Admissions - Doctor of Physical Therapy Requirements

Application Process - Doctor of Physical Therapy Requirements
Students who can meet the prerequisite physical therapy requirements by the time the
program begins in Fall semester of a given year should apply to the Doctor of Physical
Therapy program at USA by the prior November 1st by following these steps. The applicant
must meet all applicable Doctor of Physical Therapy requirements including prerequisites
by the November 1 deadline.
Note: The Department of Physical Therapy will not process any application that is
incomplete (for any items noted above) or that is not submitted by the deadline. If
a student is not selected for admission in a given year, they may re-apply the following
year.
- All applicants must apply to Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). The PTCAS application must be completed and submitted to PTCAS by November 1, 2022.
Please allow up to four weeks for verification. Transcripts: Official transcripts from every college or university attended are considered part
of the PTCAS application and must be sent directly to PTCAS. Applications will not be verified until all official transcripts have been received
by PTCAS.
- Application Fee: $75 non-refundable Application Fee is required. A copy of your receipt must be emailed to the Dept. of Physical Therapy no later than the November 1 deadline.
- International applicants must have a TOEFL (internet) score ≥100, or IELTS ≥7.5 and must submit application
requirements to the Department of Physical Therapy by September 15 of the year prior to admission.
- All applicants must have a minimum 3.0 (A=4.0) overall grade point average (GPA).
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE): Preferred GRE verbal and quantitative combined minimum score of 290. GRE scores must
be officially reported to PTCAS (use Institution Code 7799) by November 1 deadline.
No copies are accepted. USA PT Studies Institution Code 7799 will allow GRE scores
to be sent to your designated PTCAS application and USA Admissions. GRE must have
been taken within the last 5 years. Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing sections
may be utilized. We strongly recommend that you take the GRE BEFORE October 4, 2022, so that there
is sufficient time for PTCAS to receive and verify the scores before the November
1st deadline.
- Students accepted to the DPT program must submit completed health and physical exam forms to include required immunizations. Accepted students must also read, sign and submit
the Core Performance Standards document outlining fundamental tasks of which applicants should be capable upon entering
the DPT program. The Core Performance Standards document is included in the application
packet and available upon request.
- Acceptance into the DPT program is provisional pending completion of any additional
required prerequisite courses (see below) with a grade of "C" or better and submission of required medical forms
as supplied in the acceptance packet. Failure to make a grade of "C" or better in
any required prerequisite course will result in a nullification of acceptance into
the professional program. Applicants may have a maximum of 2 Science prerequisite
courses remaining by the application deadline (November 1st). The remaining prerequisites
must be completed in the spring and summer prior to the start of the program.
- A minimum of 50 Observation Hours are required and must be completed by November 1,
2022. These must be submitted and verified electronically through PTCAS. These hours
must have been completed under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Applicants
must include name, dates worked, and contact information of the Physical Therapist(s)
under whom they shadowed, as well as the name and address of the facility or facilities
at which they shadowed. This information should be uploaded to PTCAS for verification.
There is no additional form required for submitting hours.
Applicants Considered for Admission to DPT Program
Applicants must complete a bachelor's degree prior to starting the USA DPT program.
Regular Graduate Applicants
These applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited college
or university and complete all prerequisites for regular graduate admission as listed
below with a GPA > 3.00 by the time they would start the DPT program.
Admissions rankings
Admissions rankings for all applicants are determined using the same criteria. Acceptance
to the DPT program will be based on the student's academic ability and aptitude for
a career as a physical therapist including GPA emphasizing Science prerequisites,
GRE score, and interview score.
Prerequisite Courses Required For All Applicants
Dept. of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy Requirements
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite Courses | Requirement |
---|---|
English Composition | 2 courses |
Social Science | 3 courses - at least two of which must be Psychology |
Precalculus Algebra / Trigonometry or Higher Mathematics | Either 1 course of Algebra/Trigonometry, 1 course of higher level mathematics (e.g. Calculus), or 2 courses to include Algebra and Trigonometry. |
Statistics | 1 course |
College Physics -with labs | 2 semester or 3 quarter sequence |
General Chemistry for science majors -with labs | 2 semester or 3 quarter sequence |
General or Cell Biology for science majors -with lab* | 2 semester or 3 quarter sequence |
Human Physiology OR a course sequence in Anatomy and Physiology |
Minimum 6 credits (Human physiology is the preferred sequence.) |
NOTE: For all prerequisite courses, credit older than ten years from the application deadline
must be repeated or validated by examination or other appropriate mechanism.
*Botany may not be used to satisfy this prerequisite.
**Electives should be concentrated in a back-up major of the student's choice.
Admissions Timeline
This schedule represents the admissions timeline in a typical year. In any given year,
the schedule may have to be adjusted.
Dept. of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Admissions Timeline
Date | Event |
---|---|
July 1-November 1 | Application period |
January 5-6 | In-person interviews |
February - March | Initial acceptance letters and alternate letters mailed Deadline to respond to offer and reserve your place |
Late August | Students begin first semester of DPT program |
Dept. of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Admissions Data
Class Admitted 2021 |
Class Admitted 2020 |
Class Admitted 2019 |
|
---|---|---|---|
Mean Cumulative GPA | 3.89 | 3.86 | 3.90 |
Mean Sci. GPA | 3.79 | 3.75 | 3.74 |
Mean GRE (V+Q) Total | 303 | 301 | 301 |
Gender Male Female |
13 27 |
7 33 |
13 27 |
Ethnicity African American Asian Caucasian Hispanic |
- 1 38 1 |
3 - 35 2 |
2 - 38 - |
Number of Applicants (complete applications/ pre-requisites met) |
484 | 418 | 393 |
Number Accepted | 116 | 85 | |
Number Enrolled | 40 | 40 | 40 |
For the Cumulative GPA, we now consider the cumulative GPA and GPA of the last 64
hours (including Graduate level coursework) and use the higher of the two GPA’s.