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Application and Information

PTA Special Admissions Process and Application Information

PPSC’s Physical Therapist Assistant program has a selective admissions process and is not available to concurrent enrollment students. Please review the information below carefully to prepare for and complete your PTA special admissions application packet.
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Helpful Tip!

If you are considering applying to the Physical Therapist Assistant program, you must attend an information session hosted by the PPSC PTA program. Attendees will receive the link to the program application when it is available. If there are no upcoming information sessions currently available, please review the PTA information session presentation for more information.
Register for a PTA Info Session

 

Physical Therapist Assistant Application Period

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program Fall 2025 Application window will open on December 1 and close June 15, 2025.  

 

pta assisting patient

Admissions Criteria and Selection Information

As you prepare to submit your PTA program application packet, it's important to understand that several factors will be considered in the selection process. Each part of your packet will be reviewed and scored based on a point system. The highest-scoring applicants will be invited for an interview for further consideration.

To prepare a strong application packet, make sure to carefully review all admission requirements, instructions and optional criteria, including the following: 
  • Attend a PTA Info Session 
  • Meet placement requirements 
  • Submit official transcripts 
  • Secure recommendations 
  • Complete observation hours (optional) 
  • Complete service hours 
  • Include work experience (optional) 
  • Fulfill course prerequisites (not required to apply but must be passed with a C or higher before starting the technical phase in the fall) 
  • Indicate any previous degree (optional) 
  • Review technical standards 
  • Complete the Allied Health TEAS VII test with a qualifying score 

If you want to request that a course at an equal or higher level replaces a course that is part of the general education or prerequisite requirements, please fill out the course replacement request form and email it to joseph.miller@pikespeak.edu for review. 
Review criteria and scoring information

 

PTA Special Admissions Application Steps

If you are not already a current PPSC student, you must submit an admission application to Pikes Peak State College for the fall semester of the PTA cohort you are applying to. Please note, this application is not for the Physical Therapist Assistant program itself. The PTA program at PPSC has a separate special admissions process.

APPLY TO PPSC

WATCH HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PPSC APPLICATION

You must meet with a Health Sciences pathway advisor to complete a visit verification form. This document must be signed and uploaded to your Physical Therapist Assistant program admission application. Your advising appointment will cover important information you need to complete your PTA application packet.

HEALTH SCIENCES ADVISING 

WATCH HOW TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT 

Complete the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Application Packet and submit it to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Office by the deadline. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible. Courses completed during the spring semester can be counted towards your application points. The PTA application link will be activated here once available and will be provided at the PTA info sessions. 

To submit your PTA Program Application Packet, follow these steps:  

  1. Log in to the PPSC application portal. For help with logging into the application portal, please contact 719-502-2000 or admissions@pikespeak.edu. 

  2. Once you are logged in, select the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) application.  

  3. Complete and submit your PTA Application Packet. 

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR PROGRAM ENTRANCE. 

LOG IN TO SUBMIT YOUR PTA APPLICATION

Applications to the PTA program will be scored according to the criteria and scoring rubric set by the department. Interviews will be conducted for the top 30 highest-scoring candidates (20 accepted and 10 waitlisted) after applications are submitted and scored. The interviews are designed to gather information that can predict retention and success, and to support each student’s success in the program. The interview questions will focus on grit, college readiness, and resiliency. 

Review Criteria and Scoring Rubric

If you are selected as one of the candidates for the PTA program, you must complete additional steps to prepare for class registration and clinicals, including: 

  • Complete a criminal background check and drug test upon acceptance to the PTA program (to be completed by the start of Fall I). A fee and your Social Security number are required for the background check. Accepted students will be referred to PPSC Human Resources to schedule background checks and drug tests. 

  • Submit a current CPR Health Care Provider card and a completed physical examination
  • Complete the following immunization requirements prior to the first clinical or provide an official vaccination exemption (by Summer II):
    • Two-step TB skin test 
    • Tetanus-diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) within the last 10 years 
    • Measles/Mumps/Rubella vaccinations or serological confirmation of immunity 
    • Varicella vaccination or serological confirmation of immunity 
    • Additional vaccinations may be required before clinical internships 
    • Three-injection hepatitis B vaccination series or serologic confirmation of immunity (this series can take up to 6 months to complete). 

  • Complete OSHA Training

  • Health insurance coverage may be required for some clinical rotations

  • Meet academic requirements before the start of the program: 
    • You must maintain 2.5 overall GPA
    • You must pass any pending prerequisites with a “C” or better
    • If you do not pass all prerequisites by fall semester, or your overall GPA falls below 2.5, your offer for admission will be rescinded. 

Financial aid comes in various forms such as grants, loans, work-study opportunities, and scholarships. Our goal is to help you cover your educational expenses using federal, state, and institutional resources. All PPSC students are encouraged to submit a FAFSA or CASFA for the current academic year.

Additionally, military-affiliated students who plan to use educational benefits while attending PPSC must complete additional steps to ensure your classes are certified and covered. Connect with our Military and Veterans Program (MVP) team for assistance. 

Learn about financial aid

Contact Military & Veterans Programs

pta assisting patient

 

 

FAQs

Technical standards are related to essential career and licensing requirements and outline the criteria necessary for admission or participation in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. They represent the skills and attributes expected of students and apply to classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. The Physical Therapist Assistant Program works closely with PPSC Accessibility Services to support students with disabilities. If you have questions about reasonable accommodations, please contact PPSC Accessibility Services.

Review PTA Technical Standards

No, the program cannot be completed in less than two years since the technical courses are taught sequentially and require two full years for completion. 

A class of up to 20 students will be selected.  A list of alternates is maintained until the Fall I courses begin. 

PPSC’s waitlist is 10 students.  Those on the waitlist not enrolled will need fill out an application the next year.

If the course(s) were completed at a Colorado public college or university, you may find them on the PPSC transfer equivalency chart. For courses not found on this chart, or if the course(s) were completed at a college outside Colorado, work with PPSC's Health Sciences advisors to determine which course(s) will transfer.  

Learn about transcript evaluation

No, the PTA program courses are arranged over 6 semesters. Your overall time does not change, but you will not have to take as many classes each semester.

Yes.  If you are currently enrolled in one or more of the required courses, you are encouraged to submit your application by the deadline.  These courses are not required to apply but required to begin the program technical phase in the Fall.

Graduation from a physical therapist assistant education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.

Pike Peak State College is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist assistant education program from CAPTE. On 6 December 2021, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.

If required for clinical affiliations, you may have to purchase malpractice insurances.

You will need to pay for a TB skin test (or its equivalent) before beginning the program. Once admitted, you will be notified of the deadline to obtain it. You will also be required to pay for a physical exam and complete any required immunizations before starting the program. You will be notified of the deadline for these as well. Additionally, you will need to purchase books, supplies, and cover any lab fees assessed.

You are responsible for the cost of transportation to and from the College, as well as to and from clinical rotation sites. There are no dormitories available at the College or clinical sites, so housing costs will also be your responsibility.

You are required to have a current Health Care Provider Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (BLS CPR) card before starting the program and it must remain current throughout the two years you are enrolled. Completing the CPR course is your responsibility and may involve a fee. Background checks and drug screens are required before you begin clinic hours (Summer II).

Then your transcripts must be submitted to the Program Director along with reason why the courses are more than 7 years old.  i.e.  military service, switching careers, and/or stay at home parent going back to school.  The program director, along with the faculty, will address this on a case-by-case basis. 

Then your transcripts must be submitted to the Program Director along with reason why the courses are more than 10 years old.  i.e.  military service, switching careers, and/or stay at home parent going back to school.  The program director, along with the faculty, will address this on a case-by-case basis. 
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Center for Healthcare Education and Simulation

Clinical Internship Information

The PTA program’s Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) assigns all clinical internships. These placements are designed to expose you to various physical therapy settings and help you gain the skills needed for entry-level practice as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

You will complete one full-time, 4-week clinical internship during the summer after your first year. Settings include, outpatient orthopedics, acute care, skilled nursing facilities, and rural hospitals. During your final semester, you will complete two full-time, 6-week clinical internships. These may include any setting from your first clinical internship, or pediatric, inpatient rehab, neuro, or other specialty settings.  

Internship Requirements: 

  • You must complete at least one full-time inpatient internship (inpatient acute, inpatient rehab, or skilled nursing) and one outpatient internship. 
  • You can state your preferences for placement. Your professional interests and experience will be considered. 
  • Final placements and schedules are determined by the ACCE to ensure you experience various settings and patient cases. 

Important Guidelines: 

  • Students may not rearrange clinical assignments. Special situations should be discussed with the ACCE. 
  • Do not contact clinical facilities directly to arrange a placement. If this occurs, please notify the PTA Program ACCE. 
  • Students will only be placed at facilities with a current, written clinical agreement. 
  • You will not be placed at any site where you have been employed within the past two years in a PT setting. 

Placement Locations and Costs: 

  • Expect to complete at least one internship outside the immediate Colorado Springs area (except for parents of dependent children).
  • All related expenses (transportation, meals, housing) are your responsibility. 

Accreditation Information

Effective 26 April 2022, the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Pikes Peak State College has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706- 3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. To contact the program or institution directly, please call Joseph Miller, PT, DPT, DSc at 719-502-3486 or email joseph.miller@pikespeak.edu. 

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.