1. Physical Therapist Assistant Program Academic Advising
Jessica Alvarado - Health Professions Counselor
Lane Community College

2. General Advising Information
Individual questions can be answered by ing
Application information and forms can be found at - choose the Physical Therapist Assistant link and then choose the Application link.
Requirements may change each year so it is important to keep updated.

3. AAS Program Overview
Year 1 – Prerequisites typically take 2 to 3 terms to complete
Year 2 – Accepted students complete 1st year core theory and clinical practice courses
Year 3 – Accepted students complete 2nd year core intervention courses and three terms of Cooperative Education Clinical Affiliation (see catalog)

4. Additional Information
Program accreditation is provided through the Commission of Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
This program is concentrated with a heavy emphasis on on-line and hybrid learning.
Oregon CIS can be useful Career Research tool. Contact Lane Career and Employment Services for more information.
Graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination
Cooperative Education is required resulting in 648 hours of supervised clinical instruction at a program- designated site.

5. Application Information
Information for the PTA program can be found at Select the Physical Therapist Assistant link and then the “Application” link.
Program requirements are subject to change each year.
Application typically opens mid Winter term and closes early Spring term for the following Fall entry.
Enrollment is typically limited to 24 students per year.
Acceptance decisions are based on minimum requirements and points earned in the application process.

6. Minimum requirements to apply
Be admitted to Lane as a Credit Student with an assigned L number.
Be an Oregon Resident by date of application.
Complete by the end of Winter term WR 121 or higher, MTH 065 or higher, HO 100, HO 150 (or BI 231) and PSY 201 or PSY 202 or courses considered equivalent. GS 104 or 100 level Physics worth additional points.
If students have completed a BA/BS degree from a US accredited institution full writing points are granted (official transcripts are needed to verify this).
Courses completed at other institutions must be considered equivalent or substituted with an approved course.
25 Observation hours in a minimum of 2 clinical settings.
Complete PTA program application process as directed.

7. Math application and program requirement
The program requirement for PTA is MTH 065 Elementary Algebra or higher
The prerequisite for MTH 065 is MTH 060 or passing a Lane placement test.
Math developmental sequence is MTH 010, MTH 020, MTH 060 and then MTH 065.
Example of higher level math courses that meet this requirement are – MTH 095 Intermediate Algebra, MTH 105 Contemporary Mathematics, MTH 111 College Algebra.
Courses completed at other schools must be considered equivalent or be approved for use in the application.

8. Sequence of courses to prepare for MTH 095
Student Placement Test Results Course Title Credits
A Score of 7 or higher MTH 010A Whole, Numbers Fractions and Decimals 3
B Score of 7 or higher MTH 020 Math Renewal 3
C Score of 7 or higher MTH 060 or higher
E1,E2 Scores See placement test results – may place into MTH 060,
MTH 065 is the new PTA Program requirement
F Score of 14 or higher MTH 111 College Algebra – can be used to meet the
PTA application points or program requirement.
Sequence is as follows: MTH 010, MTH 020, MTH 060, MTH 065 to MTH 095

9. Grading and Additional Requirements
All courses used must be completed with a grade of C or higher. A course with a grade of C- or less is not eligible for application points or to be used to meet a program requirement.
Points will be awarded in the application for completion of the following courses: HO 100, WR 121 or higher, MTH 065 or higher, GS 104 or PH 100 level or higher, PSY 201 or PSY 202, HO 150 or BI 231.
GS 104 or 100 level Physics or higher will meet point requirements if graded Pass, C, B or A. C- will not meet point requirement.
A’s are worth more than B’s and B’s are worth more than C’s. BI 231 is worth more than HO 150.
Observation hours must be from two clinical sites and total 25 hours at minimum.

10. Writing Requirement
WR 121: Introduction to Academic Writing or higher. Required to apply. Placement testing or WR 115 is the prerequisite for WR 121
Higher course options include: WR 122, WR 123 or 227.
Students with a Bachelor’s degree will receive application points equivalent to students with a grade of A. Must submit official transcript as verification.
Courses completed at other schools must be considered equivalent or be approved for use in the application.

11. Medical Terminology
HO 100 Medical Terminology or equivalent course – is required to apply
Recommended as a first term course.
HO 100 serves as a prerequisite to HO 150 Human Body Systems. Can be taken concurrently with HO 150 but this is not recommended.
Course options are traditional in-person, tele-course (on cable TV) and Online.
Courses completed at other schools must be considered equivalent or be approved for use in the application.

12. Health Science options
HO 150 (application requirement) and HO 152 Human Body Systems 1 and 2 serve as the Health Science requirement for the PTA Program.
Students can select instead the Human Anatomy and Physiology sequence: BI 231,232&233 to meet the PTA Program Health Science course(s) requirement. HO 150 or BI 231 meets the minimum application requirement.
Prerequisite courses for BI 231 are BI112/CH112 Biology and Chemistry for Health Occupations. The prerequisite for CH 112 is completion of MTH 052 or higher or placement tests part D or higher.
Courses completed at other schools must be considered equivalent or be approved for use in the application.

13. Prior college coursework
Some students may have coursework that will allow them to gain entry into the BI112/CH112 or BI 231 courses
If you have prior math or science (Biology or Chemistry) course work - take unofficial transcripts to the Science Department office or call
The department representative will determine if the courses you have taken will give you access to BI 112/CH112 or BI 231 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1.
Or, she will refer you to an instructor to evaluate if your courses can be approved for equivalency or substitution.

14. Human Relations Course
Human Relations course options are listed in the Lane Catalog on page 48. See list of options. Not required to apply.
Students need to select one 3 credits or more course option to meet the program requirement.
Courses completed at other schools must be considered equivalent to meet the requirement. See the Transfer Advising Guide. In some cases a course(s) may have to be approved by the program coordinator.

15. Social Science
PSY 201 General Psychology or PSY 201 General Psychology
One course from the above options is required to apply.
Instructors recommend that students have completed WR 115 or that they concurrently take WR 121 with PSY 201.
PSY 201 is the recommended prerequisite for PSY 202.

16. Arts and Letters
SP 115 Introduction to Intercultural Communication

17. Health Requirement
Health 262 – First Aid 2. This course provides the advanced first aid training needed to earn a 2 year CPR/AED Certification for the professional rescuer
This meets a program requirement but is not required to apply.

18. Application Process
Couse work completed Winter term and before will be eligible for use in the application for points.
Application deadline is typically early Spring term.
Class size for entry is typically 24 students.
Candidates are selected from the submitted applications based on a points earned from coursework, observation hours and personal statements.
Top point candidates are selected for interviews.

19. Observation Hours
A minimum of 25 Work/Observation hours must be obtained to apply. Observations must be done under the supervision of a physical therapist. Verification must include agency name, begin and end dates, a supervisor's name (to verify hours) and current contact phone number/ . A student can observe in the role of observer, volunteer or employee. Examples of approved settings include: hospital, nursing home, sub-acute facility, developmental enter, outpatient clinic or school setting.

20. Personal Statement
Students who apply will be required to write a personal statement.
The American Physical Therapy Association embraces as its core values accountability, altruism, compassion and caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility.
Students will be asked to write about their experiences with physical therapy. They will choose one experience and explain what they have observed and how they believe these core values were demonstrated.

21. Applicant Interviews
In-person interviews are completed in small groups. Candidates should reserve the dates listed in the application in order to be available should they be selected.

22. Competitive Criteria
A’s are worth more than B’s and B’s are worth more than C’s
Complete all minimum requirements to apply
Health Science courses are worth more than the rest
Competitive Criteria
Completing GS 104 or 100 level Physics or higher gives students a competitive edge
Consult with Academic Advising regularly
Be sure your courses from other institutions meet the transfer requirements
Obtain minimum of 25 hours of Observation in two facilities

23. Tips for success Take your time perform well in each class.
Don’t do this alone. Ask for help.
Do informational interviews-see if this is what you really want.
Get work in the Health Care field to see what opportunities exist in the medical world.
Seek advising the second or third week of the term to check-in and get updates – typically this is the slowest time of each term.
Register early to help with your term-by-term planning and to gain access to high demand courses.