Physical Therapist Assistant Entry Information

How to enter

Essential functions of a physical therapist assistant student

Students of Whatcom Community College’s physical therapist assistant (PTA) program must be able to meet these minimum standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, for successful completion of the program requirements (separate from academic standards for admission).

They must be capable of meeting these skills in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner to fully participate in all aspects of the training and educational program.

Prior to admission: It is important for applicants to review this list to become familiar with the expectations of a PTA student herein after referred to as “essential functions.”

Prerequisites

Applicants to the core PTA program are required to have first earned a minimum grade of C+ (2.3) in each of the requirements noted below in the degree template.

Planning prerequisite courses can be complicated. Without all the information or a plan, you risk wasting your time and money. After attending an information session, schedule an appointment with an academic advisor to help you plan a sequence of courses for your unique circumstances. If you intend to take prerequisite courses somewhere other than WCC, check with an academic advisor regarding the transferability.

All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the application deadline.

If you have earned a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited college or university or you earned an associate degree in Washington state, you may be able to use your degree as a whole to satisfy individual general education prerequisites. Please consult with an academic advisor to explore those options.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS		Credits
Completion of general education courses is required for admission to core program requirements
ENGL& 101	English composition I (CM)	5
Science Lab	BIOL, CHEM or PHYS lab course	5
BUS 100	Business math (CP)	5
or MATH& 107	Math in society (CP)	5
or Any course designated as Computation on the Related Instruction list (CP)		5
PSYC& 100	General psychology (HR)	5
or SOC& 101	Introduction to sociology (HR)
PTA PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS		Credits
MA 101	Medical terminology I	2
BIOL& 241	Human anatomy and physiology 1	5
BIOL& 242 and CMST& 101, 210, 220, or 230 highly recommended, but not required
Subtotal		27

Experience hours requirement

Applicants need 25 experience hours - no additional points will be awarded for earning more than 25 hours. Hours must be obtained with a PT or PTA only. Applicants will earn additional points for accruing hours at three or more different settings. Please refer to the complete PTA program admission selection criteria.

Admission is through a competitive application process

The PTA program selection committee will review applicants for acceptance into the PTA program based on the number of available seats. The selection committee consists of the PTA program coordinator, program faculty and representatives from the admissions office.

Selection criteria - For detailed information about how the applications are scored, refer to the PTA program admission selection criteria.

Applicants with a degree from outside the US may also be awarded the additional 0.5 points. To be awarded additional points, applicants must submit documentation - official or unofficial copies - from an international transcript evaluation such as AACRAO, confirm the degree is equivalent to a degree from a regionally accredited institution in the US.

Applicants will be notified of their status (accepted, alternate, or not accepted) six to eight weeks after the application deadline. Note: Accepted students will be required to attend a mandatory new student orientation prior to the start of the program.

Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to a selective entry program. Applicants who were previously accepted into the PTA program and declined acceptance or withdrew after the program started need to reapply and are not guaranteed priority consideration.

Applying to the PTA program

The on-campus PTA core courses start each fall quarter and the hybrid PTA core courses start each spring quarter. There is an application deadline prior to each program start as follows:

Fall 2025 on-campus program:

Application deadline: Wed., April 30, 2025
Mandatory new student orientation: Wed., Aug 6, 2025

Spring 2026 hybrid program:

Application deadline: Fri., Oct. 31, 2025
Mandatory new student orientation:TBD

All application requirements must be complete by the application deadline.

Step 1 - Apply to Whatcom Community College

You must be enrolled at WCC and have an active ctcLink number to apply to the PTA program and pay related fees.

Apply to WCC online, or visit Orca Central for assistance, or request a WCC application by email at outreachadmissions@whatcom.ed. Once you receive your ctcLink number, proceed to Step 2.

Important! You do not need to re-apply if you earned credit at Whatcom within the last four quarters.

Step 2 - Obtain and complete PTA selective application forms

Step 3 - Pay application fee

You must pay two non-refundable fees to apply to the PTA program - a $50 application fee and an $11 Washington State Patrol Background Check fee. Your application will not be processed until these fees are received.

You can come to campus to pay the fees, call 360.383.3363 to pay by credit card (if no one answers, leave a message with a return number), or mail one check for $61 made payable to "Whatcom Community College" to:

WCC Business Office
ATTN: PTA Application Fees
Laidlaw Building
237 W. Kellogg Rd.
Bellingham, WA 98226

Include a completed application fee payment form with your check. Note your ctcLink number and "PTA program" in the memo line of your check.

Step 4 - Submit PTA application form and all supporting materials by the deadline

Submit the completed PTA application forms and all required supporting documentation in one complete packet. All materials must be received by the Health Professions Program Specialist, HPEC 104, by the deadline. Your packet should include:

Completed Application for Selective Entry Admission form
Completed Applicant Checklist
PTA program prerequisites and general education requirements form (official transcripts from all previously attended colleges where you earned credits that may apply to the PTA program should be sent separately to the WCC registration/records office).** Note: You do not need to fill out a transfer evaluation request. Your transcripts will be evaluated as part of the selection process.
- A minimum grade of B- (2.7) is required for each PTA program requirement and a C+ (2.3) is required in each general education course. While a minimum grade of C+ (2.3) is required in each prerequisite and general education course, an overall competitive cumulative grade point should be at least a B+ (3.3 grade point).
Experience verification forms
- At least one form is required documenting 25 hours of experience in a physical therapy facility.
- Experience may include paid or unpaid hours including observation, volunteer work, job shadows, and informational interviews. Experience in more than one physical therapy setting is also beneficial (e.g., a hospital and a nursing home; an outpatient clinic and a school).
- Experience verification forms must be signed by a PT or PTA and returned to you in a sealed envelope, where the clinician has signed across the seal, from the facility in which your hours were obtained. These must be submitted with the sealed envelopes intact.
Recommendation forms
- Recommendations should be completed by employers, supervisors, current or former instructors, etc. -- not friends or family members.
- Recommendation forms must be returned to you in a sealed, letterhead envelope, where the recommender has signed across the seal, from the recommending person. These must be submitted with the sealed envelopes intact.
Personal statement addressing the questions found here.

Background check information

Clinical placements, employment and licensure in a healthcare field often require a background check. WCC will conduct a Washington State Patrol background check on PTA program applicants. Results of the background check will be given to the PTA faculty lead. Students with a negative finding will be required to meet with the PTA faculty lead prior to admittance to discuss possible options.

Incomplete files will not be considered for PTA program acceptance. All selective admission application materials will be placed in a confidential student file for review by the selection committee.