Admissions and Program Requirements
In order to be considered for the Physical Therapist Assistant program, students must provide the Admissions office with the appropriate documentation showing completion of all requirements. Appropriate documentation consists of:
- Updated assessment scores. -AND/OR-
- A transcript or academic evaluation showing successful completion of course requirements (i.e. developmental coursework).
It is the student’s responsibility to:
- Monitor his/her progress towards meeting admissions requirements,
- Notify the Admissions office when requirements have been met, and
- Provide the Admissions office evidence of meeting the requirements.
Apply at Hawkeye
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Complete Hawkeye's online admissions application to apply and be considered for the Physical Therapist Assistant program.
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Request to have your transcripts sent to the Admissions office.
Pre-Program
Minimum Entrance Requirements
In order to be eligible for the Physical Therapist Assistant program, all students must:
- Meet minimum entrance requirement scores and/or complete any required success coursework.
- Have a minimum of one semester of high school or college level physics class with a grade of “C” or higher. The physics course must be completed by the end of Term 0 to be considered for transition from pre-program to in-program status. If the pre-program student is registered for the Hawkeye Physics for Everyday Life course in the fall term and the course is cancelled for any reason, the student will be allowed to take their physics requirement during Term 1 (spring term).
Students who have placed into one or more success courses will be admitted to the Physical Therapist Assistant pre-program.
Students must meet minimum score requirements and/or successfully complete the required college success courses in English, reading, and math with a "C" grade or higher at Hawkeye Community College or comparable courses at another accredited college. For appropriate college success course placement, work with your program advisor.
|
ACT |
ACCUPLACER |
COMPASS |
Success Course |
| Math |
19 |
85 Elementary Algebra |
42 Algebra |
MAT-063 Elementary Algebra |
| English |
19 |
82 Sentence Skills -OR-
06 Essay |
65 |
ENG-061 College Preparatory Writing II |
| Reading |
19 |
76 |
82 |
RDG-040 College Preparatory Reading III |
Pre-Program Coursework
Pre-program coursework may be completed at Hawkeye Community College or transferred in from an accredited educational institution.
BIO-168 must be completed with a grade of “B” or higher within the last ten years prior to starting the Physical Therapist Assistant Term 2 coursework.
While Hawkeye Community College is accepting Pass/Fail grades as an institution, due to accreditation, Hawkeye is not accepting College or High School Pass/Fail grades for any admission criteria.
Completion of pre-program coursework does not guarantee admission into the Physical Therapist Assistant program.
See the suggested sequence of study for pre-program coursework.
Please work with the pre-health advisor to assure understanding of academic expectations. The pre-program PTA student must maintain a 3.0 GPA with all pre-program prerequisite coursework to progress to In-program which occurs after Term 0.
Observation Hours
Pre-program Physical Therapist Assistant students must complete their observation hours by the end of Term 0.
A minimum of 16 observation hours are required: 8 observation hours in an inpatient setting and 8 observation hours in an outpatient setting.
All observation hours must be complete and submitted to the director of the Physical Therapist Assistant program by December 1. Please plan your observation hours well in advance of this deadline as a courtesy to the physical therapy companies in our communities.
Please see the Physical Therapist Assistant Pre-Admission Observation Hours form [pdf] for more details.
Physical Therapist Assistant Program Acceptance and Advising
Students who have completed Term 0 coursework and all observation hours can register for Term 1 coursework with the assistance of the pre-health advisor or Academic/College Success Advisor.
After progression into Term 1, students will be advised by the Academic/College Success Advisor.
As the student transitions into Term 2, the program director and program faculty will provide academic advisement.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Physical Therapist Assistant In-Program Requirements
Physical Therapist Assistant program technical coursework, Terms 3–5, begins summer term and will take approximately 15 months to complete.
Terms 3–5 require students to be on campus or in an assigned clinical site on a full-time basis.
Prior to entering an assigned clinical site, the student must:
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Have a physical examination with updated immunizations recorded on the Hawkeye Community College form. The form and instructions will be provided to all eligible students during the in-program orientation.
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Pass a criminal background, sex offender, and adult/dependent abuse background checks. Instructions will be provided during program orientation. Failing a background check will result in dismissal from the program.
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Complete Mandatory Reporting, Workplace Safety training, and HIPAA training. This training is part of the HSC-108 Introduction to Healthcare Professions course.
Basic Life Support CPR level is also required and can be obtained through the Hawkeye Community College Business and Community Services department.
All of these opportunities can be coordinated through communication with the Physical Therapist Assistant program director.
Students must achieve a minimum grade of "C" or higher in all program coursework.
You may only fail one program course; failing more than one course will be grounds for dismissal from the program.
Clinical Experience Requirements
Clinical experiences are completed off-campus. Sites may be local, in-state, or out-of-state. You are responsible for transportation to and from clinicals, as well as any associated housing costs. You will not be allowed to select specific clinical sites, but may make requests for special needs or geographical locations.
The program has a dress code for both on-campus coursework and clinical education.