Students must read, understand and comply with the following information prior to making application to the physical therapist assistant program. The online physical therapist assistant program application may be accessed at the following link.
Applications are available January 15 and must be submitted by April 15 of the year the student elects to participate in the selection process. (Courses taken through Spring semester of the year the student elects to participate will be considered.)
In addition to submitting the online application, completion of a minimum of 30 hours of observation in a physical therapy practice or employment in a physical therapy practice equivalent to three months of full-time hours is required. This observation must be under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. Observation hours must be completed during the nine month period preceding the April 15 application deadline. Observation/employment evaluation forms must be in a sealed envelope with stamp or signature across the seal and submitted to Health Programs by the student or mailed by the PT/PTA to WSCC PTA Program by the application deadline.
Additional ranking points can be obtained for either (1) ACT Composite score of 19 or greater, or (2) A defined score on an assessment exam. All tests scores must be less than 5 years old. The assessment exam currently being used is the HESI-A2. This test consists of three sections including math, reading, and vocabulary. To receive the additional ranking points, the candidate must achieve 80% or better in each of the three sections. For information regarding exam scheduling and cost, please visit the Counseling & Testing Website or call 423-585-6800. The assessment exam must be completed by the application deadline.
Applicants will be notified in writing and in the online application portal of acceptance into the PTA program. This typically occurs by the end of May.
Online Application Available
Online Application Unavailable after 11:59 p.m.
Only students who are accepted will be notified by mail.
Due to your potential risk for exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, you may be at risk of acquiring Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella (chicken pox). Health Programs students must provide documentation of complete vaccinations or titers from their healthcare provider. For varicella, students with disease history may have their healthcare provider document date of disease.
A student may be exempt from this requirement under one of the following circumstances:
Accepted students must submit one form of documentation listed below for each disease following admission to a program.
Students who provide titers with laboratory values inconsistent with immunity are encouraged to get the vaccinations.
Student must submit documentation for medical or religious contraindications.
Please contact a health program advisor to assist you in planning your course work to increase your chance of success next year.
Advisors are available Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Advisors are available
Monday through Thursday during the summer sessions.
Please call 423-585-6981 to schedule an appointment
Walters State Community College is supported by state funding and therefore must consider in-state residents before out-of-state residents for acceptance into the PTA program. Please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance in determining Tennessee residency.
If you were qualified but not accepted, you will need to reapply for admission next year. Please note that a new application and observation hours will need to be completed to reapply for admission next year.