Physical Therapist Assistant - How to Get Started

Join our upcoming information sessions to learn more about the program, application process/requirements, and selection criteria.

In-Person Session

In-person sessions will be held in Gresham Campus Room AC2707

• 6 p.m, Thursday, December 5, 2024
• 6 p.m, Thursday, January 9, 2025
• 6 p.m, Thursday, February 6, 2025
• 6 p.m, Thursday, March 6, 2025

Online Session via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 938 6011 3885
Passcode: 026194

• 3 p.m., Tuesday, November 19, 2024
• 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 10, 2024
• 12 noon, Tuesday, January 21, 2025
• 11 a.m., Tuesday, February 18, 2025
• 1 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Courses must be completed with a "C" grade or higher. Use our transfer course equivalency tool to see if your courses from other colleges apply!

The courses below are required and must be completed by the end of the winter term, March 2025:

• MTH065 Beginning Algebra II or higher
• WR121Z English composition or bachelor's degree
  • WR121Z is equivalent to WR121. 
• PSY201Z General Psychology 
• MO111 Medical Terminology 

The following courses must be completed within the last 10 years (completed between winter term 2015 and winter term 2025, March 2025):

• BI231 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1
• BI232 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2
• BI233 Human Anatomy and Physiology 3
  
  • Anatomy and Physiology 3 must be completed no later than end of spring term, June 2025

Apply for general admission to MHCC if you are new to MHCC or have not attended in the last four terms. Select AGS in Health Professions as your major. Please note it could take one to two business days to receive your MHCC ID number.  

Pay the $35 non-refundable application fee once you are ready to submit your application. You will need to upload your payment receipt with your application. 

PAY NOW!

Submit official transcripts for all required courses. Updated official transcripts are required only if new courses have been taken. If you’re finishing prerequisite courses in winter term, wait until grades are posted before requesting transcripts. Otherwise, complete this step as soon as possible.   

Transcripts must be issued directly by the institution from which the course was completed. Coursework showing as transferred from one institution to another is not accepted. Official electronic transcripts via secure electronic delivery service may be submitted to [email protected]. E-transcripts cannot be sent from the student to MHCC as they are not considered official. If submitting transcripts by mail, send to:

Mt. Hood Community College – PTA Application
Admissions, Registration and Records
26000 SE Stark St.
Gresham OR 97030

• MHCC transcript: Not required, already on file.
• Regionally Accredited Institutions: Required for prerequisite courses.
• Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions: Not accepted.
• Advanced Placement (AP), CLEP, DSST, GED® or International Baccalaureate (IB) Transcripts/Scores: Cannot be used for Human Anatomy and Physiology series. Must be issued directly from College Board, DSST, GED® Testing Service or International Baccalaureate in a sealed envelope sent directly to MHCC. Find out more about credit alternatives.
• Foreign/Non-US Based Educational Transcripts: Required only if using to meet admission requirements and must first be evaluated by an outside credential service. For more information, visit the transfer to MHCC page. Evaluation processing for foreign transcripts could take up to six weeks. We recommend you start this process early! A foreign bachelor's degree does not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.

Submit your application from November 12, 2024 through April 11, 2025. Please be sure to have your documents ready for uploading and transcripts available for entering your prerequisite courses. Once started, your application cannot be saved.

APPLY NOW!

Upon successful submission of your application, you will receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of your application within three business days, please email [email protected].

As your application gets reviewed, the status will be updated in the MyMHCC portal.

Application Timeline - Fall Term 2025 Entry

• November 2024: Application information available online.
• November 12, 2024: You may submit your application.
• April 11, 2025: Application deadline. All materials are due to MHCC. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for admission.
• May 2025: Applicants are notified of admission status.
• August 4, 2025: Required orientation for accepted students.
• September 22, 2025: Fall term classes begin.

Dates are subject to change. Any changes to the processing timeline will be updated here.

MHCC PTA program will use an unbiased third-party lottery service to admit students for fall term 2025.  All applicants that meet the admissions requirements will be assigned a number in no particular order. The total range will be put in the random number generator that will assign spots for admission, followed by the waitlist.

Applicants will be informed about admission to the program by May 2025.

If you are offered a seat in the program, you will be required to complete the following to keep your position:

• Attend the required orientation in August (a specific time will be in your acceptance letter). At orientation, you will receive registration information for the fall term, meet with your instructors and classmates, and learn about the required health and safety documents, criminal background check, and drug screen. These must be completed and turned in by the assigned due dates.

1. Immunizations: Accepted students must complete a variety of immunizations prior to their first clinical education experience. Vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, tetanus, and diphtheria are all required prior to the initial clinical education experience. COVID, flu, and polio immunizations are also strongly recommended. There is an annual screening requirement for tuberculosis. These requirements are in line with the Oregon Health Authority guidelines regarding clinical education.
2. Criminal Background Checks: You will be required to complete a criminal background check upon acceptance into the program. This background check requires a fee ($111). Clinical placement is possible with a criminal background, however it may be more complex.
3. Restrictions: If you have been convicted of a felony, this may impact your ability to get a physical therapist assistant license. It may also make clinical placement during the program more complex. Please reach out to a PTA instructor or the dean of health professions for clarification.
4. Drug Screening: All students will be required to complete a drug screening during the first spring term of the program. This drug screening will check for drugs that contain amphetamines, barbiturates, opioids, benzodiazepines, and marijuana. If you are taking prescribed medication that contains these drugs, please notify an instructor.

• Complete remaining course in A&P series required to start the program if not completed by the application deadline.

For program costs, see the PTA program financial fact sheet.

Learn about paying for college

Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) reserves the right to modify the criteria and the process for selection.  

Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the PTA program. Admission of all students to the program is centralized in the admissions, registration, and records office. This office has the final authority on all admission criteria and is the sole authority to inform students of their admission status.  

If you have questions regarding admission requirements and procedures, please email [email protected]. 

Reasons for Admission Disqualification: Withholding information or providing materially misleading or giving untruthful answers to questions on the program application or during the application process could be cause for non‐acceptance or dismissal from the program. If you were admitted and then failed a required course or were dismissed from the program or any other health-related program, you may be denied admission into the program. 

Individuals with a criminal record may not be allowed into a healthcare facility as a student. Because it is impossible to meet the program's objectives without clinical experience, anyone with a positive criminal or abuse history may not be eligible for acceptance in the physical therapist assistant program. In addition, the Physical Therapist Licensing Board requires a criminal background check upon applying for licensure. If you have a positive criminal background, it is suggested you speak with the dean of health professions before applying to the program. 

Previous Admission: If you were previously accepted into the program and then declined acceptance or withdrew, you may not be given priority consideration in subsequent applications. You will need to re‐apply to the program and will be required to meet the current program admission requirements and program standards. Materials cannot be brought forward from previous applications for a current application.