Selective Admission: Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is a selective admission program.

After being accepted to TCC, you must meet the following requirements to be eligible to submit a separate application to our PTA Program.

Am I eligible to apply?

Check to see that you have met the following eligibility requirements.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to apply to our program.

Work/Volunteer/Observation Experience

You must have:

  • 40 hours of observation in physical therapy practice
  • 3 reference forms completed by PT or PTA staff at the facilities where you observed or worked

TCC Student ID Number

First, you must apply to TCC.

Apply online with ApplyTCC (use Firefox or Chrome for the best experience)

Once you are accepted as a student at TCC, you will get a TCC Student ID number.

You need a TCC Student ID number for your application to our Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

You must meet the TSI requirements to apply to our Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

Questions? See TSI Assessment.

Information Session

In our Spring In-Person Information Session, you will find out everything you need to know about our program: requirements, courses, costs, and more.

Attending an information session is an application requirement.

When & Where

Can't make it to our in-person information session? Don't worry!

You can still meet the information session application requirement.

Here's how:

  1. Review the PTA Information Session Slides (PDF)Listen
  2. Download the PTA Interest Meeting Quiz (PDF)Listen
  3. Answer all the questions
  4. Submit your completed Quiz with your application

Questions?

Health Care Professions Advising Resource Hub

Janette Keen, Career Advisor

Call 817-515-1484
Email TR.HealthCareAdvising@tccd.edu

Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI A2) Admission Exam

HESI A2 is the required admissions exam for the program.

You must earn a minimum score of 70 in each section of the HESI A2.

You can take the HESI A2 exam online through ProctorU or in-person at the Trinity River Campus Testing Center. See HESI A2 Admission Assessment for details.

Visit the TCC Bookstore to find study materials.

Performance Requirements

During your time in our program and throughout your career, you must meet these performance requirements to ensure patient safety and welfare.

Language Proficiency

If English was not the primary language of your high school, you must provide documentation of proof of English proficiency by submitting the results of either of the following:

  • TOEFL iBT®
    (Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language)
    You must earn a passing score of 83.
  • IELTS
    (International English Language Testing System assessment of English language proficiency)
    You must earn an IELTS Band Score of overall 6.5 with a minimum score of 6 in all areas.

Immunizations

The Texas Administrative Code (TAC) and the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation Community Standards (PDF)Listen require that all students in health-related programs complete the following immunizations before applying to programs where patient contact is a component.

If you know you will be applying to our Physical Therapist Assistant Program within the next year, you will need to start these now because some will take up to 6 months to complete the series.

In order to be eligible to apply, you will need to have proof that you have completed the following immunizations:

  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis (TDaP)
  • Rubeola/Measles, Mumps, Rubella/German Measles (MMR)
  • Varicella
  • Influenza (Flu Shot)

Note: Titers showing positive immunity to the diseases will be acceptable.

You will also need to complete a Tuberculosis Skin Test or Chest X-Ray.

Post-Acceptance Requirements

You need to be prepared to meet the following additional requirements if you are accepted to our program:

  • Physical Exam
  • CPR Certification 
    • American Heart Association health care providers course
  • Health Insurance
  • Criminal Background Check / Drug Screening

You will learn more about these requirements after acceptance.

 

Contact

Trinity River Campus

Health Care Professions
Advising Resource Hub

Janette Keen
Career Advisor

Call 817-515-1484

Email TR.HealthCareAdvising@tccd.edu

Advising by Appointment

Fall & Spring Hours
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Summer Hours
Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Updated January 26, 2024