Application Information

What does the schedule look like?

The WC PTA program is a full-time daytime program. Students are in class or lab approximately 21-25 hours a week. The class schedule can vary a little from semester to semester but is usually Monday -Thursday from 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday mornings from 8:45 – 11:45.

Difficulty of working during the program.

Experience shows that it is difficult for students to maintain good academic standing while working and attending school.  It is strongly recommended that you do not work while in the PTA program, especially during the first year. Some students keep part-time employment, but students working more than 10 hours a week are at high risk of academic failure. When clinic rotations start it is more difficult to work. Students spend 40 hours a week in each clinic rotation.

Performance of Program Graduates

Becoming a licensed PTA is not automatic for graduates with an AAS as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Graduates of the PTA Program are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants.  Pass rates for program graduates are available on the program web page.  Graduation rates and employment rates are also available.

Education Options: PT or PTA:

This two-year PTA associate degree does not fulfill the first two-year requirements of a degree for students wanting to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy degree.  It does not necessarily give an applicant preference for acceptance into a physical therapy program.  Applicants interested in becoming licensed physical therapists are encouraged to investigate admission requirements for the individual physical therapy programs they are considering.  

Immunization Requirements and COVID Information

The PTA program must abide by health and safety regulations of several entities.  According to the Texas Administrative Code and the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation, students enrolled in health-related courses that involve direct patient contact in medical care facilities, regardless of the number of courses taken, the number of hours taken, or the classification of the student must provide, prior to patient contact, acceptable evidence of immunity or immunizations of several infections.  A complete list of the required immunizations is available in the Application Criteria section, and in the PTA Program Student handbook. A link to this handbook is under Program Policies and Procedures on the right hand side of the PTA Website.

COVID Information and Release

An Executive Order was issued in April 2021 by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, stating community colleges cannot require students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, nor can we ask for documentation of immunization.  However, many Weatherford College Physical Therapist Assistant Program clinic sites require COVID-19 vaccination for any student participating in a clinical rotation.  PTA students are placed in 3 different settings to ensure all clinic competencies are met.  The PTA program does not use vaccination status as a criterion for clinic placements.  If documentation of COVID-19 immunization is required at the clinic site, the student may not be notified until the clinic requires attestation.  This may be 30 days before the clinic rotation starts.

While COVID-19 vaccination is not required to enter the PTA Program, not receiving a vaccination may place the student in jeopardy of having a clinical rotation available to them.  This could delay the student from graduating on time or prevent them from continuing in the program and graduating entirely.

Students agree to participate in lab, clinical practicum rotations, and other assigned activities accepting the infection control obligations and the associated risks inherent in attending such activities at any time.  I agree to release and hold harmless Weatherford College and its employees, the Weatherford College Clinical Affiliates and its employees, and any individuals involved in my training from any damages; either actual or consequential, that may arise during my participation in these activities.  

Students are required to have immunizations and medical tests outside of COVID.  They must be submitted for admission to the program if accepted.  See “Once Accepted to the PTA Program” at the bottom of this webpage for a list.

Already have a Bachelor's Degree?

Does having a bachelor’s degree help in ranking students?

Yes.  As of March 2025, applicants are awarded points for college degrees or health science certificates. See the Application Criteria for more information.

How long does it take to complete the PTA Program?

The program takes 21 months to complete.  Having all general education courses completed does not shorten the length.

Can I transfer courses completed in my bachelor’s degree that are the same as in the courses in the PTA program or similar?

The general education courses can be transferred. Unfortunately, courses that are not PTHA courses can’t be transferred as one of the PTHA technical courses. Accreditation standards for the PTA program require clinical competency before participation in clinical rotations. Those skills check-offs and other competency requirements are conducted within the PTHA courses.

How many students in the program have a bachelor’s degree?

Between 50-65% of the students in the PTA program have a bachelor’s degree.  If you decide to be a PTA, you will not be the only one with a Bachelor’s degree. 

There are 5 courses you need to start taking before applying to the program.  The first two listed below are pre-requisite courses and must be completed before admission to the program. BIOL 2401 and 2402 must be taken within the past 5 years.

The other three are general education courses that can be taken once admitted to the program but are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to have been completed before applying.  Admission is on a point system.  The more courses completed and the higher the grade – the more points awarded.  

Each prerequisite course must be passed with a ‘C’ or better. It is recommended that prerequisite courses be completed with a ‘B’ or higher. 

• *BIOL 2401 – Anatomy and Physiology I
• *BIOL 2402 – Anatomy and Physiology II
• ENGL 1301 – English Composition I
• PSYC 2314 – Developmental Psychology OR PSYC 2301 – Introduction to Psychology
• Elective – Creative Arts OR Language/Philosophy, Culture

*Must have been taken within 5 years of admission. You can be enrolled and in progress taking the semester you are applying.

An additional point (one point) can be earned if the student completes a college-level Medical Terminology class with a B or higher within the last 5 years (minimum of a 2 SCH course).

For the elective choose one course from either of the lists below.

View WC Catalog for the PTA Program

Texas State Initiative Requirements (TSI Complete):

You must be TSI complete to apply for the program, therefore any remediation courses required by TSI must be complete and you must be eligible to carry a full course load of all college-level courses. TSI requirements can be found in the WC Academic Catalog.

Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5

GPA is posted on your official College/University Transcripts

Must Pass the HESI A2 admissions test: 

Applicants must successfully pass the HESI A2 Exam with a minimum overall score of 75. See more information under Take the HESI A2 Exam.

English Proficiency Requirements

Applicants whose native language* is not English must submit an acceptable score on the TOEFL-iBT. Additional information may be obtained from the Health Science Department or PTA Program. *A native language is a language that is acquired naturally during childhood and is usually spoken at home, as opposed to a language that is learned later in life; for example, as a part of a person’s formal education. English Proficiency Requirements can be found in the WC Academic Catalog.

Information sessions will be held on Zoom throughout the year.  Attendance is required to apply to the PTA program (please see the dates below for this academic year). You must to attend an information session the academic year you plan to apply to the program. They cover important information about the program and the application process. Reservations are NOT required. The information sessions will be held the second Tuesday of the month from September through February. Family and friends are welcome to attend these sessions. 

Information Sessions: 6:00 p.m. 

Zoom Session Link

 Meeting ID: 859 7424 8889 | Passcode: 142499        

Sept 10, 2024
October 8, 2024
November 12, 2024
December 10, 2025
Jan 14, 2025
Feb. 11, 2025

Complete HESI-A2 Entrance Exam. The PTA program requires 5 sections of the test:

Reading Comprehension
Vocabulary
Grammar
Math
Anatomy & Physiology

You must take all sections and have a minimum overall score of 75% to apply.

To help prepare for the exam, The Weatherford College bookstore carries a review book.

https://www.weatherfordbooks.com/GeneralBooksList?cat=OTHER

There are a variety of tips and tools to help through practice tests and videos.  Search for HESI A2 resources and not general HESI exam tools.  There are HESI exams for nursing licensure preparation that won’t help you with the HESI A2. 

The exam takes approximately four hours and is computerized. You are allowed to take the test once every 60 days. Once you have completed the test results are immediately available. Please print two copies of the results, one to include in your application packet, and one to keep a copy for your records.

The HESI-A2 Entrance Exam is given in the Testing Center at Weatherford College, located in the Jack Knight Building. The cost of the exam is $60.00. Information and resources about the exam are available online Weatherford Testing Center.

To schedule and pay for the HESI-A2 Entrance Exam, please use Weatherford College Exam Selection | RegisterBlast.

Entrance Exam scores are good for two years. If you have questions about the exam, you may call the Testing Center at 817-598-6383.

Complete twenty (20) hours observation/volunteer/work hours two different physical therapy settings. You need at least 10 hours in two settings for a total of 20 hours. These hours must be with a Physical Therapist or a Physical Therapist Assistant. Observation hours with an athletic trainer, chiropractor, or physician, are not accepted. Please have the appropriate supervising/observing therapist verify your hours by signing the Verification Form included in the application packet.

Work experience as a PT tech can be used for this requirement.  If you only have work experience in one setting, you still need to get 10 observation hours (minimum) in a different setting.

Settings include but are not limited to:

Outpatient orthopedics
Inpatient Acute Care (hospital)
Inpatient Rehab (Rehab unit, Rehab hospital)
Inpatient Skilled Nursing, Long-term Care, LTAC)
Home Health – pediatric or adult
Outpatient pediatrics
Aquatics

Observation Hours Form

Complete the Weatherford College application.

Begin the Hepatitis B series if you have not already completed the series.  If admitted to the program, you have to submit proof of complete immunization or at minimum, the first two shots to be able to start the program.  If you had the series but cannot find your records, a titer level (lab test performed by your doctor) with a protective result is accepted.

PTA Program Application

Since we have more applications than we do slots in the program we want to do our best to make sure the applicants accepted to the program will be successful. Therefore, acceptance into the program is determined by a point system. The points are outlined in the Selection Criteria.

Not all applicants will progress to the interview stage of the process. The applicants with the highest points are selected to interview and complete a written essay. Those points are then added and the top 20 applicants are offered a spot in the program.

Selection into the program is based on the following point system:

Prerequisite and General Education Courses (30 points possible)

Each prerequisite course must be passed with a ‘C’ or better. It is recommended that prerequisite courses be completed with a ‘B’ or higher.  Anatomy and Physiology grades are awarded higher points.

(Points awarded for each anatomy and physiology course completed)

 

For students enrolled in a course during the semester they are applying to the program. Points will be awarded equivalent to a “C”.  The student’s final grade in the course grade must be submitted at the end of the semester to have points awarded for the final ranking.  

+1 Bonus Point can be awarded for having a Medical Terminology course (1-3 SCH) at the college level with a B or higher within the last 5 years.         

HESI A2 Assessment test scores (25 points possible)

As of December 2025, the Physical Therapist Assistant Program will require a score of at least 75% (overall) on the HESI-A2 Entrance Exam. The program will award points based on the overall score. To determine the points for ranking purposes, multiply the overall score by .25 (see the chart below for examples. The exam can be taken more than once but 60 days apart.

An overall score of 100 = 25 points
An overall score of 85 x .25 = 21.25 points
An overall score of 75 x .25 = 18.75

Additional Points (10 points possible)

Points awarded for a previous degree (6 points possible)

A copy of your diploma or certificate must be submitted in your application packet.

Points for prior medical work experience (1 point possible)

1. 1 point for *full-time work experience in physical therapy that involves **direct patient care for a minimum of 1 year
2. 1/2 point for *full-time work experience in a related healthcare setting that involves **direct patient care for a minimum of 1 year

Consideration for credit for (human) medical work experience requires submission of a letter from your employer stating:

• Dates you were employed
• Specific duties you performed in your role (involving patient care)
• Signature of the employer with their business contact information

This letter MUST be submitted with your application. The program will verify employment on a case-to-case basis.

*Full-time is considered at least 32 hours per week
**Direct patient care requires providing care to persons receiving medical services.

Roles that would earn medical work experience at 1 point include PT Techs, athletic training (ATC), and Personal trainers with certification working in a PT setting.

Roles that would not earn medical work experience points: working the front desk in a PT or other healthcare department or physician’s office, coaching, cleaning medical instruments, working in the billing department of a medical facility, etc.

Additional Course Work (1 point possible)

An additional point (one point) can be earned if the student completes a college-level Medical Terminology class with a B or higher within the last 5 years (minimum of a 2 SCH course).

County of Residency (2 points possible)

Applicants who live in Parker County can be awarded 2 points. “In-district” residency is determined by Student Services.

Applicants who live in Wise County are awarded 1 point. Wise County residency is determined by Student Services.

Personal Interview (25 points possible)

The top applicants with the highest cumulative points are invited to interview with the program. Interviews are scored. Points are awarded based on the average score in each area of the interview. Average score minimums are set in each area before points are awarded. Based on the schedule and availability of the admissions committee, the number of applicants selected to interview is subject to change.  

Written Essay (10 points Possible)

Applicants selected for interview will write a brief essay onsite the day of the interview.

Final Ranking Process (100 total points possible)

The 20 students who have the highest cumulative points (considering the items below) will be accepted into the upcoming fall cohort:  

See the Application Packet for more details.

Once Selected for Admission, the Student Must Meet the Following Requirements:
Information and specifics on completing the above requirements will be made available once you are accepted into the program.

• Pass a criminal background check.
• Obtain a TB screen test, required immunization and/or titers, remaining Hepatitis B vaccine, medical clearance for participation, and pass a 10-panel urine drug screen.
  

  Required Immunizations

• Submit proof of major medical health insurance.
• Obtain American Heart Association Health Care Provider CPR certification (maintained throughout the program)

Start-up costs for immunizations, lab tests (titers), CPR, medical clearance, urine drug screen, background check, and health insurance vary but could run as much as $400. A Criminal background check and drug screen costs approximately 89.00 and is completed through Castlebranch.

PTA Program Costs

• Essential Functions of the PTA
• Clinical Information and Assignments
• Criminal Background Check and Release of Information
• Drug Screens and Alcohol/Substance Testing Policy and Release of Information
• Health Information and Release
• Financial Aid Eligibility Disclosure
• Student Informed Consent
• COVID Immunization Information
• Information about the program
• Additional Requirements