Doctor of Physical Therapy

DPT Admissions

The DPT program is designed for those individuals with an undergraduate degree in a field other than physical therapy. Applicants should have a sufficient knowledge of the physical therapy profession to make an informed career choice. Applicants are also encouraged to visit with and observe physical therapists in a variety of practice environments.

 

Admission Requirements:

• Four year degree or a senior on track to graduate
• Completion of prerequisites
• Volunteer/ Job shadowing work

Admission Statistics:

We admit 24-28 students each fall for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Admission is highly competitive for those seats. We receive approximately 250-300 applications each year. To be considered, applicants need at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Click here to review the admission statistics for the most recently admitted classes.

Volunteer work/ Job Shadowing:

Volunteering is very big aspect of Physical Therapy admissions. We are looking for those who can demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the Physical Therapy field. We do not have a minimum number of hours that are required, but there are several key things to keep in mind while completing these hours.

1. Volunteer or shadow at several different places. A nursing home or long-term rehabilitation facility will give a good understanding of geriatric physical therapy. It would greatly beneficial to volunteer at a hospital and observe in-patient treatments, and compare them to treatments done at an out-patient facility
2. Actually observe the activities of the Physical Therapists. If you volunteer but only work at the front desk, you will not receive the experience necessary to make an informed decision about a career in Physical Therapy. You also want to observe paperwork procedures, managerial procedures, business practices, etc. All of these things should be considered.
3. Know that the experience is more valuable than the hours. Understand what you are observing. Be able to have a conversation about your job-shadowing/ volunteer experiences. Hundreds of hours for an internship will not be helpful if you can not articulate anything about those hours.

 

Application Materials:

DPT Application will become available online September 1st    

  Deadline is November 27th

• Transcripts*
• 3 Letters of Recommendation*
• North Carolina Residency Form (must be completed for EVERYONE who wishes to be considered a North Carolina Resident, including current UNC students)
  1. Residency short form (for those who've been in state for 3 consecutive years)
  2. Residency long form
• GRE scores (institution code # 5816, Department Code #0619)*
  Information about these criteria is found in the application, including all required forms.

*Graduate Record Examination scores and three letters of recommendation must be submitted with the application.  It is preferred that letters of recommendation are completed through the online form on the application. If submitting the downloaded form, send to:

3045 Bondurant Hall, CB 7135

UNC-Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7135 

Residency forms must be submitted to:

Seletha Shaw

1033 Bondurant Hall CB 7120

UNC-Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7120

Please make sure that all materials are submitted by the deadline. Applicants can verify receipt of their materials online once their application have been submitted and the application fee paid. We will not be able to give any information or updates for unsubmitted applications.

For questions about Admissions contact the

Division of Physical Therapy Registrar at:

email: lowranc@med.unc.edu

Matriculation Requirements:

Students must have graduated from an accredited four-year program and must have completed all of the prerequisite courses prior to the end of the fall semester that precedes fall semester enrollment in the program.

Consideration for Admission:

Admissions decisions are substantially influenced by the applicant's ability to demonstrate personal characteristics considered consistent with the expectations of professional behavior and the delivery of patient/client centered services. To be successful, applicants also must demonstrate the ability to be successful in the academic and clinical program.   Exposure to the diversity of the profession is important in enabling applicants to make informed decisions about physical therapy as a career choice and to provide the applicant with meaningful information for the written application materials and during the interview process. The applicant should get a thorough exposure to the physical therapy profession. Sometimes applicants will choose to only visit a local hospital. While the physical therapy department may be an excellent one, it may not represent the diversity that actually exists in the profession. In addition, the applicant may wish to visit home health agencies, private practices, skilled nursing facilities, pediatric developmental centers, educational settings (schools), and sports medicine clinics. Personal interviews are required for applicants who reach the final stage of the admission process. Preference is given to applicants who are North Carolina residents, with a target enrollment of 85% North Carolinians

Prerequisites:

Semester equivalents of the following are required to be considered for admission:
1. Introductory Statistics
2. Principles of Biology I with lab
3. Anatomy*
4. General Physics I with lab
5. General Physics II with lab
6. General Chemistry I with lab
7. General Psychology
8. Physiology*
9. Exercise Physiology

*A semester four-hour course which combines Anatomy and Physiology will satisfy the pre-requisite requirements for anatomy and physiology. However, if you take the two-part courses at any of the community colleges, you'll have to take both parts. Anatomy is featured in part one and Physiology in part two.

All prerequisite courses are to be completed by the end of the Fall semester prior to Fall for which they are seeking enrollment. The Admissions Committee will consider exceptions to this requirement on a case by case basis for extenuating circumstances. Applicants may request an extension for one prerequisite by submitting a written petition to the Division Registrar at shauni_lowrance@med.unc.edu. Appeals need to outline:

• rationale/ reason for requesting extension   (why?)
• extenuating circumstances that prevented timely completion of prerequisites    (what?)
• evidence showing that applicant is still competitive despite deficiency

Appeals MUST be submitted well in advance of application submission. You MUST have written confirmation that your appeal has been approved prior to submitting your application. Application fees are non-refundable if appeal is not approved.

 

Prerequisite courses must be completed at an accredited school in the United States or Canada. This includes community colleges. Click here for a list of course descriptions that we've found to be acceptable. We've also been able to compile a list of courses from area schools that we think will also meet our prerequisite requirements. All courses on this list are suggestions, and any questions about these courses should be directed to the appropriate department at that particular school.

We can not accept substitutions for entry-level Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology as they are generally prerequisites for the higher level prerequisites. Understand that each prerequisite course has been established to ensure that every student has the basic foundation necessary to enter this program. Some courses are too narrow and others too broad in their focus and content, making them unacceptable substitutions. If you have questions about a course you've taken, email the course description to the registrar.