A Bridge program is a higher education program specifically designed to assist a student with an attained initial educational level (or an initial level of professional licensure) to attend college courses and achieve a terminal degree (or a higher level of professional licensure) in the same field of study and in less time than an entry-level student would require. Typically, a Bridge program student holds a two-year college degree, has been working in his or her chosen profession for a few years, and is seeking advancement in the profession by obtaining a four-year or graduate degree.
Examples of Bridge programs exist in the following healthcare fields: Nursing (Licensed Practical Nurse--LPN, to Registered Nurse--RN), Physical Therapy (Physical Therapist Assistant--PTA, to Physical Therapist--PT), and Occupational Therapy (Occupational Therapist Assistant--OTA, to Occupational Therapist--OT). As of 2011[update], Bridge programs are being actively considered for Physician Assistants (PAs) to transition to Medical Doctors (MDs), but no such program yet exists.