Physical Therapist Assistant Admissions

Students interested in this or any other HCC allied health or nursing program should first contact the Office of Admissions and Advising for any requirements and procedures supplemental to HCC's general application and enrollment process. Additional information is available on the Physical Therapist Assistant Admissions web page or at 443-518-4230, Admissions@HowardCC.edu, or RCF-242.

To succeed in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program, complete clinical education experiences, and meet the professional expectations of entry-level practice, students must be able to perform the following essential functions.

Please note that F1 international students are not eligible for admission to this program.

Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher and within the required time limits.

• BIOL-101, General Biology, BIOL-107, Fundamentals of Microbiology, or BIOL-200, Microbiology (4 credits; completed within 10 years of beginning clinical coursework)
• ENGL-121, College Composition (3 credits)
• MATH-138, Statistics (4 credits)

Prerequisite courses completed at another institution must be officially transferred and evaluated by the supplemental application deadline. See the Transfer Credit section.

Complete all corequisite courses with a grade of C or higher (BIOL-203 requires a B or higher). Although these courses may be taken concurrently with clinical coursework, completing them before entering the PTA program is strongly recommended because of the program's workload.

• BIOL-203, Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits; if completed before clinical admission, it must have been completed within five years of the first clinical course and with a grade of B or higher.)
• BIOL-204, Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits; if completed before clinical admission, it must have been completed within five years of the first clinical course.)
• PSYC-101, General Psychology (3 credits)
• COMM-101, COMM-105, or COMM-110 (3 credits)

Official transcripts and a completed Transcript Evaluation Request Form must be received by the supplemental application deadline.

• Request that your previous institution send official transcripts directly to HCC. Transcripts opened or emailed by students are not considered official.
• Submit a Transcript Evaluation Request Form to have prior coursework evaluated for your degree program.

• Complete all prerequisite and corequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.
• Earn a grade of B or higher in BIOL-203.
• Maintain a cumulative HCC GPA of 2.25 or higher.

Complete 50 hours of documented observation time in physical therapy settings. Completing the hours in at least two different settings in recommended, but not required.

2026 Physical Therapy Clinical Experience Documentation

Observation hours and completed form are both due by the May 15 application deadline. 

Previous applicants may resubmit an observation form that was submitted during a prior application cycle.

Howard County residents should submit two residency documents to receive priority consideration in the admissions lottery.

All items MUST have applicant’s full name and address matching what applicant provides in the supplemental application and has on file with the college. 

Documents with spouse’s or parent’s name will not be considered valid.

All applicants must reside in Howard County for a minimum of 90 days prior to the application deadline to receive Howard County priority in the lottery.

Suggested documents include:

• Valid MD driver’s license
• MVA issued change of address
• Valid MD-issued ID
• MD voter’s registration card
• Rental agreement/deed/lease/mortgage statement
• Utility bill: gas, electric, phone, cable, water
• Howard County tax bill from current year
• MD or Federal income tax return from the most current year
• MD or Federal withholding form from the most current year
• Pay stub

• Have an active HCC student record with Program 282. If you are new to HCC, apply for admission before submitting the supplemental application.
• Earn a cumulative HCC GPA of 2.25 or higher.
• Complete all prerequisite coursework with the required grades and within the required time limits.
• Earn a grade of B or higher in BIOL-203.
• Submit official transcripts and a Transcript Evaluation Request Form for transfer coursework.
• Complete 50 hours of observation and submit the Clinical Observation Form.
• Submit the Supplemental Allied Health Application during the application cycle of February 15 and May 15. Sign in to the application account using your personal email (not your HCC email) and find the Supplemental Allied Health Application under the section for Current Students.
• Pay the one-time $25 supplemental application fee. The fee is waived for active-duty military members, military spouses, and veterans with qualifying documentation (DD-214 or PCS orders). Eligible applicants will receive a promo code.

The Supplemental Allied Health Application is available in your application account under Current HCC Student during the application period.

February 15–May 15

All prerequisite coursework and transfer credit evaluations (if applicable) must be completed by the application deadline.

• Complete all prerequisites and submit all required documents by May 15.
• Priority consideration is given to applicants who have completed all prerequisite and corequisite coursework by the application deadline.
• When qualified applicants exceed available seats, admission is determined through a randomized lottery.
• Qualified applicants are either offered admission or placed on a waitlist.
• Lottery priority is:
  • Howard County residents
  • Maryland residents (out-of-county)
  • Out-of-state residents

• Students on the waitlist are admitted as seats become available.
• The waitlist does not carry over to the next admission cycle. Applicants must reapply each year.

Before enrolling in clinical coursework, students must meet the following requirements:

Drug Screening and Criminal Background Check

A drug screening and criminal background check are required before enrollment in any nursing or allied health clinical course to help ensure patient safety in clinical settings.

Students who do not complete these requirements are not eligible for clinical placement and cannot progress in the program. Students are responsible for determining whether they are eligible for professional licensure. Those with a criminal background should determine whether it may affect future licensure or employment in health care. HCC faculty and staff cannot provide legal advice.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required to accept a clinical seat. However, some clinical partners require vaccination. Students who choose not to be vaccinated may have fewer clinical placement options, and placement cannot be guaranteed. Limited placement opportunities may delay progression or completion of the program.

Health Insurance

Students must provide proof of health insurance before beginning clinical coursework. HCC does not provide or sponsor student health insurance.

Students admitted to the clinical phase complete the following Physical Therapist Assistant coursework:

• PTAP-100, Intro to Physical Therapy, 2 credits, Fall
• PTAP-110, Fundamentals of Practice I, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-120, Clinical Kinesiology, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-130, Therapeutic Modalities, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-150, Clinical Pathology, 3 credits, Spring
• PTAP-160, Orthopedic Dysfunctions I, 3 credits, Spring
• PTAP-210, Fundamentals of Practice II, 3 credits, Spring
• PTAP-240, Therapeutic Exercise, 3 credits, Spring
• PTAP-214, Clinical Education, 2 credits, Summer
• PTAP-265, Professional Issues in Physical Therapy, 1 credit, Summer
• PTAP-250, Clinical Neuroscience, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-255, Clinical Correlations for Physical Therapy, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-260, Orthopedic Dysfunctions II, 3 credits, Fall
• PTAP-270, Clinical Education II, 4 credits, Spring
• PTAP-275, Clinical Education III, 4 credits, Spring

• All correspondence will be sent to your HCC email account.
• Please check your HCC email account on a regular basis as it will serve as the official form of communication, including receipt of application, notification of missing documents and admissions decision.
• Applicants who need assistance accessing their HCC email account should contact the Technology Service Center.

• Admissions questions: Admissions@HowardCC.edu or schedule an appointment with an admissions coach.
• Clinical admissions questions: HSDCC@HowardCC.edu
• Program questions (outcomes, clinical sites, handbook, grading): Lee Ann Roberts Sweeney, Program Director, LRobertsSweeney@HowardCC.edu