Admission to the PTA program is competitive and not all who meet the minimum requirements are admitted. 

Admission Requirements:

Before being considered for placement in the Physical Therapist Assistant program, the applicant must:
1. Be a graduate of an approved high school or have a GED.
2. Have a minimum 2.0 or “C” average in high school or college course work.
3. Have a “C” or better on the following high school or college pre-requisite courses:
    a. Biology.........High School (1 credit) or College (1 semester)
    b. Chemistry.....High School (1 credit) or College (1 semester)
    c. Algebra.........High School (1 credit) or College (1 semester)
    d. Physics ........High School (1 credit) or College (1 semester)
4. Have a score of 19 or above on the English section of the ACT or a score of 450 or above on the verbal portion of the SAT. Successful completion of English 0097 or English 1104 substitutes for low ACT. 

Only the college GPA is considered after 10 credit hours are completed and a prerequisite course taken in college replaces one taken in high school.

 

Before You Apply:

-Make sure your cumulative GPA is at least 2.0.  If it is below 2.0, your application will be rejected.
-Make sure your transcripts or academic history show that you have taken biology, chemistry, physics, and algebra (either one credit each in high school or one semester each in college).  If you have not taken these courses, or you did not receive grades of C or better, your application will not be given first consideration.
-If you are relying on high school grades for biology, chemistry, physics, and algebra, and they are low (below a B) you may want to take them again in college.
-If your ACT scores are low (below a 20) you may want to take the test again.  We count the highest scores, so you won’t lose points.  As long as you take the test by the end of December, we will get the scores in time.

 

How To Apply:

Submit a Pierpont Community & Technical College application, a PTA Program application, a $20 application fee, official high school and college transcripts, and official ACT or SAT scores to the Office of Admissions, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV. Twenty students are selected each year without regard for race, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. Contact the admissions office (304-367-4892) if you have questions about the process.

Apply before January 15 for consideration for admission into the next class. Double check with the admissions office later to be sure your name is on the list. Applicants are notified by letter whether or not they are accepted. Letters are usually sent before the end of April. A new class begins each August and students cannot begin to take PTA courses until they are accepted into the program.

 

Selection Criteria:

A numerical score sheet is used to select 20 students for each class.  Points are assigned for GPA, ACT scores, grades in algebra, biology, physics, and chemistry, and grades in non-PTA courses that are part of the PTA curriculum. The students with the highest scores are chosen.

 

While You Wait

-You can take courses that are part of the curriculum, except the Physical Therapy courses.
-You can satisfy requirements for a baccalaureate degree. 
-You might be able to finish another degree along with the PTA degree, or at least have liberal studies requirements out of the way in case you want to get another degree later.