FIRST YEAR STUDENT ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR PTA 

  1. A high school diploma or (GED) 

  1. The minimum high school units required for admission to the physical therapist assistant program includes four secondary units of English, two units of algebra and one unit of geometry (or higher-level courses, such as Trigonometry or Calculus), two units of science with a lab (one unit must be biology), and five units of arts, humanities, social studies, and/or foreign languages. 

  1. The minimum high school GPA required for admission is 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale), however, most students who are accepted to the PTA Program have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. 

Achievement of the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission into the PTA program. The program is competitive and applications submitted to Penn State by November 30 will be given priority consideration. Applications received after November 30 will be reviewed on a space-available basis. 

How to Apply

  • Penn State encourages all first-year student applicants to submit an application online.
  • Once you have completed the online application, you should submit official high school transcripts or proof of equivalency and standardized test scores to the undergraduate admissions office.
  • Currently, the Physical Therapist Assistant program only admits students to begin the program for the fall semester.