General Program Description
The PTA program is a 2-year program, including two summers. The program has two full-time faculty members and utilizes guest lecturers as needed. The program begins each year in August. The graduation date each year is in May.
Clinical Experiences
Students have three clinical experiences, beginning in the summer following the first year. The first experience is 6 weeks, followed by two 6-week experiences during the second year of the program. Students are required to complete at least one clinical experience in a general hospital setting. Clinical experience sites are located primarily in the central Texas area, within a 100-mile radius of the campus.
Faculty
There are two full-time and one part-time faculty members. Two faculty members are engaged in clinical practice. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:13.
Enrollment
McLennan Community College (MCC) has an enrollment of 8,000 credit students, with students in non-credit programs bringing the total enrollment to more than 15,000. The physical therapist assistant program accepts 24 students each year from an average pool of 50-60 qualified applicants.
Admission
The application deadline for admission to the PTA program is June 1. Students are accepted into the program their freshman year, beginning in the summer semester. There are minimum admission requirements, including volunteer experience and a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in degree-specific courses and completion of Anatomy and Physiology I. Typically, applicants must score higher than the minimum requirements to be accepted. Transfer students are accepted based on the same criteria as MCC students. The average class is made up of 25% male, 75% female students, with an average age of 26-28. Seventy-eight percent of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3 year average).
Outcomes
Board exam pass rate for most recent graduates is 92% (3 year average).
Tuition, fees and financial aid
The average cost for the 2-year program including tuition, fees, books, uniforms, etc (not including room and board) for the 2006-2007 academic year is $5196 for in-county students, $6060 for out-of-county students, and $9516 for out-of-state students. The majority of students at MCC receive some type of financial aid. Scholarships, work opportunities, grants and loans are available. For further information, call 254/299-8698.
Student life
MCC is located on a beautiful wooded site adjacent to Cameron Park and Lake Brazos in Waco. Known as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the state, MCC provides an excellent learning atmosphere. In addition to being affordable, the college has small classes that provide excellent opportunity for student-faculty interaction. MCC does not have housing on campus, but there are many apartment complexes surrounding the campus.