Are you ready to apply to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program? Acceptance into the PTA program is competitive with enrollment limited to 24 students who start each fall semester. The application deadline period is Dec. 1 - March 1. Discover more about the admission process and program.
Send your official transcripts from colleges/universities by mail to:
San Jacinto College Records Management
13735 Beamer Road
Houston, TX 77089
Submit unofficial transcripts to the admissions portal (copies are acceptable) and print out your San Jac GPS (student transcript) by accessing your SOS account.
Observation hours are required from two different therapy settings. Twenty hours in inpatient and twenty hours in outpatient.
One (of the three) must be completed by a PT/PTA. Each form must be completed and placed in a separate envelope. All three forms must be submitted in person or sent via email by the individual completing the recommendation to ptaprogram@sjcd.edu. All three sealed and signed envelopes must be included in the PTA program application packet. Recommendation forms cannot be completed by family or friends.
All forms, with the exception of the 3 Recommendation Forms, must be submitted using the online application. See "Important Forms" section below.
Have all of your documentation ready before you start the application form. The application
period is December 1 - March 1.
You will have 45 minutes to complete the application once you start. If you have any
issues with the application, please reach out to ptaprogram@sjcd.edu or 281-998-6350 ext. 3350.
Information sessions will be held on a regular basis on our South campus location in building S.1. Registration is not required. The sessions will cover topics such as PT as a profession, career potential, program requirements, and general information.
Date | Time | Location |
Oct. 7, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Oct. 8, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Nov. 11, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Nov. 12, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.143 |
Dec. 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Dec. 3, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.146 |
*Please note that you are required to attend one full session and provide your name and email address to obtain credit for your attendance prior to enrolling in the PTA program.
Information sessions will be held on a regular basis on our South campus location in building S.1. Registration is not required. The sessions will cover topics such as PT as a profession, career potential, program requirements, and general information.
Date | Time | Location |
Oct. 7, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Oct. 8, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Nov. 11, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Nov. 12, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.143 |
Dec. 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. | S-1.146 |
Dec. 3, 2024 | 6 p.m. | S-1.146 |
*Please note that you are required to attend one full session and provide your name and email address to obtain credit for your attendance prior to enrolling in the PTA program.
The cost of the PTA program is the standard published San Jacinto College tuition
with additional fees for insurance, background check, drug screen, immunizations,
CPR certification, and travel expenses for clinical rotations. Uniforms may need
to be purchased for some clinical rotations.
PTA Student Financial Fact Sheet
Our dedicated faculty and staff take pride in helping our students achieve academic success. Here are the program outcomes for our PTA program.
Class Year |
First-Time Pass Rate |
Ultimate Pass Rate |
Graduation Rate |
Employment Rate |
2024 |
92.9% |
92.9% |
58% |
100% |
2023 |
100% |
100% |
75% |
100% |
2022 |
100% |
100% |
87.5% |
100% |
Two Year Average 2023-2024
Pass Rate |
96.5% |
Graduation Rate |
66.5% |
Employment Rate |
100% |
Is the PTA Program very difficult to get into?
Yes. This is a selective admissions process; the student with the most qualifications
earned with points will be offered a seat in the program. Please note, per state regulations,
students are NOT allowed to repeat previously passed courses more than once. If a
course was failed, then the maximum attempt is three times to report a course. There
are only 24 positions in the program and the applicant pool exceeds that.
When is your application deadline?
March 1 of each year.
Do I have to take the SAT, ACT, HESI or TEAS?
No.
Where do I go for observation?
It is the applicant's responsibility to contact a local PT department to arrange for
this observation. Most area physical therapy departments are accustomed to student
volunteers and will help you in obtaining these observation hours. All applicants
are required to do a total of 40 hours of observation. Any facility or home health
agency is appropriate as long as you observe a licensed PT or PTA at work.
Is there a form for the Observation hours?
Yes. You may use the Hours of Observation Form on this page under Important Forms. You may also use the form from the facility you observe at if they have one. Make sure to have the PT or PTA sign the paper verifying the information is correct.
Is there a form for references to complete?
Yes. Use the Recommendation Form on this page under Important Forms. Three of these
must be completed and at least one must be from a licensed PT or PTA.
Do I have to apply for Admission to San Jacinto College and the PTA program? Are these
separate?
Yes, you must apply for Admission to San Jacinto College. This must be completed in
the semester prior to applying for Admissions to the program (i.e. Fall Semester.)
Do you have many non-traditional students in the program?
Yes, the PTA program has both male and female students of varying ages, cultural backgrounds,
family dynamics and work situations.
Is there a limit on how many times I can take Human Anatomy Physiology I & II?
Yes, there is a three attempt lifetime maximum for Human Anatomy and Physiology I
& II. If you have attempted these courses more than three times and not earned a passing
grade, your application will not be accepted.
If I want to reapply for the program, what should I do?
Many students reapply and we encourage you to do so. You will need to complete a new
application with all new documents and note on your application that you are reapplying.
Which campus offers the PTA program?
Only the South Campus has the PTA program. However, pre-requisite coursework may be
completed at any San Jac's four campuses or an accredited college or university.
Do you offer this program at night?
No. The PTHA courses listed in the Curriculum are offered only as day classes; however,
you can take pre-requisite and other courses at night, on weekends, on the Internet,
etc.
When does your program start?
The incoming class of students begins each fall semester.
Is the job market good?
The Houston job market is excellent at this time. ~100% of our graduates in the last
five years were employed within six months - one year of graduation.
What is the starting salary?
Salary information can be found at the United States Bureau of https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes312021.htm
How physical is the job?
The duties of a PTA are typically very physical in nature. Pushing, kneeling, lifting
and walking are routine activities. See the PTA Student Handbook on this page under
Essential Guides.
How would clinical placements impact my ability to work throughout the program?
The program is extremely rigorous; therefore working whilst in the program is discouraged.
There are three (3) clinical rotations that you will need to complete. They are full
time for five or seven weeks as outlined in the Curriculum portion of the brochure.
The clinical hours could possibly include evenings and weekends depending on the schedule
of your Clinical Instructor and/or facility.
If I have all the non-PTHA classes completed prior to the start of the program, can
I finish the PTHA courses in one year versus two?
No, the PTHA courses must be taken in order, which will take five semesters.
Do any of the required non-PTHA classes have to be taken within a certain time period?
No, there is no time limit to when any of the non-PTHA classes need to have been taken
as long as they are equivalent and reflected accordingly on your transcript.
The PTA program at San Jacinto College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085
Telephone: (703) 706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: www.capteonline.org
If you need to contact the program/institution directly, please call 281-998-6350 ext. 3350 or email PTAprogram@sjcd.edu.