. As a busy mom, I found the pace easy to maintain a good work/life balance."
Emma Wroblinski, PTA
COPTA graduate · April 2026
"This program had a significant impact on how I approach patient care. I feel more confident making treatment decisions, progressing patients appropriately, and adapting based on their response. I'd highly recommend it to any PTA looking to grow their orthopedic skillset."
Cassondra MacDonald, PTA
COPTA graduate · April 2026
Full salary while training is a compensation structure, not a discount.
COPTA is open to both Highbar PTAs and external clinicians, and the two paths work differently enough to spell out. Highbar clinicians complete COPTA on full salary — advancing a clinical skillset without sacrificing financial stability. External PTAs enroll at $1,200 tuition, directly, with no application cycle to wait through.
That’s what a teaching practice looks like from the inside, and it’s one of the more honest reasons to consider working at one.
Highbar clinicians (internal) — you complete COPTA on full salary. Not a waived fee: paid time to develop.
External PTAs — tuition-based enrollment at $1,200. Register and start the virtual coursework immediately.
Employer reimbursement — we provide a detailed receipt and full course documentation for a CE stipend request.
Prospective hires — CE like this is part of the offer, not an add-on. See careers →
No — it’s suitable for PTAs at any career stage. New grads build a strong advanced foundation early; experienced PTAs gain structured elevation and credential recognition.
Most PTA CEU is a 1–2 day event with minimal follow-through. COPTA is a 160-hour structured program with ongoing faculty access, live case reviews, multiple lab intensives, and a rigorous competency assessment. It’s not a course — it’s a certification program.
Yes. Virtual modules are entirely self-paced and built for working clinicians. Most participants complete the program over about 14–24 months.
It’s increasingly recognized by orthopedic and sports rehab employers in New England as a signal of advanced clinical competency, and we’re actively building employer partnerships to expand that recognition.
You enroll directly — there’s no application cycle to wait through. Register, and the virtual coursework opens immediately. See how enrollment works →
COPTA is scoped to the PTA role and open to licensed PTAs in good standing. Licensed physical therapists seeking advanced orthopedic manual therapy certification should look at COMT instead.
Rolling enrollment — you begin the virtual coursework as soon as you register, and join the next scheduled lab weekend.
Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT) Program
✅ APTA MA approved
🔒 Secure registration
4 course reviews
I received my COPTA through Highbar which in turn led me to obtaining my Advanced Proficiency Pathway in Orthopedics. The online learning was essential as a full time clinician and parent. I appreciate that the educators honed in on the rationale behind treatment & the evidence basis for the interventions. I feel more confident in my ability review objective measures, perform my own special tests/re-tests, choose the appropriate manual therapy techniques, and educate my patients on all aspects of their physical therapy plan. I also feel I improved my PT-PTA communication as I worked alongside the PTs going through their OCS. I would absolutely recommend this program to any new graduate looking to improve their knowledge base as well as a seasoned PTA wanting to dive further into the latest evidence based practice.
As a PTA, this program had a significant impact on how I approach patient care. I attended both days of each of the four weekend intensives, including the evaluation-focused day designed for PTs and the treatment-focused day. Being exposed to the evaluation side was especially valuable—it gave me a much clearer understanding of what is being assessed and why, which directly improved how I guide my treatments. I also feel more confident in my manual therapy skills, particularly in selecting and applying appropriate techniques based on patient presentation.
Compared to other courses, this program stood out for its strong emphasis on clinical reasoning and real-world application. I now feel more confident making treatment decisions, progressing patients appropriately, and adapting based on their response. This course has had a meaningful impact on my day-to-day practice, and I would highly recommend it to other PTAs looking to grow their orthopedic skillset.
The COPTA program really gets you thinking about the why behind the skills we utilize and makes each treatment more efficient. I really enjoyed this course and deep diving into the current evidence based research. The structure of this course was great as a busy mom I found the pace and requirements easy to maintain a good work/life balance.
I highly recommend this course to any Physical therapy assistant that is looking to expand upon the material learned in school. This course increased my understanding of pain patterns and specifically gave me more confidence during patient education on a daily basis. I believe that the strongest part of this course is having asynchronous and synchronous portions with the leisure to read articles and watch lectures on my schedule. Paired with the synchronous weekend intensive of 2 days of vital hands on practice make this course unlike any other. Finally I recommend this course because of the large impact it has had in my critical thinking which has ultimately improved patient care with better, faster results than previously. With a focus on clinical drives, I am able to curate a very specific program for patients and noted increased HEP compliance.
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160 hours of advanced orthopedic education, delivered at full rigor and scoped to the work you actually do. The only program of its kind in New England.