Admissions Requirements
The admissions requirements for consideration to our DPT program are detailed below. Please read them carefully. There are no exceptions to the requirements outlined below.
- Four-year degree or a senior on track to graduate from an accredited university or college with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours. Pass/Fail grades will be omitted from GPA calculations.
- All prerequisites must be complete with a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.2. See section on Prerequisite Course & Requirements for more details regarding prerequisites.
- All application materials must be received by PTCAS by September 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. This is a firm deadline with no exceptions. We recommend that you submit your application at least two weeks before this date.
- A minimum of three letters of recommendation must be submitted. It is recommended that one letter is submitted by a physical therapist, but not required.
- PTCAS will process your application and share it with us. It is your responsibility to ensure that all requirements components are completed or received by PTCAS. We recommend that you continually check your PTCAS application until you are certain all materials have been completed or received.
- Observation hours are required. We recommend 50 hours in at least three different settings.
- Please see the section on Supplemental Materials below.
Prerequisite Courses & Requirements
To avoid disadvantaging prospective students who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pass/Fail science prerequisite credits are accepted during the semesters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for our program admissions, we strongly encourage our applicants to opt for letter grade if available. P/F grades cannot contribute to GPA calculations.
Semester equivalents of the following courses are required to be considered for admission. These courses can be taken online or in-person at any accredited four-year institution or community college. Courses are weighed equally. For example, a physics course taken at a community college is not given less weight than a course taken at four-year college or university.
Prerequisite Requirements
- Applicants must plan to complete all prerequisite courses by the end of the fall semester of the year in which you apply. If you expect to apply during the summer/fall of 2025 for entry to fall 2026, you must have all prerequisite coursework completed by the end of fall 2025. There are no exceptions to this policy.
- At least nine prerequisite courses must be completed before the fall semester begins. Only two or fewer may be in progress during the fall semester in which you apply.
- It must be mathematically possible to obtain or maintain a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.2 if the applicant has courses in progress.
| Prerequisite | Credit Hours/Quarter Hours | UNC Equivalent | Community College Equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory Statistics | 3/5 | STOR 151 STOR 155 PSYC 210 | MAT 152 BUS 228 | Statistics course in a major qualifies. For example, Research Statistics or Business Statistics qualify. |
| Principles of Biology I With Lab | 4/6 | BIOL 101 & 101L | BIO 111 | |
| Second Biology Course (Not Botany) | 3/5 | MCRO 251 BIOL 202, BIOL 220 BIOL 205 MCRO 449 | BIO 175 BIO 275 | Biology II Not Accepted; Recommended histology, immunology, embryology, cell biology, genetics, or microbiology |
| General Chemistry I with Lab | 4/6 | CHEM 101 & CHEM 101L | CHM 151 | |
| General Chemistry II With Lab | 4/6 | CHEM 102+102L CHEM 430 | CHM 152 CHM 251 CHM 271 | Organic chemistry will be accepted. |
| Human Anatomy with Lab | 4/6 | EXSS 175+275L | BIO 163 BIO 168+169 | BIO 252 + 252L |
| Physiology | 3/5 | EXSS 276 | ||
| General Psychology | 3/5 | PSYC 101 | PSY 150 | |
| Exercise Physiology (Lab Optional) | 3/5 | EXSS 376 | Offered Online At: NC State: HESM 478 University of New Mexico: PT 351 American Public University: SPHE 314 |
|
| General Physics I with Lab | 4/6 | PHYS 114 PHYS 118 | PHY 151 PHY 251 | Algebra Based is Preferred |
| General Physics II with Lab | 4/6 | PHYS 115 PHYS 119 | PHY 152 PHY 252 | Algebra Based is Preferred |
Prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited school in the United States or Canada. This includes community colleges. Course descriptions here are to be used as guides and suggestions.
We do not accept substitutions for entry-level biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology courses as these entry-level courses are generally prerequisites for the higher level prerequisites. For example, abnormal psychology could not be used to replace the general psychology requirement. Understand that each prerequisite course has been established to ensure that every applicant 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 already taken or may take, click here to send the course description to the registrar.
We are glad to help you navigate prerequisite course requirements. Please send requests only for those courses that do not clearly meet the noted requirement. Do not verify courses that meet the requirements. For example, if your school offers General Chemistry I or Introduction to Chemistry I then you can feel confident that it will meet our general chemistry I requirement.