General Program Description
The PTA program is a 21-month integrated curriculum format (71 semester credit hours) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association. The program includes supervised classroom and clinical experiences designed to prepare the graduate for eligibility to take the examination to become a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Graduation is the third week of May.
Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences are attained in Wharton and surrounding counties. The PTA program has three full-time (Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) clinical rotations with each clinical experience being 6 weeks in length. The first clinical rotation occurs during the summer semester of the freshman year and the last two clinical rotations take place during the final spring semester of the sophomore year. Students are responsible for their own transportation to each clinical experience. CPR certification and Hepatitis B vaccinations are required prior to beginning your first clinical affiliation.
Faculty
There are two full-time and one adjunct faculty members. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:14.
Enrollment
Total enrollment for Wharton County Junior College (including the Sugar Land campus, Fort Bend Technical Center and Richmond campus) is approximately 6,000. The PTA program seeks to accept 16-18 freshmen students each fall.
Admission
Admission to the PTA program is on a selective basis. Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the PTA program. Deadline for application is the last Thursday in May with admission determined by the PTA selection committee. Applicants are notified by letter of the committee’s decision in early June. Applicants must have graduated from an accredited secondary school or have a General Equivalency Diploma. An ACT score of 19 or higher on both the composite and science reasoning sections is required and must be current within the last 5 years. Completion of both semesters of Human Anatomy and Physiology are highly recommended and must be current within the last ten years. Applicants are also required to submit proof of 40 hours observation in at least two different physical therapy settings and write a 1 page summary of their observation experience. Applicants are also required to attend an information session. The information sessions are scheduled for the last Thursday of January, February, March and April. Applicant are highly encouraged to complete as many of the non-PTA courses outlined in the degree plan. A college catalog and “PTA Information Packet”, which further outlines the admission requirements, is available upon request. Please feel free to visit the PTA program website at http://www.wcjc.edu and click on the “Educational Programs Quick Jump” drop down box and then select the Physical Therapist Assistant program.
Outcomes
For those students graduating in May 2008, 2009 and 2010 the average graduation rate was 72.9%. Employment rate was 100% and the overall pass rate on the state licensure exam was 86%.
Tuition, fees and financial aid
The estimated total average cost for in-state tuition, fees, and books is approximately $9520.00 and for out-of-state students the total cost is approximately $12,940. Wharton County Junior College provides financial aid to students through scholarships, loans, and student employment. Applications and information concerning these programs may be obtained from the Student Financial Aid Office. The financial aid program at Wharton County Junior College is designed to provide financial aid through scholarships, grants, loans, and on-campus employment. Inquiries concerning student aid should be addressed to the Student Financial Aid office at (979) 532-6237.
Student life
The main campus of Wharton County Junior College is located on 72 acres in the city of Wharton, “the heart of the Texas Gulf Coast”. Wharton Texas is approximately 50 miles southwest of Houston and 140 miles southeast of Austin. In addition, Wharton County Junior College operates extension campuses in Richmond and Sugar Land Texas and offers courses in El Campo, Bay City, Palacios, and other locations in Wharton, Fort Bend, Matagorda, and Colorado counties. Wharton County Junior College is well known for its allied health programs. In addition to the Physical Therapist Assistant program, the college offers an associates degree (AAS) in Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Technology, Health Information Technology, Human Services, Associate Degree Nursing, LVN-ADN Transition and Radiologic Technology. Certificate programs include Emergency Medical Technology, Human Services, Surgical Technology, and Vocational Nursing. Although Wharton County Junior College is primarily a commuter college, dorms are available at a reasonable cost.